Australia fights floods again
Persistent rain is causing renewed catastrophic flooding in the eastern state of New South Wales. Tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes.
Roads turn into rivers
Torrential rain is again pounding the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). About 30,000 people had to be evacuated from Sydney and the surrounding towns overnight to Monday. It is only a few months since towns in NSW already suffered severe flooding. The expected damage is in the billions.
No time for dismantling
In Camden, near Sydney, a park including merry-go-rounds has been flooded. There was no time left to dismantle or remove equipment. The La Nina weather phenomenon is currently giving Australia this record rainfall. Normally, this phase ends in June, but there is a 50-50 chance of it recurring, according to meteorologists. Add to that the effects of climate change and ocean warming.
Help has arrived
A man is freed from his car adrift in the waters during a rescue operation in Windsor, a town on the fringes of Sydney's urban sprawl. The state emergency service has its hands full. It has already rained four times as much as is usual in July. Many regions are still suffering from the destruction of previous floods and are now severely affected again.
Souvenir photo
Children are currently on school vacation, and, of course, a flood event like this needs to be captured photographically. But disaster officials are calling for people to reconsider travel plans and, if possible, stay at home if it is safe to do so. The new Labor government wants to be more active in combating disaster risk, said Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt.
Pony rescue operation
In the Milperra region near Sydney, rescue workers moved out to save these ponies. In the past day, the fire department received more than 1,400 emergency calls, according to Steph Cooke, the minister for emergency services and resilience. In recent decades, a lot of land that originally served as floodplains has been built upon.
A view from 2021
An aerial view of the region around Windsor from 2021 shows the extent of flooding then. In the regions affected by the floods, most families do not have very high incomes. Many can't even afford flood insurance. And many are still struggling with the aftermath of the last flood.