Sydney, March 12
Rescue workers and communities in Australia have come together to save people from rooftops of submerged houses or from stranded cars as record-breaking storms and floods have lashed the eastern region of the country.
Despite tireless efforts, tens of thousands of residents have been displaced, homes destroyed, roads and bridges collapsed, and more than 20 people have perished in the surging waters with more missing, reports Xinhua news agency.
The deluges, described as a "one-in-a-1,000-year" event, have lashed large parts of the states of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW).
Since the disaster began, 49-year-old Col Britton, a volunteer with the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) and otherwise full-time teacher, like many others, has taken time off work and risked his safety to protect and support his community in Hawkesbury region northwest of Sydney.
"Just neighbours helping out neighbours, is pretty standard in most places. We've got people constantly dropping in to see if they can help in any way or dropping off food supplies or things like that, so it's all been pretty busy," Britton told Xinhua.
Britton has mainly been involved in boat rescues and supply drop-offs to people who have had their homes surrounded by flood waters and in many cases have had their electricity cut off.