Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the start of a cleanup operation in eastern Australia after record-breaking floods killed five people and stranded tens of thousands of people.
Damage assessments are under way for the coastal region of New South Wales in the east, where at least 10,000 properties are thought to have been damaged, the state’s emergency services agency said on Saturday.
Conditions have eased since Friday after days of relentless rain isolated towns, swept away livestock and destroyed homes, the agency added.
“We’re continuing to work closely across federal, state and local governments to make sure Australians get the support they need now and through recovery,” Albanese posted on X.
Despite improving conditions, hundreds of residents remain in evacuation centres with 52 rescues made overnight, State Emergency Services commissioner Mike Wassing said.
The death toll from flooding rose to five after a man in his 80s was found at a flooded property about 50km (32 miles) from Taree, one of the worst-hit towns, police said.
It’s “awful to hear the news of more loss of life”, Albanese said after being forced to cancel his trip to Taree on Friday due to floodwaters.
At their worst, the flooding isolated about 50,000 people and submerged roads in the country’s most populous state.
Coastal areas were left littered with debris and dead animals after a powerful storm system dumped months’ worth of rain in three days.
Train services, including airport services, were affected by flooded tracks. Sydney airport shut two of its three runways for an hour on Friday morning, delaying flights.
Australia has suffered a series of extreme weather events in recent years, which experts have attributed to climate change.
Frequent flooding has caused widespread devastation in the country since early 2021, following droughts and bushfires at the end of the last decade.
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