Australia airdrops supplies to farmers stranded by floods

25/5/2025 17:47

Helicopters were airdropping animal feed on Sunday to farmers in Australia stranded by floods that have killed five and isolated tens of thousands in the country's southeast.



Recovery was under way in the mid-north coast region of New South Wales state after days of flooding cut off towns, swept away livestock and destroyed homes. At least 10,000 properties may have been damaged in the floods, which were sparked by days of incessant rain, authorities estimate.



The floodwaters "trashed" Dan Patch's house in rural Ghinni Ghinni near hard-hit Taree, and some cattle on the property have gone without food for days, he said.



"It's the worst we've ever seen," Patch told Reuters. "It's the worst everybody's seen around this area."



About 32,000 residents of Australia's most populous state remained isolated due to floodwaters that were slowly starting to recede, the state's Emergency Services posted on the X platform.



"The New South Wales government is providing emergency fodder, veterinary care, management advice and aerial support for isolated stock," state Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said in a statement.