Australia: Disaster floods

Water as far as the eye can see. After a week of torrential rain in New South Wales, the sun shines again and the recession begins.

On the east coast of Australia, residents have discovered the extent of the damage: cities invaded by waves, homes destroyed and crops destroyed. Two people lost their lives.

On Thursday, David Williams returned to his home in Londonderry, northwest of Sydney, where he could only see “terrible damage” caused by flooding in knee-deep water.

“It hurts Heart“, He said while congratulating himself.”A lot of things could be saved“.

He once dumped more than eight trailers of valuables and turned them into a pile of rubbish thrown on the side of the road.

Her neighbors, an elderly couple, were less than lucky. In their house, the muddy water, which was carrying all the debris, rose to waist height.

“They lost everything. They have nothing left. They have some memories, that’s all“.

Clean-up operations are underway. Hundreds of soldiers and volunteer firefighters are mobilized to clear the mud and clear the rubble. Food and basic necessities are transported to more isolated areas.

In some parts of the coast, one meter of water fell in a week, which is equivalent to two-thirds of normal annual rainfall. Nearly 20,000 people are still unable to return to their homes.

Authorities are urging people to be vigilant as most of the rivers in New South Wales have reached the peak of flooding if this rainy episode ends.