Thu May 22 12:01:17 UTC 2025: **NEWS ARTICLE:**
**Australia Reels from Record Floods: Three Dead, One Missing as Heavy Rains Continue**
Melbourne, Australia – May 22, 2025 – Eastern Australia is grappling with unprecedented flooding that has claimed the lives of three people, with one still missing. Record-breaking rainfall has inundated communities in New South Wales (NSW), north of Sydney, prompting mass evacuations and hundreds of rescues.
“Record floodwaters on Australia’s east coast left three people dead and one missing,” officials said. The disaster unfolded after days of relentless downpours, exceeding local flood records dating back to the 1920s.
NSW Premier Christopher Minns warned that further rainfall, potentially reaching 30 centimeters (1 foot) in the next 24 hours, is expected. Approximately 50,000 people have been advised to prepare for evacuation or potential isolation.
Rescue efforts have been extensive, with over 500 people pulled from floodwaters in the past two days alone. Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib highlighted that 330 flood rescues were conducted in the last 24 hours, with helicopters deployed to reach those stranded on rooftops and verandahs.
Tragically, the body of a 63-year-old man was recovered from a flooded house in Moto on Wednesday, while a man in his 30s was found in floodwaters near Rosewood after attempting to drive through a flooded intersection. A 60-year-old woman died after her SUV was trapped in floodwaters near Brooklana. A 49-year-old man remains missing after walking near a flooded road at Nymboida.
Affected communities include Taree, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, and Bellingen, with Taree experiencing a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours. Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell noted that some areas have experienced flooding never before recorded.
Fourteen evacuation centers have been established across the region. Government meteorologist Angus Hines explained that a stalled low-pressure system brought exceptional rainfall to the area. While the rain began to lose intensity, the extensive rainfall over four days has caused widespread and major flooding.
First Piper 