Australia Flood Disaster

The devastating floods, Australia, which killed at least 30 people and sent tens of thousands fleeing from their homes, have been described as a disaster ''of biblical proportions'' by a local politician.

The devastation has affected 22 towns and cities across the Queensland state, flooded mines and brought the country’s third biggest city, Brisbane, to a standstill.

The catastrophe is now threatening to inundate the southeast state of Victoria, with rising floodwaters threatening hundreds of homes, amid the state's worst floods in 15 years.

Estimates for the total cost of damage and lost revenue from the flooding that have grown to nearly $20 billion.

Economists expect rebuilding to take years.

These are images captured from the floods.

By: Geraldine Tan
Updated on 24 January 2011

First posted 12 January 2011

An aerial view of a go-kart track inundated by flood water on January 19, 2011 in Horsham, Australia. Evacuations have been ordered in several western and north-western Victorian towns as they brace for the worst flooding in over 200 years.

Flood water levels are shown on the wall of a Child care centre in the suburb of St Lucia  in Brisbane, Australia.

A local resident walks in torrential rain in the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Over a dozen people have been confirmed dead and over 70 are still reported missing after devastating floods inundated the region.

Business owners clear out their shops in preperation for high flood waters in Brisbane, Australia.

People watch on as a street in the inner city suburb of West End floods as the river burst its banks in Brisbane, Australia.

A road is covered by rising water in the Bremer River in Ispwich, Australia.

An abandoned four-wheel-drive sits in a flooded street in Oakey, Australia.

A local resident sits in his home surrounded by flood waters in Rockhampton, Australia. Floodwaters reached over 9 meters in the central Queensland city.

Debris and an overturned car are seen in central Toowoomba, Australia following a flash flood which ripped through the town centre on January 10, 2011.

A Chinook helicopter with supplies flies over houses affected by flood waters  in Rockhampton, Australia.

A damaged building is seen in central Toowoomba, Australia following a flash flood which ripped through the town centre on January 10, 2011.

Emergency personnel look for residents in need of evacuation after the swollen Fitzroy River broke its banks and flooded the city of Rockhampton.

A boat still attached to its pontoon floats unmanned down the Brisbane River at sunrise.

Mining equipment is submerged under flood water in Rockhampton, Australia.

Land disperses away from under a railway track in Toowoomba.

A Fire & Rescue four-wheel-drive negotiates flooded streets in Oakey, Australia.

Men drink beer at the flood-bound Pioneer Hotel in Rockhampton. Tens of thousands of people in Rockhampton braced for complete isolation as waters, which have affected an area bigger than France and Germany combined and closed the town's airport and railway, lapped at the last remaining road link.

An aerial view of the Ipswich CBD area submerged in flood water on January 13, 2011 in Brisbane.

This aerial photograph shows engine fluids streaming from a submerged car sales yard as flood waters devastate much of Brisbane.

Residents boat past a McDonald's restaurant along Granard Road, Rocklea in Brisbane.

Montague Road in West End is covered in flood water on January 13, 2011 in Brisbane. The Brisbane river peaked at 4.46 meters that day — a meter less than the historic floods of 1974 that devastated the region.