Trapped by floods in Australia, they are evacuated in helicopters and boats

Military helicopters, jet skis and inflatable boats were deployed Tuesday to rescue people trapped by “catastrophic” flooding along the populous east coast of Australia, where there are already thousands of evacuees and damaged houses.

The floods have been hitting New south Wales for a week, the most populated state in the country, causing the overflow of rivers and the destruction of thousands of homes.

The emergency services, which a year ago battled an unprecedented drought and forest fires, are now rescuing people with military planes and lifeboats, often used at sea, to reach the most remote areas.

Some 850 people have already been airlifted and tens of thousands of residents have been asked to leave the area as the storms spread inland.

In the city of Windsor, northwest of Sydney, residents navigated jet skis, surfboards and paddles through a debris-filled torrent.

In some areas of the coast, up to one meter of rain fell in a week, which is equivalent to two-thirds of normal annual rainfall.

“We have never seen anything like this”

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Jodie Sallustio, 50, who has been trapped by the waters at her partner’s home in Port Macquarie, a city north of Sydney, since Friday.

Some 18,000 people have already been evacuated in New South Wales and its prime minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said the storms were “affecting a large part of the state.”

The floods are “catastrophic and the fact that 15,000 people must be evacuated in the next 24 to 48 hours is a great concern,” he explained.

In some parts of the state, residents have started cleaning up, but forecasters fear the rain will continue for several days, although a truce is expected Wednesday.

Thousands of residents are still without power and power providers have warned that it is not expected to restore in some areas until later this week.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Warragamba Dam, Sydney’s main source of drinking water, is expected to continue pouring water into already swollen rivers for another week.

“It is a complex meteorological phenomenon that is becoming more complex,” he told reporters from Canberra.

Emergency services responded to more than 10,000 calls for help.

So far there have been no deaths or serious injuries, but thousands of homes and businesses have been damaged.

According to Andrew Hall, director of the body that represents insurance companies in Australia, there have already been 11,700 claims and “more” are expected in the coming days.

Farmer Rod Bailey said his farm near the city of Port Macquarie was “totally devastated” and that at least 95% of his crops were destroyed by heavy rains.

“We will have no income in the next three months,” he told AFP. “We are in a difficult situation, but many of our neighbors are in a much worse situation,” he added.

Scientists cautioned that Australia is likely to be especially prone to extreme weather events due to global warming.