Severe flooding continues to pummel parts of Australia
As large swaths of Australia continue to be hit with massive flooding, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on Australians to stick together.
"Australians are coming together, they are helping each other out and once again we are seeing at the worst of times, the best of the Australian character," Albanese said Saturday, per Reuters. The prime minister's remarks came when he was in Melbourne touring the flood damage in Victoria state. Victoria has become one of the hardest-hit territories by the flood, and Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said at least 355 roads in the state remained closed.
Victoria officials told CNN on Sunday that floodwaters in some areas of the state are expected to rise over 40 feet, which would flood more than 7,000 additional properties.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Other areas Down Under are being pummeled by raging waters as well, with parts of New South Wales and northern Tasmania similarly being drenched by flooding.
The flooding has been a result of torrential downpours that have plagued southeast Australia, and Reuters details that some areas saw an entire month's worth of rainfall just this past week. The extreme weather is due to La Niña conditions that have affected the country recently.
The New York Times confirmed at least two people have died from the floods, and more casualties are likely as the flooding continues. For those who survived, thousands more were left homeless, and the number of flooded houses is expected to rise.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
6 charming homes for the whimsical
Feature Featuring a 1924 factory-turned-loft in San Francisco and a home with custom murals in Yucca Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Big tech's big pivot
Opinion How Silicon Valley's corporate titans learned to love Trump
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden visits Amazon, says climate legacy irreversible
Speed Read Nobody can reverse America's 'clean energy revolution,' said the president, despite the incoming Trump administration's promises to dismantle climate policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published