Record floods isolate several towns in northwest Australia

Weather of Arabia - A senior official in relief efforts said today, Sunday, that military helicopters airlifted hundreds of people from towns isolated by record-breaking floods in northwestern Australia, indicating that water covered vast areas in some places.

The worst floods in Western Australia's history

The Kimberley region in Western Australia state was the hardest hit last week due to a former tropical cyclone ("Ellie") that brought torrential rains, and now vast areas are inundated, with flood waters extending for 50 kilometers in some parts.

According to WA Minister for Emergency Services Stephen Dawson, people in the Kimberley suffer about one flood event every 100 years, and this is "the worst flooding Western Australia has ever seen."

The state of emergency comes after repeated floods in eastern Australia over the past two years due to the "Lannina" phenomenon for several years.

Some eastern regions have suffered from four major floods since last year due to the "alanina", which is usually associated with increased rainfall.

The Met Office said on Sunday that the rainfall had eased as the former cyclone shifted east into the Northern Territory, but warned that "record-breaking large floods" would continue in the Kimberley region of Western Australia state.

The town of Fitzroy Crossing, home to about 1,300 people, was among the hardest hit, having to airlift supplies due to flooded roads.

A spokesman for the bureau said the Fitzroy River reached 15.81 meters (52 feet) at Fitzroy Crossing on Wednesday, breaking its 2002 record of 13.95 metres.

State emergency authorities have warned residents in other small communities of rising waters in the area, which includes the resort town of Broome, about 1,240 miles (2,000 km) north of Perth.

While it was difficult to assess the extent of the damage from the floods, authorities expected recovery efforts to take months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday described the flooding as "devastating" and pledged federal assistance, while a Department of Defense spokesman said five Australian Defense Force helicopters would begin operations in the Kimberley by Thursday.

Reuters