Australia to declare east coast floods a national emergency

A man stands on a pile of his flood-damaged furniture outside his home in Lismore, Australia (AP)

An Australian army soldier assists with the flood clean-up efforts in Gatton, Queensland, Sunday, March 6, 2022 (AP)

Houses are pictured inundated with floodwaters along the overflowing Hawkesbury River in the Windsor suburb of Sydney on March 9, 2022 (AFP)

A woman wades through water near inundated homes along the overflowing Hawkesbury River in the Windsor suburb of Sydney (AFP)

People stand next to floodwaters from an overflowing Hawkesbury River in the Windsor suburb of Sydney on March 9, 2022 (AFP)

Houses inundated with floodwaters from an overflowing Hawkesbury River are pictured in the Windsor suburb of Sydney on March 9, 2022 (AFP)

Australian PM Scott Morrison declared a national emergency following floods across large swathes of the east coast (AP)

Fire and rescue officials arrive at a residential area inundated with floodwaters from an overflowing Hawkesbury River in the Windsor suburb of Sydney (AFP)

A home inundated from an overflowing Hawkesbury River is pictured in the Windsor suburb of Sydney on March 9, 2022 (AFP)

Vehicles sit inundated from an overflowing Hawkesbury River after flooding in the Windsor suburb of Sydney on March 9, 2022 (AFP)