Extreme floods lead to deaths and evacuations in Australia
A flooded Victoria, Australia, on Oct. 14. Photo: Bai Xue/Xinhua via Getty Images
Flooding has led to multiple deaths and a number of evacuations across Australia, impacting residents who are still reeling from floods earlier in the week.
The big picture: At least 20 people have died in 2022 related to widespread flooding that has been worsened by climate change, according to climate scientists.
Details: Two people were killed and hundreds of homes were flooded due to torrential rain on Australian land that had already been flooded in recent days, the New York Times reports.
- People across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania were asked to evacuate due to the flash floods, per CNN.
Zoom in: At least 500 homes were flooded in Victoria, and that might only increase in the days ahead.
- David Clayton, Victoria's assistant police commissioner, told the Times that “we would see some of the largest evacuations we’ve ever seen.”
Flashback: Earlier this month, heavy rains in southeastern Australia left thousands of homes without power, Axios' Rebecca Falconer reports. Emergency services had to conduct multiple rescues as well.
- Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Jonathan How predicted that "life-threatening flash-flooding" was "on the way"
What we're watching: Authorities told NYT that Australia will remain at risk for flooding for weeks, especially if there is a medium level of rain.
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