Key Takeaways
- Heavy rainfall is expected to increase flooding in north Queensland, with severe weather warnings in place for the north-west and north-east coast.
- The State Emergency Service (SES) has deployed 12 flood boat operators to assist communities in north-west Queensland, with additional crews on standby.
- Multiple roads are closed due to flooding, including the Bruce Highway and the Landsborough Highway, with drivers warned to expect long delays.
- The Bureau of Meteorology warns of potentially life-threatening flash flooding, with six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 150mm possible in some areas.
- Residents are urged to prepare for potential road closures, community isolation, and impacts to livestock, and to follow the "If it’s flooded, forget it" messaging.
Introduction to Flooding in North Queensland
Flooding is expected to increase in north Queensland today as heavy rainfall drenches hundreds of kilometres from the tropical east coast to the outback. Two flood-related rescues have already taken place in western Queensland, with the State Emergency Service (SES) deploying 12 flood boat operators from the south-east to Ingham and Halifax. Additional crews are set to bolster north-west towns, with the SES conducting multiple call-outs in the 24 hours to 4am on Tuesday, assisting with tarping, sandbagging, and fallen trees.
Road Closures and Power Outages
The Bruce Highway from the Seymour River Bridge at Bemerside remains closed to all traffic due to heavy rainfall, with drivers warned to expect long delays. Elsewhere, the Landsborough Highway between Cloncurry and the Flinders Highway and Landsborough Highway intersection to McKinlay remains closed due to flooding, while the Flinders Highway from Cloncurry to Julia Creek and also Richmond to Julia Creek also remains closed to all traffic. Ergon Energy is also working to restore power to parts of Mount Isa, where more than 150 people remain without power due to fallen powerlines. Residents in Far North Queensland are also impacted by power outages, with 285 people affected in Euluma Creek and Julatten, near Port Douglas, and about 160 people impacted in Bramston Beach and Graham Range, south of Cairns.
Severe Weather Warnings
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Shane Kennedy said the weather system would "peak" on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the worst of it expected to be north of Longreach and closer to the east coast mostly north of Bowen. There are currently two severe weather warnings in Queensland, and multiple flood warnings. The north-west warning, from Kowanyama to Winton, is the more severe of the two, with intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts. Severe weather warnings are in place for intense rainfall on the north-east coast from about Townsville to north of Innisfail, with heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding forecast for those areas.
Flash Flooding and Flood Warnings
Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for the north-east coast, with two to six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 to 120 mm likely, and isolated falls in excess of 180mm possible. The areas that may be affected include Townsville, Palm Island, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Rollingstone, Innisfail, Lucinda, and Abergowrie. Heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding is also forecast to continue in parts of the Gulf Country, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, North West and Central West forecast districts on Tuesday night and Wednesday. A major flood warning remains in place for the Flinders River, with flooding occurring at Walkers Bend, and moderate flood warnings are also current for the Cloncurry River, the Norman River, the Diamantina and Western River, and the Georgina River.
Community Impact and Preparations
The SES is urging residents to prepare for potential road closures, community isolation, and impacts to livestock, and to follow the "If it’s flooded, forget it" messaging. Regional director Daryl Camp begged motorists to follow the messaging, citing two recent rescues where people drove into floodwaters and became stranded. Outback communities are also cut off, with the Flinders Highway linking Townsville to Cloncurry cut in several locations, leaving some rural towns isolated. McKinlay Shire mayor Janene Feegan said her small north-west community of Julia Creek had become "an island", with the town receiving 140.2mm of rain since 9am on Monday, flooding roads and stranding travellers.
Wet Season and Rainfall
The wet season is in full force, with Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto urging residents to remain vigilant for the remainder of the wet season, having evacuation and cyclone plans in place. King tides are also forecast for the Townsville region from January 1, which could lead to flash flooding if any further rainfall hits. The Ross River Dam was just below 70 per cent, with potential to hit 100 per cent if rainfall continues. Tully, dubbed one of the wettest towns in Australia, has experienced heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours, with sugar cane grower Bryce McDonald measuring more than 400 millimetres in his rain gauge over the past few days. The heavy rainfall is earlier in the season than expected and has made it "impossible to do anything until it dries up".