Australia: Death toll from floods in eastern Australia rises to four, 50,000 people still stranded

Four bodies have been found in the vast expanses of water covering part of northern New South Wales , a fertile region located some 400 kilometers from Sydney, police said on Friday. Rescue teams are carrying out clean-up operations as the waters begin to recede Friday morning. They are also assessing the damage caused by the torrential rains, equivalent to six months of rainfall, which hit the region in the space of three days.

"Our central business district has been flooded, so many businesses have been taken over by water, there's going to be a massive cleanup," said Kinne Ring, mayor of the flood-hit farming town of Kempsey. "Homes have been flooded," she added, speaking to ABC. Dallas Burnes, head of the State Emergency Service, said more than 2,000 personnel had been deployed to the disaster area. "Right now, our priority is to resupply isolated neighborhoods," he said, adding that 50,000 people were still stranded by the flooding.

More than 600 people have been evacuated since the beginning of the week. Faced with rising waters, some have had to climb onto cars, houses, and bridges before being airlifted out, according to emergency services. Dallas Burnes warned of the threat posed by muddy bodies of water. "Floodwater is contaminated. There may be rodents, snakes. We need to assess those risks." Electricity can also pose a danger.

The storms dumped more than six months of rain in just three days, the government's weather bureau said, breaking flood records in some areas. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the disaster area on Friday and observed a "horrific" situation. "There has been significant damage to infrastructure, and we're all going to have to do our part," he said.

The government has declared a state of natural disaster, freeing up more resources for affected areas. While many flood warnings have been lifted, some towns were still cut off Friday afternoon, complicating damage assessments. In Taree, a town along the Manning River, residents rallied Friday to help businesses clear away floodwaters.

From the arid hinterland to the tropical coast, large swathes of Australia have been hit by extreme weather in recent months. The average sea surface temperature around the country was the highest ever recorded in 2024, according to the Australian National University. Warmer waters cause more moisture in the atmosphere, leading to more intense rainfall. Global warming, caused mainly by the burning of oil, coal, and gas, is increasing the severity and frequency of climate disasters.