Australia: “One-in-100-year” floods have slammed a region of western Australia, forcing military aircraft to evacuate inhabitants from flooded communities. Former tropical cyclone Ellie, which in a matter of days dumped rain in some regions equivalent to an entire year’s worth, was the cause of the disaster in Western Australia’s Kimberley region last week.

Military aircraft helped airlift supplies and transport residents to safety in remote towns like Fitzroy Crossing, which has about 1,000 residents. The country’s Prime Minister promised to restore homes and reconstruct infrastructure as he toured isolated areas impacted by the floods. Authorities have described it as a “one-in-100-year” flood catastrophe.

Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Mr. Stephen Dawson stated that, “People in the Kimberley are experiencing a one-in-100-year flood event, the worst flooding Western Australia has had in its history.”

Mr. Dawson added that “the water is everywhere” and in some parts, flood waters stretched for 31 miles (50KM) with inundation “as far as the eye can see.” The cost of reconstructing damaged roads and bridges cannot yet be fully estimated, but Prime Minister Mr. Anthony Albanese predicted that the ultimate tally will be “very large.”

The flooding comes after an unseasonably wet year that saw four significant floods over the eastern section of the country. Despite officials’ warnings that some evacuation centres lacked the resources to handle the volume of evacuated people highways and bridges have been destroyed by the floods. According to state authorities, more than 280 people have been evacuated or relocated across the region.

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