Natural disaster declared in Queensland following monsoon storms

Officials in Queensland declared a natural disaster on 20 January 2009 after a wave of monsoon storms caused flooding throughout the state. Authorities told reporters that an area of some 374,000 sq. mi/969,000 sq. km covering at least 30 different communities has been declared a disaster zone because of significant flooding. Emergency management services have reportedly been dispatched to many rural communities in the outback to help affected residents. Reports indicate that eight major rivers through Queensland have broken their banks, forcing authorities to airdrop supplies to communities that have been cut off by the floodwaters.