North Queensland Endures Devastating Floods, Heavy Rain, and Strong Winds
The northern regions of Queensland are grappling with severe flooding, relentless rain, and powerful winds, posing significant challenges to residents and infrastructure. The situation has prompted emergency services to spring into action, with multiple rescues already carried out in western Queensland.
In a recent incident, a man and his two dogs were stranded between flooded rivers and creeks, highlighting the immediate dangers faced by those caught in the storm's path. The Bruce Highway, a vital transportation route, remains closed due to heavy rainfall, causing long delays for drivers.
The impact extends beyond the highways. The Landsborough Highway between Cloncurry and the Flinders Highway intersection is also closed due to flooding, while the Flinders Highway from Cloncurry to Julia Creek and Richmond to Julia Creek is off-limits to all traffic. The State Emergency Service (SES) has deployed flood boat operators from the southeast to Ingham and Halifax, with additional crews set to support northwest towns.
The SES has been busy, responding to numerous call-outs in the 24 hours leading up to 4 am on Tuesday. They assisted with tarping, sandbagging, and clearing fallen trees, with the highest number of call-outs in Cairns (24), Townsville (22), the Cassowary Coast (19), Cloncurry (15), and Mount Isa (10).
Ergon Energy is working tirelessly to restore power to Mount Isa, where over 150 people remain without electricity due to fallen power lines. Power outages have also affected residents in Far North Queensland, with 285 people impacted in Euluma Creek and Julatten near Port Douglas, and approximately 160 people affected in Bramston Beach and Graham Range south of Cairns.
The weather system is expected to peak on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's Shane Kennedy. He emphasized that the worst of the storm will be north of Longreach and closer to the east coast, primarily north of Bowen. There are currently two severe weather warnings in Queensland and multiple flood warnings.
The northwest warning, from Kowanyama to Winton, is the more severe of the two, with intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts. A severe weather warning for intense rainfall is also in place on the northeast coast from Townsville to north of Innisfail, with heavy rainfall potentially leading to flash flooding. The affected areas include Townsville, Palm Island, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Rollingstone, Innisfail, Lucinda, and Abergowrie.
The heavy rainfall is expected to persist in parts of the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields, Upper Flinders, North West, and Central West forecast districts on Tuesday night and Wednesday. The Bureau of Meteorology warns that locally intense rainfall could lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, with six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 150mm possible in areas like Cloncurry, Richmond, Julia Creek, and Stamford.
Broadwater recorded 106mm of rain in the three hours leading up to 1:14 am on Tuesday. A major flood warning remains in place for the Flinders River, with flooding occurring at Walkers Bend. Moderate flood warnings are also in effect for the Cloncurry River, the Norman River, the Diamantina and Western River, and the Georgina River.
A more general flood watch is in place across northwest Queensland and the North Tropical Coast, urging communities to prepare for potential road closures, community isolation, and impacts on livestock. Some parts of the Cassowary Coast recorded 24-hour rainfall totals exceeding 300mm.
Mr. Kennedy noted that the tropical low should weaken from Wednesday and start moving south, bringing rain as far south as Windorah by Thursday. The SES has warned against dangerous driving, emphasizing the need for motorists to heed the 'If it's flooded, forget it' message.
The SES regional director, Daryl Camp, highlighted the priority of assisting communities in northwest Queensland, particularly Mount Isa and Cloncurry, where major flooding has been reported. He urged drivers to avoid flooded areas, as one incident involved a person whose vehicle stalled in floodwaters, leading to potential electrical failures.
The Flinders Highway, connecting Townsville to Cloncurry, is cut in several locations, isolating some rural towns. The mayor of McKinlay Shire, Janene Feegan, described Julia Creek as an 'island' due to the heavy rainfall and flooding, with the town receiving 140.2mm of rain since Monday, causing roads to flood and travelers to become stranded.
Northwest Queensland residents are anxious about the potential for heavy rainfall to turn into livelihood-threatening flooding, similar to the region's experiences in 2019 and 2023. The grazier Patrick Hick from Julia Creek's Argle Station reported tough conditions for livestock, including 60km/h winds on Monday, with the week's total rainfall reaching 420mm.
In Tully, dubbed one of the wettest towns in Australia, sugar cane grower Bryce McDonald has measured over 400mm of rain in his gauge over the past few days. He noted that the heavy rainfall is earlier in the season than expected, making it impossible to carry out any activities until it dries up. The town remains accessible, but residents are accustomed to isolation after heavy falls.
The owner of Tully IGA, Craig Teitzel, described the past few days as 'hectic' as shoppers stocked up on essentials. While he maintains a buffer of stock for severe weather events, the isolation can challenge shelf restocking due to rail closures, which overload roads and make it difficult for trucks to reach stores.
