Tropical low forces residents to seek higher ground
Tom Wark and Lloyd Jones |
Overnight flash flooding and more rain on the way is causing havoc for residents told to seek higher ground.
Far north Queensland continues to brace for a tropical low to cross the coast but many locals have already been told to leave due to flooding.
Police issued a flood emergency warning for the Daintree River at 9.30pm on Thursday, saying flash flooding was already occurring and residents should move to safety at higher ground.
In other areas, sandbag stations are in place with heavy rain, flooding and damaging winds forecast on Friday as the tropical low tracks northeast of Cairns.
Up to 240 millimetres of rain is expected to fall in a six-hour period on Friday, which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Local infrastructure has already been impacted with the wild conditions causing the Daintree Ferry to come loose from its moorings.
Council and emergency crews will attempt to retrieve the vessel once conditions allow, Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said.
“We ask for everyone’s patience and understanding as we continue to deal with a major flooding event that is affecting the entire region,” she said.
A cyclone watch for the region was cancelled on Thursday after the system was considered a very low chance of intensifying before hitting the coast.
The “disconnected” tropical low was likely to reach the coast by Friday afternoon between Cairns and Townsville before moving southwest into central Queensland on the weekend, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said.
Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood said emergency services were ready to deploy in Innisfail and Cardwell, and sandbag stations were ready if people needed them.
Residents had been advised to have their emergency plans in place, stock up on supplies and be ready to leave before their homes flooded, she said.
“You never know until it actually happens, but we’re prepared,” she told AAP.
“Basically, we just sit back and wait now.”
Hinchinbrook Shire Mayor Ramon Jayo said his community had been warned to expect heavy rain and high winds.
“We’ve got a load coming at us … but we’re ready,” he told AAP.
“We just got rid of a major flood last Monday and we’re lining up again for some more flooding.”
The usual warnings about floodwaters had gone out to residents who knew the drill, he said.
“They’re restocking their pantries in case they are stranded for a period of time due to floodwater.”
Other parts of the state would also cop severe weather as the system crossed the coast on Friday, Mr Hines said.
The coast from Townsville down to Mackay will also be an area to watch.
Heavy falls could continue over north Queensland but might also stretch down through the Central Coast, Capricornia and into the Wide Bay region, around Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.
The impacts could also be felt in southeast Queensland at the weekend, Mr Hines said.
Southeast Queensland residents have been asked to keep track of forecasts, especially for rain on Sunday.
AAP