Australia bracing itself for future climate shocks

Floods have killed at least 20 people, destroyed homes and caused damage of at least $5b

- Jonathan Pearlman For The Straits Times In Sydney

On Australia’s east coast, recordsetting downpours and floods have left a devastating toll that has prompted a national reckoning about how to prepare for further natural disasters that now seem inevitable.

The recent flooding in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland has killed at least 20 people, damaged and destroyed thousands of homes, caused mass evacuations, and led to damage worth at least A$5 billion (S$4.9 billion).

In Sydney this week, evacuation orders were issued for suburbs covering at least 40,000 people as thousands of properties experienced power blackouts.

The city has registered a record 872mm of rain since the start of the year, amounting to almost a year’s worth of rain.

In Brisbane, where about 20,000 homes were damaged, navy ships were deployed this week to assist with the recovery and repairs.

Ms Chrissy Lim, 48, who moved from Singapore to Brisbane two years ago to be with her Australian partner, said she lives near the Brisbane River which “came right up the street”.