Record-breaking
floods in southeastern Australia have caused a mass animal exodus to higher ground, with spiders in particular surging onto people's land and into their homes. Rains have been inundating communities since Thursday, but parts of the east coast tipped into crisis on Saturday as a major dam overflowed, adding to swollen rivers and causing flash flooding.
On Monday, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that nearly 18,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit regions in the state, and locals took to social media to show that thousands of animals have been on the move, too.
Matt Lovenfosse has been posting Facebook updates from his family's farm in Kinchela Creek, including the photo above.
"All the brown you can see is Spiders trying to beat the flood water," he wrote in the caption.
Lovenfosse grew up on the farm and told CNN he experienced similar flooding in March 2001 and March 2013. On both occasions the flood waters pushed spiders toward the house, which is the highest point on the property.
"It's still raining here and the flood water is still rising, the water is getting closer to our home," said Lovenfosse. "In the morning it should be inside and the spiders will be all over the house."
However, Lovenfosse plans to stay put in his two-story home.
