Australian Flooding 'to Last Weeks'

Australians in Queensland should get used to the water: Floods will last for weeks, according to officials. Currently, the water is covering an area the size of France and Germany. It has killed three people and displaced 200,000 more, cutting off 20 towns. The deluge is poised to seriously damage the country's economy, too. The flooded region is responsible for much of Australia's sugar and coal production, and those industries have all but halted since the waters started rising. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced grants and low-interest loans that will be available to affected business trying to recover.