WATCH: Drone footage reveals flood devastation as 11 rescued, homes evacuated
A man submerged in a vehicle was one of 11 rescued in Hervey Bay as homes and businesses were swamped, forcing the evacuation of dozens of people while sending the region into a police lockdown. PHOTOS, VIDEOS
Fraser Coast
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A man submerged in a vehicle was one of 11 rescued in Hervey Bay as homes and businesses were swamped, forcing the evacuation of dozens of people while sending the region into a police lockdown.
In what has been described as one of the worst weather emergencies the region has seen, the remnants of TC Alfred put much of the city under water.
Emergency warnings remain in place and evacuations and rescues have been carried after flash flooding closed dozens of roads, inundating homes and businesses.
Shocking videos have also emerged of drivers with water up to their windows still trying to make their way around flooded streets.
On the Esplanade at Urangan, Yola Ashfield’s beach house has become an island – surrounded by floodwaters which while slightly receding by the afternoon, was still above the first few steps having swallowed pot plants and lapping halfway up the council rubbish bins.
She survived the Lockyer Valley floods in 2011 and volunteered in the clean-up efforts at Grantham in the years that followed.
The SES has been “overwhelmed” with calls for help while police and the local council have sent alerts urging residents to stay indoors.
Queensland Fire Department confirmed across Qld crews were called out to 171 rescues since Sunday morning.
One man was lucky to be alive after his vehicle became submerged at Bunya Creek.
A spokeswoman from the Queensland Ambulance Service said the man was being treated for hypothermia.
The incident happened on Buckleys Rd just after 1pm. The man was taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Another man was assessed by paramedics after a vehicle was reported in water in Hunter St, Pialba about 10.12am. He declined transport.
QFD Commissioner Steve Smith revealed in Hervey Bay — lashed with 230mm of rain in three hours — there were 75 call outs including people trapped in vehicles or residents needing to be evacuated as water lapped at their doorstep.
He confirmed 11 people were rescued, and 25 people evacuated.
“We do have swift water specialist firefighters positioned and pre deployed right across the region, and they stand ready to respond,” Mr Smith said.
Cars have been swept away and can be seen floating across town while torrents of water are rushing through the carpark of Esplanade resorts and in the Hervey Bay CBD between the Hervey Bay RSL and Pialba Place Shopping Centre.
Relentless rain has been hammering Hervey Bay since 4am and was continuing at 11.30am with residents out in kayaks checking on trapped neighbours and police using a power boat to navigate McKean Rd at Scarness where the area behind the iconic Beach House Hotel and Freshwater St has also been inundated.
A refuge centre has been set up at the Hervey Bay Baptist Church at Nikenbah.
The Hervey Bay Airport is closed and Kingfisher Bay Resort on K’gari (Fraser Island) has stopped taking reservations after its bookings office was flooded while businesses across the city are shut either because of inundation or staff being trapped in their homes and unable to work.
Foodworks in Torquay has also closed due to flash flooding, as well as Priceline Urangan and multiple cafes and restaurants including the 50s diner.
Eli Waters Shopping Centre has also closed due to the rain.
One the largest churches in the region, Bayside Christian Church, also cancelled its Sunday service while its charity arm, Bayside Transformations has suffered a blow after the commercial kitchen used by rehab residents for a vegetable production business was flooded.
Schools are also expected to be impacted tomorrow, with both Star of the Sea Catholic School and Bayside Christian College confirming on social media they would be closed on Monday.
Fraser Coast Anglican College suffered “minor damage”, but plans to be open tomorrow.
Within moments of an emergency alert being issued by the weather bureau for a “very dangerous storm with intense rainfall” at K’gari (Fraser Island) and Hervey Bay, residents were shaken awake by roaring thunder, sideways rain, strong winds and lightning while it was still dark on Sunday.
Six of the initial eight rescued occurred at Urangan where it’s understood people were also evacuated from homes.
Officially, more than 260mm 0mm of rain fell on Hervey Bay over the past 24 hours, but some reported on social media they had 300mm.
Hervey Bay recorded 108mm in one hour to 6.49am on Sunday morning.
A weather bureau spokesman confirmed it was related to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and although the heaviest falls associated with the storm had now moved offshore, it is important to note Hervey Bay remained in the Severe Weather Warning area.
“Storms developed in the area around 5am, but rainfall ramped up significantly between 5:30am – 6:30am.”
The BOM issued a fresh severe thunderstorm warning for heavy to locally intense rainfall for people in parts of Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett districts.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours in parts of the Capricornia and Wide Bay and Burnett districts,” the update issued at 12.19 said.
Locations which may be affected included Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Childers, Gin Gin and Miriam Vale.
A Queensland Fire Department spokeswoman said emergency services received multiple calls from Urangan shortly before 7am, where rising floodwaters had trapped people in both vehicles and homes.
“It looked like they were parked somewhere, and the water had risen all around them.”
Crews were also attending multiple homes where floodwaters were rising, she said.
At 8:30am, emergency crews were assisting with the evacuation of a building on Robert St.
Authorities issued an emergency warning at 9:30am for the Fraser Coast and Hervey Bay, saying a very dangerous thunderstorm remains over the region.
“The storm has barely moved in the past five hours, with official rainfall totals exceeding 250mm and some localised reports of more than 400mm,” their social media post read.
They said the intense rainfall was causing significant flash flooding, with some areas experiencing potentially life-threatening conditions.
Multiple text messages have also been sent out from the Fraser Coast Regional Council warning residents to take shelter.
Hervey Bay MP David Lee told this publication he had received widespread reports of rescues, small businesses damaged, elderly residents being evacuated, homes losing their roof and significant parts of the city under water.
He said the SES was “overwhelmed” by calls and urged people to be patient when waiting for help but most importantly for anyone who did not need to be evacuated to stay put.
While the “usual” spots like the corner of Main St and Booral Rd and Taylor St near the Pialba Woolworths had flooded quickly on Sunday morning, Mr Lee said the difference was roads that rarely went under had also been inundated and many locals didn’t appreciate the danger.
Freshwater St was of particular concern, he said, as was Ocean St Torquay, Pialba near the Seafront Oval and the area near Ingenia Lifestyle Resort in Urangan which had been cut off.
“Too many people going out sightseeing ,” Mr Lee said
“Our emergency personnel are already operating in dangerous, challenging conditions and the last thing they need is more people to rescue.
“You can’t predict how deep the water is, you don’t know if sections of that road are still there.
“Stay at your home if it is safe to do so and only leave if it is under water.”
Mr Lee had been on the phone to Premier David Crisafulli.
He said the Premier acknowledged the whale capital had been “hit hard” by the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred and even though the messaging had been clear to be prepared across the Wide Bay, this kind of impact had been expected to be felt further south.
“He’s very much aware this morning that Hervey Bay is the focus,” Mr Lee said.
“The focus at the moment is keeping everyone safe and evacuating those who need it but when this is over I will be advocating for the support we need to ensure critical infrastructure is fit for purpose and local businesses are back up and running.
“There will be a real role for the State to assist the council in the recovery.”
When he woke to torrential rain and an emergency alert from the weather bureau, Mr Lee’s first thought was for his own mother whose home was being inundated so he went and got her and brought her back to safety.
The 86-year-old told him it was the worst flooding she had seen in Hervey Bay in 25 years.
Mr Lee had received multiple calls about businesses being flooded including the bed and breakfast on the corner of Freshwater and Frank Streets and the row of shops opposite Hervey Bay Mini Golf in Torquay.
He was also aware power was out in parts of Torquay, Eli Waters, Scarness and Point Vernon.
The Hervey Bay Community Noticeboard has been inundated by videos and photos from locals capturing the unfolding emergency.
Phillipa Fisher shared photos which showed water rising around her car and wrote “I’m stuck at the airport, water over the road. I couldn’t see before it was too late and my car stalled”.
Ms Fisher told this publication the kindness of strangers helped her out.
“Some people from GTC Nurseries pulled my car out, and another lovely couple gave me a lift home,” Ms Fisher said.
As the water rose and heavy rain continued, Ms Fisher felt anxious about the fast-moving water crossing the road.
“I did get a little anxious and worried about the water as it was moving over the road fast and the rain was heavy. I did call triple-0,” she said.
She described the challenging conditions, noting that most vehicles passing by were 4WDs and the waves created by their movement caused her car to rock.
“When the guys from GTC Nurseries helped, it was up to his knees,” Ms Fisher said.
Despite the situation, she received several offers of help before the team from GTC Nurseries managed to move her car to safety.
“Once I was out and OK, I did call triple-0 back to let them know I was safe and the car was off to the side so they could better assist others,” she said.
Kim Parnell posted a video of water coming through her downlights with the caption “Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred is here”.
Posting photos of water rushing over her back patio, Helen Edney wrote “I hope all those people who have been laughing and criticising the weather forecasters saying they were being over dramatic are heating humble pie … so many people getting water in their house”.
Urangan was among the hardest hit.
Lee-Ann Mc posted a photo showing torrents of water rushing over Deloraine Ave while Pulgul St and Emerald Park Way were also under water.
Nissen St near the Hervey Bay Hospital was also cut.
Tara Bradbury, who runs Active Agents, said tenants in several areas were being evacuated due to flooding.
As of Sunday afternoon, Ms Bradbury had 15 tenants who had been evacuated from their properties.
The majority of those affected are in Urangan, Kawungan, Scarness, Emerald Pathway, and Boat Harbour Drive.
One tenant reportedly “woke up and stood straight into water.”
Riviera Resort also experienced flooding, with water pouring into the basement and setting off car alarms as the underground car park filled with water.
The resort manager was unable to comment on the situation as they were busy assisting tenants.
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