Flood in Australia: Four dead and 50,000 evacuations threaten!

Flood in Australia: Four dead and 50,000 evacuations threaten!

Nördlich von Sydney, Australien - Haves caused catastrophic floods on the Australian east coast. The region near Sydney is particularly seriously affected. According to a report by vienna.at have already been confirmed. Among the deceased is a 63-year-old man found in his flooded house in Moto. In addition, the corpses of a man about 30-year-old and a 60-year-old woman were discovered in her cars. A 70-year-old man drowned in his vehicle at Coffs Harbor. Another person is missing what makes the situation alarming for the residents.

The current situation in many areas is described as catastrophic. Around 50,000 people are already willing to evacuate, while thousands of households have to make do without electricity. In addition, numerous schools were closed, which further reinforced the effects of the natural disaster. The meteorologists predict that the extreme weather will move south, which increases concern about further damage.

evacuations and rescue operations

The violent rains in New South Wales have led to a critical infrastructure crisis. According to tagesschau.de more and more areas had to be evacuated. In some cases, people even wait for roofs, while over 48,000 inhabitants are cut off from the outside world in several regions. Rescue workers are permanently deployed and carry out hundreds of missions to free people from the flooded areas. Official arrangements for evacuation take place every hour via radio, television and social media.

The cities such as Taree, an important wine region in Hunter Valley, and Wingham on the Mid North Coast are particularly affected. The Manning River has reached a record height of over six meters, which exceeds the 1929 maximum. Authorities fear further increase in water level due to announced new precipitation. In addition, the state weather service warns of life -threatening floods in certain regions.

climate change as a background

The devastating floods are not only the result of extreme weather conditions, but also increase the discussion about climate change. A report by the Ministry of the Environment in Canberra shows that the pressure on all ecosystems in Australia is increasing and the number of endangered species has increased by 8% in the past five years. In the report, to which DW.com , it is determined that since the colonization 1788 In Australia 39 mammals died out are and more than 400 species are at risk.

The main reasons for the increase in threats are the loss of natural habitats, devastating bush fire and the challenges of climate change. These environmental problems not only have an impact on animal population, but also endanger human health and the standard of living. In this context, environmentalists require a comprehensive revision of climate policy in order to counteract the negative consequences of climate change and to prevent future disasters such as the current floods.