Thousands flee eastern coast over flood threat in Australia

Heavy rains have forced tens of thousands of Australians to evacuate their homes along the country’s eastern coast.
People in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland have been advised to leave their towns in fear of severe flooding. Category-four Cyclone Debbie hit northeastern Australia on Tuesday and caused widespread damage. It lost its punch, but continued to dump huge amounts of rain on the region. Rescue teams are searching for those trapped in floods. The military has also moved in to help with the clean-up and assess the full extent of the damage. Emergency officials say the worst is yet to come for some cities as they warn of three-meter high flood levels in those areas. Many schools remain closed and thousands of homes are still without power in the aftermath of the powerful cyclone.