Thousands of Homes Underwater as Heartbreaking Flood Disaster hits NSW and QLD

Premier Dominic Perrottet said this morning that over 500,000 people were affected by evacuation warnings and orders across the state, with about 200,000 individuals being ordered to leave their homes.

Despite the fact that the rain in Sydney has not been as heavy as predicted, there are still significant falls forecast. And, after heavy rains over the week, authorities say it will not take much water to cause significant flooding.

Residents in Hawkesbury have been relieved to learn that the bureau has altered its estimates, and it now appears that flooding will not be as severe as it was in March 2021. Today and tomorrow, further heavy rain is expected, with significant flooding expected in North Richmond and Windsor by this evening.

The recent rainfall total breaks the previous high of 25.8 inches established in 1974. This is the worst flooding in the state since 2011. Southeast Queensland was heavily hit: on Feb. 27, the city of Gympie recorded its highest flood in a century, and numerous Brisbane suburbs received more than 15 inches (400 millimeters) of rain in 24 hours. In Gympie, more than 1,000 homes were flooded.

According to the NPR: “The unusual rainfall comes as the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced this week that wide swaths of Australia have already lost 20% of their rainfall, and the country's fire risk has surpassed worst-case forecasts developed just a few years ago."

As of 1st March, 10 people had died, nine in Queensland. In Brisbane alone, about 53,000 houses were without electricity. More than 18,000 homes, including at least 15,000 in Brisbane, have been flooded.

Floodwaters in Lismore swallow a $1 million masterpiece

It took six and a half years to create and cost $1 million to acquire but Geoff Hannah's masterwork, the Hannah Cabinet, is resting under the filthy water that overwhelmed Lismore Regional Gallery on Monday and no one knows if any of it can be saved.

When the floodwaters recede, the master craftsman, whose own home and workshop in central Lismore were also flooded, said he was "bloody dreading" coming to the gallery to inspect the damage.

The staggeringly is complicated, with 140 drawers and 17 different types of precious and semi-precious stones. Additionally being a testimony to Hannah’s extraordinary skill, the piece also has immense personal significance for the 73-year-old, who dedicated it to his adoptive family.

Along with the Hannah Cabinet, much of the gallery's collection, which includes drawings on paper, paintings, and photographs, is expected to be lost in the flood.

A collection of contemporary rugs manufactured by Afghan weavers that were on loan from the Australian National University is also in great danger.