Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit northeast Australia where record-breaking rainfall caused extensive flooding. The flood swept away the city of Cairns, an important tourist center from where boats depart for the Great Barrier Reef, the airport normally very busy in this summer and Christmas season, has been closed. State Premier Steven Miles has declared "a major weather emergency," with the forecast that water levels could exceed the all-time record of 1977.
He added that there are "significant concerns" for many remote, largely Aboriginal communities that have been isolated in the north of the state. The region's waterways were already saturated after the cyclone passed through last week, which flooded highways, caused trees to fall and caused blackouts, trapping many people in their homes. Rescue teams responded to hundreds of calls and conducted evacuations and rescues. A 10-year-old girl was struck by lightning last Saturday and was hospitalized in critical condition.
Queensland's emergency service warned that many people were rescued to safety in the north of the state after continuing to drive through flooded areas. "We can't be clearer about how dangerous it is, not only for those who deliberately enter the water, but also for our emergency personnel who risk their lives to save you," the statement added.
A crocodile swimming in the city, planes on airport runways submerged in water, people fleeing on boats: these are some of the images coming from Cairns, a northern Australian city, where the floods caused by tropical cyclone Jasper have led to the evacuation of thousands of people. This was written by the BCC by publishing images of the devastation and the crocodile dragged by the flood through the city streets.
In the last few hours, Cairns has recorded the fall of more than 2 meters of rain, Queensland Governor Steven Miles said the disaster is "the worst in memory" in the area. Some patients could not be evacuated from a local hospital due to weather conditions, and patients spent the night on the roof of the health facility. Cairns is a well-known resort town as tourists from all over the world come to the local airport on their way to the Great Barrier Reef, especially during the festive season.
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