Australia airdrops supplies to farmers stranded by floods
Recovery was under way in the mid-north coast region of New South Wales state after days of flooding cut off towns, swept away livestock and destroyed homes. At least 10,000 properties may have been damaged in the floods, which were sparked by days of incessant rain, authorities estimate.
The floodwaters 'trashed' Dan Patch's house in rural Ghinni Ghinni near hard-hit Taree, and some cattle on the property have gone without food for days, he said.
'It's the worst we've ever seen,' Patch told Reuters. 'It's the worst everybody's seen around this area.'
About 32,000 residents of Australia's most populous state remained isolated due to floodwaters that were slowly starting to recede, the state's Emergency Services posted on the X platform.
'The New South Wales government is providing emergency fodder, veterinary care, management advice and aerial support for isolated stock,' state Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said in a statement.
It said 43 helicopter drops and around 130 drops by other means had provided 'isolated farmers with emergency fodder for their stranded livestock.'
At their peak, the floods isolated around 50,000 people, submerging intersections and street signs in mid-north coast towns and covering cars up to their windshields, after fast-rising waters burst river banks.
Five deaths have been linked to the floods, the latest a man in his 80s whose body was found at a flooded property about 50km from Taree, police said. Taree sits along the Manning River more than 300km north of the state capital, Sydney.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Saturday that conditions remained critical in flood-affected regions as clean-up efforts began.
Australia has been hit with increasing extreme weather events that some experts say are the result of climate change. After droughts and devastating bushfires at the end of last decade, frequent floods have wreaked havoc since early 2021.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Pakistan warns of ‘more intense' monsoon rains from today as death toll rises to 279
ISLAMABAD: A senior official of Pakistan's Meteorological Department warned that a 'more intense' monsoon spell is likely to affect several parts of the country from today, Monday, as the death toll from rain-related incidents since late June surged to 279. The Met Office warned last week that monsoon currents penetrating into Pakistan's upper and central parts are likely to intensify from Monday while a westerly wave is also expected to approach the country on Tuesday. The Met Office had also warned that heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams across the country. Monsoon rains in Pakistan have wreaked havoc since June 26, killing 279 people and injuring 676 across the country, according to data by the National Disaster Management Authority's (NDMA) latest situation report. Punjab has reported the highest number of deaths, 151, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 64, Sindh with 25, Balochistan with 20, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) nine, Islamabad eight and Azad Kashmir two casualties. 'Another monsoon spell will affect the country's northern areas from today,' PMD Deputy Director Anjum Nazir Zaigham told Geo News, a private news channel, on Monday morning. 'And this spell will be more intense than the previous one.' Zaigham said the fresh monsoon spell is expected to trigger rainfall in almost all parts of Punjab, GB, KP, Azad Kashmir and the northern areas of Balochistan province. 'This spell will begin today while tomorrow and the day after will be very important,' he said. FLOODS, LANDSLIDE ALERTS Separately, the NDMA issued flood alerts for various areas of GB and Azad Kashmir from July 28 to 31. According to the disaster management authority, it said rain is expected in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and Shigar areas of GB as well as in Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, and Bagh in Azad Kashmir during the forecast period. 'These rains may lead to flooding, while heavy showers in hilly regions may also trigger landslides,' it said. It said In Chitral Valley, Buni and Reshun areas, rainfall combined with melting glaciers may result rise in the water flow of River Chitral while urban flooding is also likely in Azad Kashmir's Muzaffarabad and Bagh areas due to heavy downpours. 'NDMA has directed all relevant departments and agencies to take proactive measures, ensure the readiness of personnel, machinery, and rescue teams, and remain vigilant to deal with any emergency situation,' the statement said. 'Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and local administrations have been instructed to take timely preventive actions.' Pakistan, which ranks among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, has witnessed increasingly erratic weather events in recent years. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, while a third of the country was submerged by devastating floods in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people, affected over 30 million and caused an estimated $35 billion in damages.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Arab News
Pakistan warns of more monsoon rains next week as death toll reaches 271
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's state media on Sunday forecast more rain and likely flooding in several parts of the country from next week, as the death toll from monsoon downpours since late June reached 271. Intense monsoon rains have battered Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad since June 26, causing urban floods and glacial lake outburst floods in several parts of the country. Pakistan has received above-normal rainfall this monsoon season, raising concerns of a repeat of the devastating 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and killed 1,737 people. 'More monsoon rains with wind-thundershower have been predicted across the country from tomorrow (Monday),' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. According to the Met Office, a westerly wave is also expected to approach on Tuesday. The state broadcaster warned heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams across the country, adding that torrential rains may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of major cities. 'Landslides and mudslides may cause road closures in the vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat, and Kashmir during the forecast period,' it added. Keeping in mind the rain forecast, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a flood warning for the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and their adjoining tributaries. The disaster management authority cautioned the public and authorities of possible low to medium-level flooding from Monday to July 31. It warned of an 'unusual rise' in water levels in both rivers, urging authorities to take preemptive measures. Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Pakistan, killing 271 and injuring 655 since June 26. As per the NDMA's latest situation report, Punjab has reported the highest number of deaths with 145 killed, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 63 casualties, Sindh with 25 deaths, Balochistan with 20, the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region with eight deaths, Islamabad with eight and Azad Kashmir region reporting two deaths. In total, 1,191 houses have been damaged, and 367 livestock have perished due to rain-related incidents since June 26.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Arab News
Heavy storms in northern Vietnam leave 1 dead, as Wipha weakens into a tropical depression
HANOI: Heavy storms in northern Vietnam left one person dead and another missing, police said Wednesday, as Wipha weakened from a tropical storm into a depression. A 59-year-old man was killed in Nghe An province when a tree fell on his house on Sunday before the storm made landfall, police said. Nghe An, which stretches from the coast to the mountainous Laos border, was among the areas hit hardest by heavy rain and floods. Another woman was swept away by floodwaters and remains missing. Four other people were injured. Flooding damaged hundreds of homes, destroyed crops and cut off remote communities, officials said. Nearly 400 households were evacuated from the province's landslide-prone areas, and several upland communities remain isolated without electricity or communication, officials said. Heavy rains triggered landslides that damaged roads, collapsed part of a school building and destroyed crops and forest. The storm made landfall Tuesday morning with sustained winds of up to 102 kilometers per hour (63 mph) before weakening as it moved inland. It caused power outages, disrupted farming operations and forced temporary airport closures in northern provinces. In neighboring Thailand, heavy rain from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning triggered flooding in several northern provinces, swelling rivers and inundating homes. Authorities said more than 350 people were affected, though no casualties have been reported. They warned of possible flash floods and landslides.
