Following devastating floods Australia Launches Major Clean-Up as Deadly Floods Kill 5 and Damage 10,000 Properties. Australia has begun a massive clean-up operation in the eastern state of New South Wales (NSW) that claimed five lives, stranded tens of thousands, and damaged over 10,000 properties. As floodwaters slowly recede, emergency services are racing to reach isolated communities and assess the scale of destruction caused by one of the worst flood events in recent years.