2021 eastern Australia floods
Extreme rainfall on the east coast of Australia beginning on 18 March 2021 led to widespread flooding in New South Wales, affecting regions from the North Coast to the Sydney metropolitan area in the south. Suburbs of Sydney experienced the worst flooding in 60 years, and the events were described by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian as "one in 100-year" flooding. Far-southeast communities in Queensland were also affected by flooding and heavy rainfall, though to a lesser extent than those in New South Wales.
Windsor Bridge submerged in western Sydney | |
| Date | 18 March 2021 – 29 March 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | New South Wales; Mid North Coast, Hunter Valley and Western Sydney Queensland; Logan City and Gold Coast |
| Deaths | 3 dead and 2 missing |
| Property damage | A$ 1 billion+ (predicted) |
The Australian government declared many parts of the east coast a natural disaster zone after the flooding rains forced 18,000 people to evacuate, in addition to over 1,000 flood rescues. Described as a "prolonged event" by Berejiklian and "dangerous and threatening" by the Bureau of Meteorology, the floods extended from the coastal towns of Taree and Kempsey on Thursday, 18 March, to the populated suburbs of western Sydney by Friday and Saturday.
The floods occurred less than 18 months after Australia was affected by the Black Summer bushfires, impacting many towns still recovering from the previous disaster.