After Cyclone Debbie, the town of Lismore from above. Image: Twitter/Ruby Cornish
The extent of Cyclone Debbie’s swath of destruction is slowly becoming clear. So far, five natural disaster zones have been declared in New South Wales, and two people are confirmed dead. It is a disaster of massive proportions.
As of Friday, northern NSW and southern parts of Queensland are in the midst of extensive flooding. On Thursday night, rescue crews fielded more than 130 calls for help. Around 100,000 homes are without power, and many towns are underwater.
Many rivers flooded, including the Logan and the Albert in south Queensland and the Wilsons and Tweed in NSW. One of the places worst affected is the town of Lismore, which is completely inundated. The 40-foot levee in Lismore overflowed for the first time in over a decade, forcing 220 people to an evacuation center.
Cyclone Debbie is estimated to have caused $150 million in damages to the sugar cane industry, and it’s not over yet–more rain is in the forecast. In the Upper Springbrook area, just south of the Gold Coast, a staggering 789 mm of rain fell in one night.
In a very strange occurrence, rescue crews from the Queensland Fire and Emergency service found a bull shark–a species that is often found in shallower, murky water–in the middle of the road in a town called Ayr. Apparently, while swimming in a river, it was swept up in raging flood waters and ended up on the road, covered in mud.
“Think it’s safe to go back in the water?” wrote the fire service. “Think again! You never know what lurks beneath the surface during a severe storm and what will wash up in the aftermath.”
