Australians have now experienced two years of extreme living conditions that have been brought on by drought, fires, dust storms, a pandemic and a large flood.
Drought-busting storm hits Sydney in January 2020
Life for people in Australia started to become ‘extreme’ in August 2019 when the fire season began in winter, months earlier than normal. The ‘extreme’ living conditions continued with the introduction of lockdowns created by a global pandemic in 2020 and large flood in March 2021.
Crescent Head fire August 2019
During a wide-spread drought, in August 2019, a large bushfire began burning near Crescent Head on New South Wales’ mid north coast — it was also threatening property.
Crescent Head fire August 2019
This fire, and more than 50 others at the same time, kick-started the extreme experiences of life in Australia.
Crescent Head fire August 2019
At the time of uploading this content, Australians and their emergency services have been battling extreme fires, dust storms, flood and the pandemic for 2 years and 1 week.
Crescent Head fire August 2019
The 2019/2020 fire ground burnt 7% of the state of New South Wales, which was 38% of the NSW national park system. More than 80% of the World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains Area and 54% of the NSW components of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage property were affected by fires.
Colo Heights fire 2019
33 people died in Australia during the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires — including 9 firefighters. 3,094 homes were destroyed nationally reported AFAC, the Australian & New Zealand National Council for fire and emergency services.
Australian fire season data 2019/2020
Six months after the fire season began, Australia was beginning to test people for COVID-19 — the lockdowns began soon afterwards.
A year into the pandemic, extreme rainfall resulted in flooding in a ‘one in 100-year flood’ in New South Wales and Queensland. During the flooding event in March 2021, 5 people died or went missing due to the floods.
Hawkesbury flood — March 2021
Two Years Of Extreme Conditions In Australia
Below is a selection of videos and pictures showing the disruption caused by the Australian fire season, dust storms, pandemic and NSW flood emergency.
Fires in Tenterfield and Armidale in 2019
Yamba fire 2019
NSW fires 2019
Randow Flat fire 2019
Wallabi Point fire 2019
Raindow Flat house fire 2019
Army helps during Sydney’s fire emergency in 2019
Johns River fire 2019
Dust storm hits Sydney in 2019
Greta fire 2019
Wollemi National Park fire 2019
Video of the Colo Heights fire 2019
Police help during the 2019 fire season
Video of poor air quality in Sydney
Video of dust storm hitting Broken Hill in 2019
Video of the fire that hit the Ruined Castle in 2019
Smoke arrives in Sydney during the 2019 fire season
Poor air quality in Sydney in 2019
Mangrove Mountain fire in 2019
Currowan fire in 2019
Video of the Colo Heights fire in 2019
Video of the Green Wattle Creek fire in 2019
Sydney air pollution in 2019
Crawford River helicopter crash
Video of the Gospers Mountain bushfire in 2019
Video of the Bargo fire in 2019
Video of the Grose Valley fire in 2019
Video of the Bilpin fire in 2019
Video of the fire on the Bells Line of Road in 2019
Video showing Canadian firefighters arriving in Sydney in 2019
Video of a power pole burning in the Blue Mountains in 2019
2019 NSW fire
Video of fires at the Warragamba Dam in 2019
Video of the Batemans Bay fire in 2019
Video of the Lake Conjola fire in 2019
Video of the 2019 Cobargo fire
Video of the Lake Conjola 2019 New Year’s Eve fire
Jared Constable’s video of the 2019 Lake Conjola fire
Video of the Batemans Bay fire
Video of the 2020 Batemans Bay fire
2020 NSW fire state of emergency
Video of the 2020 Wandandian fire
Brogo farmer loses her house in 2020 fire
Video of the out of control fire in Batemans Bay 2020
Video of the 2020 NSW south coast fire
2020 NSW fire viewed from a plane
Video of the Eden woodchip mill fire
Video of the 2020 Snowy Mountains fire
NASA tweet showing the smoke from the Australian fires in 2020
Severe storm hits Sydney in January 2020
The first Australian health media conference at the start of the coronavirus pandemic
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweets about the Wuhan COVID-19 outbreak in 2020
