Among the dead is a nine-year-old child who was swept into a flowing drain on the outskirts of Brisbane.

At least eight people have died and one is still missing after severe storms hit Australia’s eastern states over the Christmas holidays, toppling trees and power lines and leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.

Police and emergency services in the states of Victoria and Queensland confirmed the deaths of eight people, the latest a nine-year-old girl who was reportedly swept away in a flooded drainage canal on the outskirts of Brisbane, the Queensland capital.

In Gympie, about 180 km (111 miles) north of the town, three women were swept into a storm drain as floodwaters inundated the rural town.

One of the women survived, a 40-year-old woman died and emergency services said there was now “great concern” for the other woman. Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Assistant Commissioner Kevin Walsh said rescue teams would continue to search the area on Wednesday.

“This is absolutely tragic news for families in this region at Christmas time,” Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig told ABC News.

On December 25 and 26, severe thunderstorms hit the east coast of the country, bringing large hailstones, strong winds and torrential rain. In some of the hardest-hit areas, rivers were flooded and strong winds blew off roofs and toppled trees.

Eleven people were thrown into the sea when their boat capsized off Brisbane. Police said on Wednesday that three people drowned and eight were rescued from the water and taken to hospital.

“It’s been a very tragic 24 hours because of the weather,” Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll told reporters.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned coastal regions in Queensland are still at risk of “dangerous” storms, as well as “life-threatening” flooding, “huge” hail and “damaging” winds.

Queensland utility Energex said the storm brought down more than 1,000 power lines and left about 86,000 homes without power.

It is expected that it will take days until some people have power again, the company said.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, a woman was found dead late on Tuesday night after flash floods inundated a regional campsite in Buchan, 350 km (217 miles) east of the state capital Melbourne.

Two people were also killed by falling trees.

The wild weather also took its toll on the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Less than 24 hours after the 95 boats left Sydney Harbor on December 26 heading south to the Tasmanian capital, eight new additions had disembarked.

SHK Scallywag, a Hong Kong ship that had been battling for leadership, was damaged and crew member Geoff Cropley said sailors had to endure “hours of lightning and thunder.”

They were now “huddled together,” he added, and the weather was slowly beginning to improve.

The event, first held in 1945, this year marks the 25th anniversary of a violent storm that devastated the racing fleet in 1998. Wild winds whipped up mountainous lakes, leaving six people dead, five boats sinking and 55 sailors rescued.

The east coast storms came after former tropical cyclone Jasper made landfall earlier this month, causing flooding and widespread damage in Queensland.

Meanwhile, in the west of the country, several regions are battling fires. According to media reports, a volunteer firefighter died while fighting a bushfire.

Australia is currently experiencing an El Niño, which can lead to extreme events ranging from wildfires to tropical cyclones to prolonged droughts.