Record-breaking flooding in Australia isolates rural communities

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit several flood-affected areas in the country’s remote northwest on January 9, after huge floodwaters triggered by a tropical cyclone left several outlying communities isolated, damaging infrastructure and homes.

Albanese will tour the vast Kimberley region, best known as an outback tourist destination in Western Australia state. The area is home to about 40,000 people despite being about the same size as California. The flooding will lead to a “substantial” bill, Albanese told radio station 6PR, according to Bloomberg.

The area has been inundated by 20-50 centimeters (8-20 inches) of rain since Dec. 30, days after ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie crossed into Western Australia from the Northern Territory. 

Floodwaters have damaged major roads and infrastructure, cutting off towns and remote indigenous communities along the Fitzroy River. Some affected communities have since temporarily relocated until the threat passes.

While there aren’t any significant agricultural industries in the area, it does produce small amounts of shrimp and pearls. It is also a popular tourist destination centered around the region’s biggest city, Broome. 

The flooding comes as the country suffers through a third consecutive summer of La Nina, the climate phenomenon that brings heavy rain to countries including Australia and drought to regions in North and South America.