Australia reports first fatality due to the widespread flash floods. This comes despite heavy rains easing

The first fatality was due to the widespread flash floods. This comes despite heavy rains easing and flood levels going down across the southeast of the 71-year-old flood victim who was found dead in the backyard of his property in northern Melbourne. Police say that emergency services are on the scene and are attempting to reach the property as it is blocked off due to the excess floodwater. The Victoria State Premiere says that up to 500 homes have been flooded and the numbers are expected to grow as flood waters peak at multiple communities.

 I just make the point. We'll stand with that family and all families affected by this, but it just brings home to all of us that this is serious. This is potentially very, very dangerous. Emergency warnings continue in the southeast, including Victoria and Rochester, which have been most affected. Rescue officials have evacuated at least 160 residents in Rochester and several in cities surrounding Victoria.

We're seeing this time and time again. The last number I had this morning was 355 rescues across the state, and since this event happened, 160 of those were in Rochester overnight. So I can't be stronger, firmer in relation to, and I don't know why it is people are afraid of fire. They should be equally afraid of water. Water kills.

Many residents have started to clean up debris as the stormwater slowly ease away from the cities. Streets. Houses and cars have been damaged across southeastern states, with Melbourne being the worst.

The cleanup is going to be huge, right? Just if you think about all of the branches and all of the garbage that is washed up and is up against fences now, it's going to be massive.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the floods are a result of the La Nina weather pattern, which is associated with above-average rainfall in eastern Australia. Australia's east coast has been repeatedly lashed by heavy rainfall in the past two years due to frequent La Nina cycles. Scientists say events that could make flooding more extreme as the warmer air would cause heavy rains.