Australia floods turn NSW into disaster zone as extreme weather displaces thousands

Large parts of the mid-north coast of New South Wales are flooded, leaving three people dead and up to 16,000 people stranded as roads and towns are cut off. Over four months’ worth of rain fell in just two days, with more heavy rainfall expected in isolated areas. Authorities are conducting rescues by boat and helicopter, with more than 140 flood warnings in place and rivers peaking at levels unseen since 1929, in what is called a once-in-500-year event. Thousands of homes have lost power, and schools remain closed in the worst-hit regions. Communities have been declared natural disaster zones, and emergency services are prioritising rescues for those trapped, including people on rooftops. The Bureau of Meteorology expects rainfall to ease over the weekend, though floodwaters will move further south and along the coast. Climate scientists warn that such extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent in Australia. Al Jazeera’s Sarah Carke reports from Brisbane. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #Australia #NSW #AustraliaFloods #NSWFloods #ExtremeWeather #ClimateCrisis #FloodEmergency #NaturalDisaster #NSWRescueOperations #AustraliaHeavyRainfall #AustraliaFloodWarnings