Australia hit by 'one-in-100-year' floods, hundreds airlifted

A remote region in Australia's outback has been hit by "one-in-100-year" floods which have forced military aircraft to evacuate residents. The crisis in Western Australia's Kimberley region was sparked last week by former tropical cyclone Ellie, which brought a year's worth of rain to some areas in a matter of days. Military helicopters airlifted hundreds of people from communities cut off by once in a century, floods in Australia's northwest, an official leading relief effort said on Sunday. He noted that water covered some places "as far as the eye could see". Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said: "People in the Kimberley are experiencing a one-in-100-year flood event, the worst flooding Western Australia has had in its history." He said "the water is everywhere" and that in some areas the flood waters stretched for 31 miles (50km), with inundation "as far as the eye can see". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was too soon to estimate the full cost of rebuilding wrecked highways and bridges but that the final figure would be "very large"."We've seen massive infrastructure damage, we've seen people who have lost just about everything as a result of this," Mr Albanese added.He promised A$10,000 (£5,700) for home repairs and up to the same amount to replace household goods.

The emergency comes after frequent flooding in Australia's east over the last two years due to a multi-year La Nina weather event.Some eastern regions have endured four major flood crises since last year caused by the La Nina system, which is typically associated with increased rainfall. Australian Defence Force (ADF) aircraft were being used to assist flood-hit communities, and Chinook helicopters were en-route to help relocate residents, according to authorities on Saturday. Five ADF helicopters will start operations in the Kimberley by Thursday, a defence spokesperson said.