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Mass Floods In Australia Kill 1, Displace Hundreds Of Thousands


Residents near the town of Gin Gin restore a flood-warning sign next to the swollen Burnett River in eastern Australia on January 2.
Residents near the town of Gin Gin restore a flood-warning sign next to the swollen Burnett River in eastern Australia on January 2.
Torrential floods have hit Australia's northeast coast in what one official called a "disaster of biblical proportions."

Queensland State Treasurer Andrew Fraser also said the floods will likely cost the country over $900 million.

Police say one person has been killed, a woman who drowned while trying to cross a flooded area.

The floods cover an area larger than France and Germany and have affected more than 200,000 people.

Thousands of people fled their homes on January 1, with evacuations continuing.

Military aircraft have been deployed to help people leave their homes in areas that have no working roads, with officials saying some towns could be cut off for days.

compiled from agency reports

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