Floods target low-lying areas near rivers or streams. The flat inland regions of Australia are prone to floods. There, floods can spread over thousands of square kilometres and last for weeks. Floods along the coast of Queensland and New South Wales also have the potential to spread thousands of kilometres. Flash floods occur almost anywhere because they can be caused by just an intense amount of rainfall, such as a thunderstorm, and flooding is most common in the north during the summer monsoonal season. The Hunter Valley and the north coast of New South Wales are frequently hit. Along the coast is where flash floods mostly occur, and inland is where slow-rise floods hit. The map below indicates areas most prone to, and least prone to flooding.
