Military helicopters airlifted hundreds of people from communities cut off by once in a century, floods in Australia's northwest, an official leading relief effort said on Sunday. He noted that water covered some places "as far as the eye could see".<br />''<br />''Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday described the flooding as "devastating" and pledged federal assistance.<br />''<br />''The crisis in the Kimberley, a sparsely populated area in Western Australia state about the size of California was sparked last week by severe weather system Ellie, a former tropical cyclone that brought heavy rain. The water is everywhere, Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson told reporters in Perth.<br />''<br />''People in the Kimberley are experiencing a one-in-100-year flood event, the worst flooding Western Australia has had in its history.<br />''<br />''In some parts, he said flood waters stretched for 50 kilometres with inundation.<br />''<br />''The emergency comes after frequent flooding in Australia's east over the last two years due to a multi-year La Nina weather event.<br />''<br />''Some eastern regions have endured four major flood crises since last year caused by the La Nina system, which is typically associated with increased rainfall.<br />''<br />''The Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday that rain had eased as the storm shifted eastwards to the Northern Territory, but warned that "record-breaking major flooding" continued in the Kimberley.<br />''<br />''The Fitzroy River hit 15.81 metres (52 feet) at Fitzroy Crossing on Wednesday, breaking its 2002 record of 13.95 metres, a bureau spokesperson said.<br />''<br />''State emergency authorities have warned residents in other small communities of rising water in the region, which includes the resort town of Broome, about 1,240 miles (2,000 km) north of Perth.<br />''<br />''While the extent of flood damage was difficult to assess, authorities expected the recovery effort to take months.<br />''<br />''Australian Defence Force (ADF) aircraft were being used to assist flood-hit communities, and Chinook helicopters were en-route to help relocate residents, according to authorities on Saturday. Five ADF helicopters will start operations in the Kimberley by Thursday, a defence spokesperson said.<br />''<br />''<br />