JAKARTA - The body of a man was found in a car that was trapped in a flood in southeastern Australia on Friday. The death toll increased to four, after three days of constant rain flushed the entire city.
Police said the man was found near Coff's Harbor, about 550 km (342 miles) north of Sydney.
The search for a missing person has been ongoing since floods began earlier this week.
About 50,000 people are still isolated, emergency service officers said. Meanwhile, residents returning to their flooded homes were warned to be aware of the danger.
"Flood water contains contaminants, it could be pests, snakes, so you need to assess these risks. Electricity can also pose a danger," state Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Services Damien Johnston told a news conference reported by Reuters on Friday, May 23.
Television footage showed road intersections and road signs submerged, cars submerged in water and windshields, after rising water quickly overflowed riverbanks in the Hunter area and Mid North Coast in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.
The debris from the sweep of the flood, and the dead and missing livestock, were stranded on the beach.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese canceled his planned visit to Taree, one of the worst cities hit by floods.
"We did try, but it was impossible because of the circumstances, which I believe people understand," Albanese told reporters from the town of Maitland in the Hunter area.
"But our thoughts are on the society that is currently cut off. And we are here basically to say, very clearly, and firmly that you are not alone," continued Albanese.
Australia is experiencing more extreme weather events that some experts say are due to climate change.
After the devastating drought and forest fires at the end of the decade, frequent floods have brought disaster since early 2021.
"What used to be a rare heavy rain is now commonplace - climate change changing Australian weather patterns, one flood at a time," said Davide Faranda, weather researcher at CLimaMeter.
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