Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Saturday that recovery efforts are under way in the flood-ravaged southeast, where recent deluges claimed five lives and damaged more than 10,000 properties.

Posting on X, Albanese emphasized coordination between federal, state, and local authorities to deliver urgent aid and long-term recovery support to affected communities.

New South Wales’ mid-north coast bore the brunt of the disaster. According to the state’s emergency services, the floods severed access to towns, swept away livestock, and reduced homes to rubble. Preliminary assessments estimate that at least 10,000 buildings may have sustained damage.

Although weather conditions had eased since Friday, hundreds of displaced residents remained in evacuation centres, said State Emergency Services Commissioner Mike Wassing. Emergency crews conducted 52 rescues overnight as waters continued to threaten low-lying areas.

Tragically, the most recent fatality involved a man in his 80s whose body was discovered at a flooded property about 50 km from Taree—one of the hardest-hit towns located on the Manning River, north of Sydney. Floodwaters had forced Albanese to cancel a planned visit to Taree the previous day.

“It’s heartbreaking to hear of yet another life lost,” the Prime Minister said, offering condolences to the victim’s family and the wider community.

The catastrophic flooding followed relentless rainfall that caused rivers to overflow, drowning entire intersections and submerging vehicles. At the disaster’s peak, over 50,000 residents were cut off.

Extreme weather events like this are increasing in frequency, with scientists pointing to climate change as a driving factor.

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