Nearly 14 inches of rain in a day floods roads, washes away jetties and helps a gator escape in Australia
On Sunday, Brisbane was underwater while earlier in the week New South Wales was inundated.
Parked cars drowned in Milton, Australia
Floodwaters quickly overcame the town of Milton, Australia after 10-14 inches of rain fell in just 24 hours.
Parked cars were underwater in Milton, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia on Sunday after flash flooding quickly overtook the town. Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology reported that between 9.8 and 13.7 inches of rain fell over the region in just 24 hours from Saturday to Sunday. Over four days, 15 to 31 inches fell on Queensland and New South Wales on the east coast of Australia.
Incredibly enough, this rain was not a record. In January 1887, Brisbane endured 18.3 inches of rain in a day. This is unusual though. Since 1887 only four other single-day rain totals measured over 10 inches.
Gator escapes due to flooding
A huge alligator escaped its lagoon at the New South Wales Central Coast Zoo as floodwaters lifted it over the boundary fence.
An alligator escaped from his lagoon at the New South Wales Central Coast Zoo earlier in the week. Floodwaters rose over the inner boundary fence of the 55 reptile enclosure allowing the gator to breach. He was separated from visitors by an outer fence.
Reptile Park employees wrestled the massive male back over the fence as waters receded. An area near Sydney measured 5.6 inches of rain in just three hours.
Rush hour through nearly a foot of water
Thunderstorms dropped inches of rain in just hours across New South Wales. Cars during rush hour had to wade through foot deep water on the Central Coast Highway in West Gosford, Australia.
Foot deep puddles formed in hours as thunderstorms passed over West Gosford. Drivers waded through the Central Coast Highway during rush hour.
Jetty displaced by flooding
Watch part of a jetty flow down the Brisbane River after it was dislodged by debris and flash flooding.
The jetty at Kangaroo Point floated down the Brisbane River. Local media reports said part of the structure broke off after it was struck by more flooding debris. So far the flooding claimed eight lives.
Thousands are in shelters after the storm inundated their homes.
Boats break free in flash flooding
Two boats broke free of their moorings and drifted down the Brisbane River due to flash flooding.
Two boats broke free from their moorings on the Brisbane River. A resident caught a sailing yacht and a motorboat bumping hulls as they floated down the river.
Ferry stop swamped by floodwaters
The Parramatta Wharf ferry stop fell victim to the Parramatta River in Greater Western Sydney.
The Bureau stated that a month’s worth of rain fell in two hours in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville.
In Greater Western Sydney the Parramatta river swelled over the Parramatta Wharf ferry stop.
The area will get a break from the rain Tuesday and Wednesday before thunderstorms return.