Sydney: Rainfall is expected to decrease in a region of the Australian outback that has been devastated by unprecedented flooding, which is likely to persist for several weeks.
On Thursday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) announced that the rainfall responsible for extensive flooding in the southwest and central areas of Queensland is now over.
“Fortunately, we are finished with the rain in southwest Queensland,” said Dean Narramore from the BoM. “However, even though the rainfall has ceased, flooding will continue for many days, if not weeks, in southwest Queensland.”
The flooding has impacted an area equivalent to the size of New South Wales, with water levels in some locations surpassing record highs set in 1974, as every river in southwest Queensland remains at major flood levels.
Residents of the sparsely populated region, known for its livestock farming, have been evacuated, and hundreds of homes have been submerged in floodwater.
During a visit to the affected areas on Wednesday, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli reported to journalists in Longreach, located about 1,000 km northwest of Brisbane, that over 150,000 livestock have either perished or gone missing due to the floods.
“This includes 70,000 cattle, 70,000 sheep, and 10,000 goats and horses, and I want to emphasize that this number will continue to rise,” he remarked. “I want Queenslanders to realize the magnitude of this situation. Agriculture is the backbone of these communities, and it will take a long time for them to recover. The recovery will span months and even years.”
The Premier announced assistance grants of up to 75,000 Australian dollars (approximately $46,881.50) for affected primary producers and mentioned that he is collaborating with the federal government to help repair damaged infrastructure.
It is estimated that over 3,500 km of fencing and 5,000 km of private roads have been damaged as a result of the flooding.