Australia begins 'long haul' to recovery as floodwaters recede

Residents clear out belongings from a home after floodwaters receded in Londonderry, a suburb outside Sydney

Thousands of flood-stricken residents along Australia's east coast began a massive clean up effort Thursday, as waters receded revealing damaged homes, piles of debris and mud-caked roads. The region has been devastated by widespread flooding brought on by a torrential downpour, inundating towns, destroying farmland and leaving two people dead. On Thursday, David Williams stepped back inside his home in flood-hit Londonderry, to find waters lapping just below his knees and ‘gut-wrenching’ destruction. ‘That was pretty heartbreaking,’ he told AFP. ‘But we're fortunate that we're able to save a lot of stuff.’