One dead and thousands urged to evacuate as Australia's northeast battles floods

SYDNEY — One person died Sunday in heavy flooding in the Australian state of Queensland, authorities said, urging thousands of people to move to higher ground due to torrential rains.

Queensland authorities said major flooding was underway in coastal Hinchinbrook Shire, a locality of around 11,000 people located about 310 miles north of the state capital, Brisbane. Several suburbs in the nearby city of Townsville were also impacted, authorities said.

North Queensland has large zinc reserves as well as major deposits of silver, lead, copper and iron ore, with Townsville a major processing center for the region’s base metals. In 2019, severe floods in the area disrupted lead and zinc concentrate rail shipments and damaged thousands of properties.

“Residents in low-lying areas should collect their evacuation kit and move to a safe place on higher ground. This situation may pose a threat to life and property,” regional emergency management authorities said Sunday morning.

The flooding was set off by heavy rain from a low pressure system rich in tropical moisture, Australia’s weather forecaster said on its website, adding that 24-hour rainfall totals were likely up to 11.8 inches.

“The potential for heavy, locally intense rainfall and damaging winds may continue into early next week subject to the strength and position of the trough and low,” it said.

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Frequent flooding has hit Australia’s east in recent years including “once in a century” floods that inundated the neighboring Northern Territory in January 2023 during a multi-year La Nina weather event.