Storms leave some Queensland residents ‘traumatised’ amid warnings of more heavy rain
A relentless series of storms is starting to take an emotional toll on people in Queensland’s south-east as the Bureau of Meteorology warns of more heavy rain to come.
Roads are cut off, more than 20 schools are closed and a town is flooded after heavy rainfall inundated the region, sparking multiple rescues.
The BoM warned of potentially life-threatening flash flooding due to the deluge.
“We could expect to see these heavy rainfalls and the potentially intense rainfall that could lead to further dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding in the coming hours, through the remainder of today and into tomorrow,” a bureau spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Samford Valley was one of the worst hit, receiving 300mm in three hours, while 126mm fell in two hours at Upper Caboolture.
Swiftwater crews rescued 13 people as flood waters rose across the Moreton Bay, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs regions overnight.
The Moreton Bay region saw eight rescues as flood waters rose overnight. Photograph: QAS
Eight of those rescues were in the Moreton Bay region alone, with the SES also receiving 28 calls for help in the area overnight.
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, warned Moreton Bay residents that conditions may not improve soon.
“Our message, particularly if you’re in Moreton Bay, is please take care; and certainly if the road is flooded, forget it,” he said.
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The town of Laidley, west of Brisbane, is already flooded after the creek broke its banks. An evacuation centre was opened at the Laidley State high school for those seeking shelter.
Flood warnings are current for large parts of central Queensland as well as the south-east.
Bray Park, north of Brisbane, was one of a number of south-east Queensland areas hit by heavy storms overnight. Photograph: QAS
Flood watches have been issued for parts of western Queensland as well as much of the central and southeast areas of the state plus northeast NSW.
The Scenic Rim mayor, Greg Christensen, said the latest round of storms were not providing any comfort for residents trying to recover from wild weather that devastated the region over the Christmas period.
“Every time we get these intense falls now, there are people who are still very traumatised, and we understand this is actually quite difficult for some of them,” he said.
The residents’ concerns have not been helped by landslips and fallen trees that have occurred over the past few days as more rain and storms roll through.
“Everything’s just so unstable; with more rain on sodden ground, things that were destabilised have finally let go,” Christensen said.
Clean-up efforts have been stymied with the heavy onset of rain and nine roads have been closed due to flooding, cutting access for recovery crews.
With more rain predicted throughout Tuesday, Christensen said one of his main concerns was fatigue.
“We’re all trying to find a way to recover,” he said.
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The bureau said forecast rainfall in those areas could lead to flash or riverine flooding in the next 48 hours.
“In the worst case it could lead to inundation of homes, properties, businesses and agricultural land,” the BoM warned.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is also ensuring more wet weather in Queensland’s north-west, days after crossing the coast.
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The area south of Cloncurry has been one of the worst hit out west with Seymour Gap receiving 256mm in 24 hours, while 244mm fell at Kirby.
Farther south at Winton, all rural roads are cut with some properties expected to be isolated for six to eight weeks due to flood waters.
West of Winton towards Boulia, the Middleton community has recorded about 450mm since the weekend.
“The Boulia road through to Alice Springs has currently got three metres of water over the crossings,” the Winton mayor, Gavin Baskett, said.
“Some of the crossings are at the highest [flood levels] some graziers have ever seen them.”
Flooded roads are seen near the South Pine River in Strathpine, north of Brisbane on Tuesday. Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP
Winton’s local disaster management group has been activated with some properties bunkering down for a long, isolated period in flood waters.
“They are all graziers out there; lucky it isn’t tourist season,” Baskett said.
The BoM said the ex-tropical cyclone was expected to linger between Mount Isa and Longreach for the next few days.
Crews are still working to restore electricity for north Queenslanders left without power after Kirrily crossed the coast three days ago.
About 66,000 customers lost power at the peak of the wild weather. The remaining 1,000 homes still without electricity were expected to be restored by Tuesday night.
Kirrily struck barely a month after Tropical Cyclone Jasper caused record flooding that devastated the far north.