Military planes are flying supplies to the flood-ravaged Australian city of Rockhampton – as the disaster claimed another victim.
Floodwaters covering an area the size of France and Germany combined are draining slowly toward Australia’s northeast coast.
They are bursting rivers and have swamped at least 22 towns and cities in the region, known for its cattle and fruit farming.
A 41-year-old woman who was swept to her death in front of her family on Saturday in Burketown, Queensland, was the first victim of the floods.
Officials have now reported a second fatality, after the body of a 38-year-old man was recovered in central Queensland.
The man died after his boat was swamped by water on Saturday near the mouth of the Boyne River at Tannum Sands.
The victim and his companion attempted to swim to safety after the boat began filling with water and he was last seen stranded on a sand bar.
State authorities say about 200,000 people have been affected by the floods, and Prime Minister Julia Gillard has extended emergency relief to those affected.
That included low-interest loans to farmers to begin cleaning up and get their businesses running again.
“This is a major natural disaster and recovery will take a significant amount of time,” Gillard said in a statement.
In Rockhampton, a coastal city of about 75,000 people, waters from Fitzroy River closed the airport and cut the main highway leading to the state capital of Brisbane.
It sent scores of families to abandon their homes for relief centres set up on high ground.
Authorities warned the Fitzroy would continue rising until late on Tuesday or early Wednesday local time.
Officials have been evacuating Rockhampton residents for days.
Mayor Brad Carter warned about 40% of the city could be affected by the surging waters.
Residents emptied supermarket shelves of food and bottled water in recent days as they stocked up to reduce the need to get around in the waist-deep waters.
Queensland’s Deputy Police Commissioner and State Disaster Coordinator Ian Stewart said military planes would be used to resupply Rockhampton.
Some residents said cars and homes had been broken into and items stolen.
The wet weather that triggered the flooding has eased, and water levels were dropping in some towns. But officials said about 1,000 people were living in evacuation centres across Queensland, and it may be a month before the floodwaters dry up completely.
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