Historic flood in Australia: crocodiles invade the streets – 04/02/2019

For a week now the rain does not give a truce in Townsville, Australia. In seven days, the city has accumulated one meter of water, more than 20 times the usual level for this period of the yearresulting in a flood which, according to the authorities, they only arrive "once a century". And as if all this was not problematic enough, the rise of the waters caused the appearance of another threat: many reports confirm the presence of crocodiles strolling the streets of Townsville.

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The army had to be deployed during unprecedented floods that flooded homes, schools, and airports. They took crocodiles to the streets.

The army, which distributed 70,000 sandbags, on Monday used amphibious cargo ships to rescue rooftop neighbors, while monsoon rains flooded the state of Queensland.

Although the North Queensland area, where Townsville is located, enjoys a tropical climate, what happens is not normal. The Australian Department of Meteorology has indicated that monsoon rains that penalize the region have not affected other parts of the state, which is experiencing a severe drought.

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In Townsville, the situation is serious: Sunday, it was necessary to empty a dam, which had reached twice as much water as it could not store. As a result, "dangerous and high-speed" water currents have been triggered.

"We have never seen so much water in our life"said Gabi Elgood, a journalist on local radio. "We thought that there could not be more, but the rain did not stop."

There are more than 20 thousand houses threatened with floodingand the authorities confirmed that they had received more than 1,000 requests for help. While rains are expected to continue, boats and helicopters are moving people from affected areas to the highest areas.

To help with flood relief efforts, Australia has deployed military in the Queensland region. Among their tasks, they were distributing 70,000 sandbags and on Monday they used amphibious freighters to take their neighbors out of the roof.

Crocodiles and snakes on the public highway

A side effect of heavy rains has been the appearance of reptiles like crocodiles and snakes on the streets. According to the authorities, the waters take these animals to areas far from their natural habitats and, when the water level drops, they suddenly appear.

Many locals shared images on social networks of crocodiles in urban areas, like Erin Hahn, who downloaded a photo of a reptile strolling peacefully in the driveway of his father's house.

"If the idea of ​​being face to face with a crocodile is not enough to dissuade themBefore playing in the water, always keep in mind that you may find yourself splashing in the middle of your neighbor's droppings, "said Queensland police in a statement.

January 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded in Australia. This has aggravated the drought in the interior of the east and south of the country and favored forest fires.

In Adelaide, there was a high of 47.7 degrees Celsius, a record that was only pbaded a few days later when the thermometer read 49.5 degrees Celsius in the same city.

The Australian Meteorological Service warned Sunday about new rains and the risk of tornadoes and winds violent in the next few days. On Monday, February 4, schools and courts remained closed. According to Emma Oliveri, spokesperson for the Ergon Energy electricity distribution group, more than 16,000 people did not have electricity.

The main road that connects northern Australia to the rest of the east coast has also been cut off, which has sparked fears over the distribution of food.

Woolworths "sent charter planes to to distribute 3000 tons of fresh produce and basic necessities"in Cairns, northern city," said Tina Anandji, one of the group's managers.

"We will continue to do our best to bring supplies to the far north of Queensland although the roads are cut"he added.

According to meteorologists, a very slow moving monsoon system was located over northern Queensland, and some areas could receive the equivalent of more than one year of rainfall, before an improvement happens.

The region receives an average of 2000 millimeters of rain per year, but some cities may exceed this threshold in just a few days.

According to experts, climate change has caused an increase in temperatureon land and at sea, which increases the number of very hot days and the risk of fires.

Source: BBC and AFP