Australia has deployed troops to tackle "once-in-a-century" floods that have overrun houses, schools and airports in the country's northeast, forcing hundreds to flee. The floods have also brought the crocodiles onto the streets.
On Monday, as the monsoon rains drenched the northeastern state of Queensland, the Australian Defence Forces filled sandbags, deployed amphibious cargo vehicles and helped pluck flashlight-wielding residents from their rooftops.
Australia's tropical north usually experiences heavy rains during the monsoon season but the recent downpour has far exceeded the normal levels.
However, after the floodgates were opened fully at the Ross River dam late on Sunday, the weather bureau had warned of "dangerous and high velocity flows" along the Ross River , releasing about 1,900 cubic metres of water a second. Even after the release as of Monday morning, the dam was still at 229 percent capacity, holding about 532,000 gigalitres of water, or roughly as much as Sydney Harbour.
According to the state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, more than 1,100 people have called for emergency services for urgent help. Schools and courts remained closed as more rain is on the way and emergency warnings are still in effect for more than a dozen rivers, with winds that are expected to gust at up to 100km an hour on the coast.
According to officials, up to 20,000 homes are at risk of being inundated if the rains continue.