One dead, 50,000 stranded in eastern Australia floods

Police discovered the body of a 63-year-old man inside a flooded home in the rural hamlet of Moto, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) northeast of Sydney. Others climbed onto their rooftops to escape the rising waters, as authorities launched a large-scale search and rescue operation involving helicopters, boats and drones.

The storms have dumped more than four months' worth of rain across parts of New South Wales in just two days.

"I must also say that we're bracing for more bad news in the next 24 hours. This natural disaster has been terrible for this community," said state Premier Chris Minns.

In Kempsey, an agricultural hub on the banks of the Macleay River, the town was quickly surrounded by floodwaters with little warning, said Mayor Kinnie Ring.

"You often think of rain on a tin roof as relaxing, but at the moment it is deafening and horrible," Ring told AFP. "The downpours are torrential, and every time it rains, you wonder what is going to happen next."

Ring said more than 20,000 people were cut off in her local government area alone, with many unable to access critical medication or supplies.

"This isn't a flood like we have seen in quite some time," she said.

Minns said up to 50,000 people across the Mid North Coast could be isolated by the flooding. The region's rivers flow down steep hills to the lush hinterland, making it particularly vulnerable to flash floods.

Authorities also feared that at least three people may be missing.

From the arid outback to the tropical coast, much of Australia has been battered by extreme weather in recent months. The average sea surface temperature around the continent hit a record high in 2024, according to the Australian National University.

Warmer oceans release more moisture into the atmosphere, leading to heavier rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events.

"Unfortunately, we're getting better at deploying resources because of natural disasters," Minns said. "And the reason for that is because we're seeing more of them, not less."

More than 2,500 emergency workers have been deployed to the region, supported by rescue boats, helicopters and hundreds of search drones. Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said some rivers were still rising and the threat had not yet passed.

"We aren't over the worst of it yet," she told ABC.

In Taree, resident Holly Pillotto was briefly stranded on the upper floor of her home.

"Our neighbours on the back verandah here are also stranded," she told Channel Nine as floodwaters rose. "It's a really dangerous spot to be."