Record floods hit Australia

About 18,000 people have evacuated, and emergency services said rising water could displace 54,000 in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state. Some parts of Western Sydney have recorded nearly a foot of rain since Friday morning, with more forecasted through Wednesday. Some 40 flood warnings cover the state’s coastline.

What damage have the floods caused so far? Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Parliament that no one had died, but floods isolated 35 communities in New South Wales and emergency services conducted more than 700 flood rescues. The rising water levels have damaged buildings and roads and downed power lines as well, he said. The once-in-a-century floods are submerging homes a year after wildfires wrecked large portions of the region.

Dig Deeper: Read Leah Hickman’s report on wild weather events in 2020.