Queensland’s Devastating Floods: Bigger Than Texas

Iruni Kalupahana Jadetimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Australia

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Image Source: Bradley Kanaris

Queensland is battling one of its worst floods ever, with floodwaters spreading across over 1 million square kilometers more than four times the United Kingdom and larger than France and Germany combined. The intense rainfall, which began on March 23, has hit communities, infrastructure, and the agricultural industry hard.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported that the majority of areas in Queensland and northern New South Wales received their annual average of rain within four days. The floods already claimed the lives of over 150,000 livestock, destroyed 4,552 km of fencing, and displaced entire communities, with some towns like Adavale completely evacuated.

Health access remains an issue as remote towns rely on helicopters for medical care and essential commodities. Specialists are sounding the alarm for long term psychological impacts as residents come back to wrecked homes and lost businesses.

Despite the devastation, environmental specialists say the floods will recharge groundwater networks and bring back parched landscapes, which are crucial to the ecosystem balance of the area. The recovery process, however, remains uncertain as floodwaters continue to move downstream.