The news about flooding in Australia’s Queensland state gets worse by the hour. And more troubles are ahead:

— “More than 20 towns … have been cut off or flooded, with more than 200,000 people affected.” (BBC News)

— “Drenching rain that started before Christmas has flooded an area the size of France and Germany.” (The Associated Press)

— “Floods submerged the Capricorn Highway, the major traffic artery through Queensland state, and poured into homes in the sinking town of Rockhampton, sending furniture and refrigerators cascading down torrents of floodwater.” (Reuters)

— “The floodwaters in Rockhampton are not expected to fully recede until some time next week, while more rain has been forecast for parts of Queensland.” (The Australian)

— “Australia Flooding Of ‘Biblical Proportions’ Slashes Coal, Agriculture Exports.” (The Christian Science Monitor) Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.