A severe weather front continued to track south along Australia’s east coast on Tuesday, bringing relief for some and worsening flood conditions for others.
Rainfall eased across Queensland, giving residents a chance to assess the damage. However, major flood warnings remained in place for rivers across the south east.
Rescue efforts continued for stranded residents in northern NSW, with hundreds still awaiting help and many airlifted from roofs.
Decades-high water levels claimed the life of a woman believed to be in her 80s, who was found dead in a home in Lismore on Tuesday morning.
Shxjmtzywe was the ninth death attributed to the disaster, and the first in NSW.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described it as a “one in 1000-year” event.
“We’ve seen people stranded on roofs for hours, we’ve seen children being rescued, we’re seeing people stranded on bridges,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We’ll be doing everything … to get everyone to safety and get these communities right across our state back on their feet as quickly as possible.”
An emergency chopper located around 50 people and at least five horses that had spent Monday night stranded on a bridge. SES crews were able to retrieve them unharmed.
Residents in Ballina and Byron Bay were preparing for flood waters to rise as rainfall moved south. Major flood warnings remain in place for the Tweed, Wilsons, Richmond, Clarence and Orara Rivers.
A total of 26 evacuation orders affected roughly 40,000 people, as well as five evacuation warnings impacting more than 300,000.
“A low-pressure system is forming off the northern NSW coast and will move towards the NSW Central Coast,” a BOM statement said.
“As it deepens into an East Coast Low, it is likely to impact the NSW eastern and south coasts, Ranges and Hinterland Regions, impacting residents from Tuesday night, into Thursday.”
Sydney was also warned to brace as storms approached, expected to batter the city before wreaking havoc on the South Coast.
“People in Sydney and on the South Coast have time. We have seen what has unfolded in the northern parts of the state over the past few days,” Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said.
As skies began to clear in Queensland, residents emerged to sees homes wrecked and countless businesses shattered by the damaging floods.
The state has so far recorded eight lives lost and 1500 homes inundated by floodwaters.
Parts of Queensland received almost a year’s worth of rainfall in just three days, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison describing it as a “weather bomb”.
“Despite the terrible impacts that these flooding events have demonstrated, what we have seen is extraordinary courage and response across all agencies,” Mr Morrison said.
Storms were predicted to return to Queensland later in the week, but on Tuesday skies remained mostly clear.
“Sunshine is a feature for most of Queensland today,” the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.
“A few showers and thunderstorms are still possible in the north and in the southeast.”
Despite flood waters beginning to recede, high tide on Tuesday morning brought a peak for the Brisbane River just under its highest point on Monday.
A 21-year-old man was charged after allegedly looting flood impacted homes in central Queensland.
Amid multiple reports of evacuated homes being burgled, Police Minister Mark Ryan described those taking part as “grubs”.
“You are preying on the most vulnerable Queenslanders, at the time they are most vulnerable,” he said.
In the 24 hours to Tuesday morning, the highest rainfall in NSW was 376mm, recorded by Upper Burringbar, roughly 20km south of the Queensland border.
For Queensland, the wettest area was Upper Springbrook, which saw 126mm in the same period.
The Victorian BOM also released a severe weather warning with the possibility of flooding for northern central and western parts of the state.
Storm activity is forecast to become more widespread across the southeast of the country, potentially impacting Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra in the coming days.
