Photos show extreme flooding in Australia as thousands are evacuated due to torrential rains
Sarah Al-Arshani
- Heavy rains and extreme flooding have hit parts of Australia since Thursday.
- At least 18,000 people were forced to evacuate and officials say thousands more may have to as well.
- Officials expect more heavy rain in the next few days, including to areas not badly affected yet.
Since Thursday, heavy rain and extreme flooding has hit New South Wales, which includes the capitol of Sydney and southeast Queensland.
Axios reported that extreme weather has forced a national disaster to be declared in 16 regions in Australia.
So far at least 18,000 people have been asked to evacuate.
In a live-streamed press release, authorities said they expected another 4,000 people may be asked to evacuate.
"We need to brace ourselves, it will be a very difficult week," NSW state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
"I don't know any time in a state history where we have had these extreme weather conditions in such quick succession in the middle of a pandemic," Berejiklian added.
The floods caused delays in coronavirus vaccine shipments as the country expanded the category of people eligible to get vaccinated.
Sky News reported that the country's next eligibility phase was supposed to start on Monday. However, with roads underwater and the continued downpour, vaccinations are likely to be delayed.
Officials are struggling to get doses to highly impacted areas, with doctors telling the outlet that some doses that shoud have already been delivered have yet to arrive.
Sydney recorded 4.4 inches of rain on Sunday, making it the wettest day of the year.
Reuters reported that some places in Sydney's western regions had their worst flooding since 1961. More flooding is expected until at least Wednesday.
There are currently no deaths reported, but officials worry that it's inevitable.
Axios reported that NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott said "we are moving closer and closer to the inevitable fatality."
The floods are in stark contrast to bush fires that ravaged parts of Australia last year.
Bush fires started in September 2019 and raged on for months, burning an estimated 25.5 million acres. At least 25 people died.
The fires also destroyed about 2,000 homes and killed more than 1 billion animals.
Authorities expect areas that haven't been badly impacted yet to get hit with heavy rain starting Monday.
"We expect this heavy rain to fall on areas that haven't seen as much rain over the last few days. We expect the flood risk to develop in those areas as well," Bureau of Meteorology official Jane Golding told Reuters.
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