43 Surreal Photos Of The Flood Clean Up In Australia That Put Into Perspective How Catastrophic It Was

Tens of thousands of people in Australia have been forced to evacuate their homes as a wild weather system — referred to as a "rain bomb" — dumped more than a year's worth of rainfall over a week in Queensland and New South Wales.

With the torrential rain came widespread destruction and major flooding, sweeping away property, livestock and roads.

But while the rain has eased in parts of Australia, this national tragedy is far from over, with residents being tasked with a huge clean-up project in the aftermath of these record-breaking floods.

1.A woman walks past a flood-damaged business in central Lismore, New South Wales.

2.The flood-damaged interior of a St George Bank branch in central Lismore.

3.Piles of flood-damaged goods line a main street in central Lismore.

4.A woman removes damaged items from her sister's bedroom in their flood-affected house in Lismore.

5.Damaged possessions line the streets in Lismore, as residents gear up to clean their homes.

6.A man and his daughter stand outside their flood-affected house in Lismore.

7.A layer of mud covers a bathroom in a flood-affected house in Lismore.

8.Photos showing the extent of the flood damage in Lismore.

9.A man, who is surrounded by rubbish and debris from the floods, tries to clear drains in Brisbane, Queensland.

10.Rubbish piled up on a flooded road in Brisbane.

11.Rubbish from flood-affected homes in Brisbane are piled up on either side of the roads.

12.Piles of destroyed goods line the flood-affected city centre in Lismore.

13.A man removes debris from his flood-affected car mechanic business in Lismore.

14.A tractor rests on a small paddock surrounded by floodwater in Brisbane.

15.Residents look on as rubbish is placed at a flooded street in Brisbane.

16.A child throws away a giraffe toy in the flood-damaged suburb of Newmarket, Brisbane.

17.A local shopping centre in Queensland that has been ravaged by the floods.

18.According to this video, "every flat street two hours in every direction" looks like this one flood-damaged street in Lismore.

19.A man clears mud from the lower level of a home following flooding in Newmarket.

20.A man disposes of his flood-damaged belongings in Newmarket.

21.Staff work to clean up flood damaged at a chemist in Windsor, New South Wales.

22.Mitchellton Football Club's field that was destroyed by floodwaters in Brisbane.

23.The same football field, but shown from a different angle.

24.A bobcat is used to clear damaged stock feed at a store in South Lismore.

25.Volunteers sweep mud from the front of a flood-affected house in Murwillumbah, New South Wales.

26.A video showing the results of a massing community clean up in a Brisbane street.

27.A man pressure hoses the inside of his flood-damaged car outside his home in Murwillumbah.

28.Dry mud covers the interior of a flood-damaged car in Tumbulgum, New South Wales.

29.Two residents help to clean up a friend's flood-affected home by sweeping away mud in New South Wales.

30.Volunteers from the local Rural Fire Brigade help to clean up a flood-affected primary school in Tumbulgum.

31.A video showing staff attempting to clean up a local connivence store in Sydney.

32.A Brisbane backyard with a deserted car and tree branches everywhere.

33.Debris covers a children's playground in Manly, New South Wales.

34.A man throws away flood damaged merchandise from his skate shop in Lismore.

35.A dead cow, washed away by floodwater, is wedged in a tree in the backyard of a house in Woodburn, New South Wales.

36.A car rests on a fence after it was carried there by floodwater in Tumbulgum.

37.An abandoned car is seen in floodwaters in the suburb of Newmarket.

38.Clean up and flood recovery scenes from Lismore's CBD.

39.A train is derailed in an accident caused by flooding in the town of Gympie, Queensland.

40.Residents walk past an uprooted tree in Sydney's central business district.

41.An Eastern Brown Snake is spotted during a flood clean-up in Brisbane.

42.Residents and volunteers help with the clean up of a property affected by floodwater in Coraki, New South Wales.

43.And finally, photos showing the scale of the clean-up in Kingscliff and Lismore.

There are still evacuation orders and warnings in place for locations across NSW — for updates and evacuation centers, please click here. For emergency help in floods and storms, call the NSW State Emergency Service on 132 500. In life threatening situations call triple zero (000) immediately.

To donate towards flood-affected victims in NSW and Queensland, visit GIVIT.