Military steps in as Australia floods bring crocs to the streets

Australia's military has been deployed to tackle devastating "once-in-a-century" floods that have inundated homes, schools and airports in the country's northeast, forcing hundreds to flee and bringing crocodiles onto the streets.
The Australian Defence Forces filled sandbags, deployed amphibious cargo vehicles and helped pluck flashlight-wielding residents from their rooftops Monday, as monsoon rains drenched the northern state of Queensland.
Australia's tropical north typically experiences heavy rains during the monsoon season, but the recent downpour has far exceeded normal levels.
The authorities were forced to open floodgates late Sunday, unleashing what they called "dangerous and high velocity flows."
Images from the city of Townsville showed cars mostly submerged and picket fences barely poking through waist-deep flood waters.
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Desperate residents had to contend not only with flash flooding, landslides and power blackouts, but also reptilian predators that have been spotted in residential roads and cul-de-sacs.
The Townsville Bulletin said it had received reports of several saltwater crocodile sightings in the flood-ravaged area.
Emergency services struggled to respond, carrying out 18 "swift water rescues" overnight.
More than 1,100 people have called the emergency services for urgent help, according to state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Around 400 Townsville residents have sought shelter at nearby Lavarak military barracks and the Red Cross is also assisting with the response and recovery effort.
"Small boats worked through the night to evacuate members of the community," said local commander Brigadier Scott Winter.
Palaszczuk warned the communities face more difficulties ahead. Schools and courts remain closed, more rain is on the way and emergency warnings still in effect for more than a dozen rivers.
The town of Ingham, just north of Townsville, got over 10 centimetres of rain in just a few hours on Monday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Winds are expected to gust at up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) an hour on the coast.
Up to 20,000 homes are at risk of being inundated if the rains continue, officials said.
"It's basically not just a one in 20-year event, it's a one-in-100-year event," said Palaszczuk.
"This is unprecedented," she said.
A YEAR'S WORTH OF RAIN
The Bureau of Meteorology said a slow-moving monsoonal trough was sitting above Queensland, with some areas expected to receive more than a year's worth of rain before conditions ease.
Bureau meteorologist Adam Blazak told AFP the downpours could continue until Thursday, while floodwaters would take some time to recede even when the rains lessen.
The region receives an average of about 2,000 millimetres (6.5 feet) of rain annually but some towns were already on track to pass that.
The town of Ingham, north of Townsville, received 506 mm of rain in 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, of which 145 mm fell in just one hour, Blazak said.
"I've never seen anything like this," Townsville resident Chris Brookehouse told national broadcaster ABC, adding that his house was flooded with water more than one metre deep.
"The volume of water is just incredible. Downstairs is gone, the fridge and freezer are floating. Another five or six steps and upstairs is gone too."
Blazak said that with adverse weather predicted to continue for up to 72 hours, some regions could see record-breaking levels of rainfall.
There has been a silver lining to the deluge, with drought-stricken farmers in western Queensland boosted by the soaking.
"It is a welcome relief, especially in our western communities, to not only get the rain but also to fill up their dams," Palaszczuk said Sunday.
"We're getting food supplies in there. We still have many roads that are cut around those areas."
The deluge comes amid a severe drought in the eastern inland of the vast Australian continent, including parts of Queensland state, that has left graziers struggling to stay afloat.
Extreme heatwaves during the southern hemisphere summer have led to maximum-temperature records being broken in some towns.
High temperatures are not unusual in Australia during its arid southern hemisphere summer, with bushfires a common occurrence.
But scientists say climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons.
In the southern states of Victoria and Tasmania, firefighters in recent days have been battling numerous bushfires threatening homes and communities.