Man clings to tree for 6 hours after car was swept away by floodwaters
Harrowing video showed the 33-year-old man hanging on for dear life as raging floodwaters surged around him. Afterward, police discussed what prompted the ordeal and how the man was saved.
By
Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 10, 2021 4:31 PM EDT
|
Updated Nov 11, 2021 12:00 PM EDT
This man was spotted clinging onto a tree with raging floodwaters from the Todd River just below him on Nov. 10, in Alice Springs, Australia.
A man was rescued on Wednesday after he was forced to cling to a tree for dear life for six hours when floodwaters from a nearby river washed his car off the road, Reuters reported, citing Australian police.
After floodwaters swept away the car during the early-morning hours, the man was able to climb out and cling to a tree until he was rescued close to noontime. In order to avoid additional risk to rescuers, a zipline was set up, and the man was brought to safety as floodwaters began to recede.
According to Australia's ABC News, rescuers said the man, 33, was largely uninjured after the ordeal, apart from some minor scrapes, but was suffering from exhaustion after being pulled to safety. The man was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution following the rescue, according to the Reuters report.
Torrential downpours moving across central Australia on Wednesday caused the Todd River to swell and flood the surrounding area. The ordeal unfolded in the town of Alice Springs located in Australia’s remote Northern Territory on Wednesday. Thunderstorms unleashed torrential rain that totaled 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) across the community.
ABC News reported, Craig Laidlaw, a local police official, said officers were attempting to close the flooded road at about 5 a.m. when the motorist attempted to drive his vehicle through the advancing waters. "I have to say to people, when the roads are flooded, be very careful. If you're unsure, don't cross if it's flooded," Laidlaw said. "It wasn't a good choice."
Video shot at the scene showed the man clinging to a tree as muddy floodwaters surged around him, splashing up against the tree trunk and road signs while rescuers worked to create the zipline that would eventually free him from his delicate perch.
Persistent, and at times heavy, rain soaked the area during the last few days with 5.48 inches (139 mm) falling from Monday morning into Wednesday evening. The heaviest rain came from Tuesday into Wednesday when 4 inches (100 mm) fell at the Alice Springs Airport. Most of this rain fell within a relatively short period from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning causing the Todd River to turn into a raging torrent.
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The Todd River, which runs through Alice Springs, rose nearly 13 feet (4 meters) in a matter of a few hours on Wednesday morning. The river quickly crested at moderate flood stage before beginning to recede on Wednesday afternoon.
This image from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows the rise in the water level of the Todd River near Alice Springs, Australia, on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
“A front associated with low pressure that was strengthening in South Australia is what led to the strong and training thunderstorms around Alice Springs,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls.
Training thunderstorms move over the same area in a relatively short period of time and are capable of producing excessive rainfall totals. These types of storms tend to cross over the same area one after another in a motion similar to how train cars move along tracks.
“The front that produced the rain in Alice Springs has pushed into eastern Australia, so the area will be dry through the weekend,” added Nicholls.
This front sparked severe thunderstorms in eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland on Thursday as it pushes to the east.
Heavy rain was reported across eastern Queensland with Samuel Hill receiving 13.43 inches (341 mm) of rain in only 24 hours from Tuesday into Wednesday.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, DIRECTVstream, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeatherNOW is streaming on Roku and XUMO.
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News / Severe Weather
Man clings to tree for 6 hours after car was swept away by floodwaters
Harrowing video showed the 33-year-old man hanging on for dear life as raging floodwaters surged around him. Afterward, police discussed what prompted the ordeal and how the man was saved.
By Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 10, 2021 4:31 PM EDT | Updated Nov 11, 2021 12:00 PM EDT
This man was spotted clinging onto a tree with raging floodwaters from the Todd River just below him on Nov. 10, in Alice Springs, Australia.
A man was rescued on Wednesday after he was forced to cling to a tree for dear life for six hours when floodwaters from a nearby river washed his car off the road, Reuters reported, citing Australian police.
After floodwaters swept away the car during the early-morning hours, the man was able to climb out and cling to a tree until he was rescued close to noontime. In order to avoid additional risk to rescuers, a zipline was set up, and the man was brought to safety as floodwaters began to recede.
According to Australia's ABC News, rescuers said the man, 33, was largely uninjured after the ordeal, apart from some minor scrapes, but was suffering from exhaustion after being pulled to safety. The man was taken to a nearby hospital as a precaution following the rescue, according to the Reuters report.
Torrential downpours moving across central Australia on Wednesday caused the Todd River to swell and flood the surrounding area. The ordeal unfolded in the town of Alice Springs located in Australia’s remote Northern Territory on Wednesday. Thunderstorms unleashed torrential rain that totaled 3-4 inches (75-100 mm) across the community.
ABC News reported, Craig Laidlaw, a local police official, said officers were attempting to close the flooded road at about 5 a.m. when the motorist attempted to drive his vehicle through the advancing waters. "I have to say to people, when the roads are flooded, be very careful. If you're unsure, don't cross if it's flooded," Laidlaw said. "It wasn't a good choice."
Video shot at the scene showed the man clinging to a tree as muddy floodwaters surged around him, splashing up against the tree trunk and road signs while rescuers worked to create the zipline that would eventually free him from his delicate perch.
Persistent, and at times heavy, rain soaked the area during the last few days with 5.48 inches (139 mm) falling from Monday morning into Wednesday evening. The heaviest rain came from Tuesday into Wednesday when 4 inches (100 mm) fell at the Alice Springs Airport. Most of this rain fell within a relatively short period from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning causing the Todd River to turn into a raging torrent.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The Todd River, which runs through Alice Springs, rose nearly 13 feet (4 meters) in a matter of a few hours on Wednesday morning. The river quickly crested at moderate flood stage before beginning to recede on Wednesday afternoon.
This image from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology shows the rise in the water level of the Todd River near Alice Springs, Australia, on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
“A front associated with low pressure that was strengthening in South Australia is what led to the strong and training thunderstorms around Alice Springs,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Lead International Forecaster Jason Nicholls.
Training thunderstorms move over the same area in a relatively short period of time and are capable of producing excessive rainfall totals. These types of storms tend to cross over the same area one after another in a motion similar to how train cars move along tracks.
“The front that produced the rain in Alice Springs has pushed into eastern Australia, so the area will be dry through the weekend,” added Nicholls.
This front sparked severe thunderstorms in eastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland on Thursday as it pushes to the east.
Heavy rain was reported across eastern Queensland with Samuel Hill receiving 13.43 inches (341 mm) of rain in only 24 hours from Tuesday into Wednesday.
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