Western Australia Kimberley outback towns are flooded driven by cyclone Ellie
>
An isolated road in the Australian outback turns into an inland sea, and locals are forced to use their boats to get around during the worst flooding in history.
- Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding areas in the Kimberley region of WA are inundated
- The record deluge has been caused by the downpour of Cyclone Ellie
- WA has declared an emergency situation and advised residents to evacuate
Inland cities have experienced the worst flooding in history due to rains from former Tropical Cyclone Ellie, as the government issues an emergency warning.
The deluge has inundated Fitzroy Crossing and nearby areas in the Kimberley in Western Australia.
Cyclone Ellie has brought continuous rainfall that has raised the Fitzroy River to its highest level ever, causing houses to flood, roads turning into rivers and residents forced to use boats to get around.
The Fitzroy River was still rising Wednesday morning ahead of a possible 50-foot peak.
Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region of Western Australia has experienced its worst flooding on record
The deluge has been caused by continued rains from former Tropical Cyclone Ellie.
WA Minister for Emergency Services Stephen Dawson declared a Situation of Emergency and advised residents in flood-affected areas to evacuate immediately.
“This is a dangerous and rapidly changing situation,” Dawson told reporters Tuesday.
“We haven’t seen rain like this for at least a hundred years, so it’s a bit of a shock to see water that high.”
It added that “emergency services have completed a series of flood rescues for people in Fitzroy Crossing.”
Dawson said there were 18 calls for help from people in flood-affected areas.
“This is a dangerous and rapidly changing situation and more rain is expected in the coming days,” he said.
The Western Australian government has declared an emergency situation and warned residents to evacuate immediately.
State Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson revealed that there were 18 calls for help from people in the flood-affected areas.
Downriver at Noonkanbah, extensive flooding was also likely. The Fitzroy River there was at 12.15 and was rising on Wednesday morning.
Travelers in Derby have been warned to leave the area and go to Broome.
Defense personnel have been called in to help evacuate residents who are stranded.
Federal Emergency Services Minister Murray Watt said the Albanian government has approved a WA request for Australian Defense Force aircraft and personnel to help evacuate residents of Fitzroy Crossing and nearby areas.
Defense forces personnel have been called in to help evacuate residents who are in isolation after the federal government approved a request for WA
Residents of the city of Derby and the communities of Willare and Noonkanbah have been advised to evacuate due to flooding.
The Fire and Emergency Services Department said in a statement that they were also “bringing in more aircraft” to help with evacuation and resupply efforts.
Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm warned residents of the Willare and Noonkanbah communities Tuesday to reach higher ground as flooding will occur in the next 24 to 48 hours.
He said roads had been closed and it was too late to leave as the region faced a flood of “at least one in 100 years”.
Rain from extropical Cyclone Ellie has dumped between 200mm and 600mm since Saturday and is forecast to bring more widespread heavy rain through the week.