After heavy rains, several towns in the Kimberley region of Western Australia are completely flooded. The community of Fitzroy Crossing, which is now cut off from the outside world, has been particularly hard hit. According to emergency services, it could take a week for the site to be accessible again by land.
The nearby Great Northern Highway, which connects the metropolis of Perth with the northern port city of Wyndham, is impassable in both directions, the Australian news agency AAP reported today (local time). Many residents were flown out by helicopter.
Animals are also affected
The Region’s Minister for Emergency Services, Stephen Dawson, said the situation was very dangerous and changing. Such heavy rain has not been seen in 100 years. The animal world is also threatened by the water: TV pictures showed how kangaroos and cows tried to get to safety from the floods. Wallabies fled to house porches to save their lives.
The extreme rains are offshoots of Tropical Cyclone Ellie, which made landfall two weeks ago, weather services say. They expect more heavy rains. In 2022, more and more floods hit Australia’s east coast. In addition to New South Wales, the states of Queensland, Victoria and South Australia were particularly affected. Kimberley lies to the north between the Indian Ocean and the Tanami Desert.
