Storming Aussie villages: Now the crocodiles are coming!

Storm “Jasper” is currently bringing heavy rain to northeastern Australia. Due to the heavy rains, the two major rivers in the region, Baran River and Daintree River, overflowed their banks.

Now all the villages are under water. Hundreds of people had to leave their homes and some had to stay on roofs. Electricity was cut off in thousands of homes.

One of the communities hardest hit by the storm was Wujal Wujal, 170 kilometers north of the tourist town of Cairns. There is “dirty water and a sea of ​​mud”, Kiley Hounslow, executive director of the local Aboriginal Shire Council, told the ABC.

But not only do overflowing waters cause flooding, they also pose another danger. Because with floods, uninvited guests who usually live in rivers also come into the villages. “Crocodiles swim in these waters now,” says Hanslow.

But Wujal Wujal is not the only crocodile-wary community. A 2.80 meter long saltwater crocodile was found in a canal in Ingham village. This was reported by Aam Aadmi News Agency.

Australian gamekeepers finally managed to capture the animal with a lasso. Reptiles used to bathe in water bodies far away from houses.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll also told the ABC: Flood waters would bring “crocodiles and all sorts of things” into residential areas. In past cases, sharks have even been spotted in communities.

The current storm has brought 1000 liters of rain per square meter to parts of north Queensland. Jonathan Knott, a hydrologist at James Cook University, told the broadcaster: “This flood is the worst ever recorded in Cairns – and significantly heavier.” This is 40 percent higher than the previous peak in 1977.