Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

More than 300 rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia

Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Officials say more than 300 people have been rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs. (Joshua Prieto/AAP Image via AP) Stranded residents stand on a road, a large section of which has washed away, in the suburb of Holloways Beach in Cairns, Australia, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Officials say more than 300 people have been rescued from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs. (Joshua Prieto/AAP Image via AP)
Share
BRISBANE, Australia -

More than 300 people were rescued overnight from floodwaters in northeast Australia, with dozens of residents clinging to roofs, officials said on Monday.

Cairns Airport was closed on Monday due to flooding and authorities were concerned that the city of 160,000 people will lose drinking water.

While rain was easing in Cairns, severe weather warnings were in place in nearby Port Douglas, Daintree, Cooktown, Wujal Wujal and Hope Vale, with more rain forecast.

Queensland state Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll described the flooding as "absolutely devastating."

"Last night, we had an extraordinarily challenging, challenging evening, rescuing some 300 people," Carroll told reporters.

There were no deaths or serious injuries, she said.

All 300 residents would be evacuated by helicopter from the Aboriginal community of Wujal Wujal, where nine adults and a 7-year-old child spent hours overnight on a hospital roof, officials said.

A Category 2 tropical cyclone passed close by Wujal Wujal on Wednesday. But while strong winds did little damage to the community, heavy rains have continued to lash the region.

Roads and railway lines were cut, communities were isolated and 14,000 homes and businesses were without power on Monday.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.