Wild storms cut roads, damage homes across Gympie region

Roads and bridges west and south of Gympie were cut on Monday morning after wild storms unroofed houses, brought down trees and kept emergency workers busy. Now, the weather bureau warns there is more on the way.

Roads and bridges were cut again on Monday morning after wild storms rolled across the Gympie region on Sunday afternoon, resulting in 92 calls for help to the Queensland Fire Service and SES.

The calls were mostly for roof damage and downed trees, a QFES spokespersons said on Monday morning.

No swift water rescues were carried out in the Gympie local government area, but further west at Wondai, a man drowned after the car he and woman were travelling in was swept away by floodwaters about 5pm.

Photos: Gympie’s devastating flood damage revealed

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Woolooga was hit hard, and in the Mary Valley, bridges near Imbil were still under on Monday morning.

Many campgrounds, including Borumba Dam, remain closed and roads cut and damaged from the major flooding of late February early March.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig has estimated the total damages bill of the second highest Mary River flood in history to be about $100 million for the region.

Woolooga property owner Sharon Turner posted a series of photos of downed trees and damaged fences on Facebook after Sunday’s storms.

“That was one of the worst storms I’ve been through – can’t get around most of the property yet will have to wait for Steve to get home. Didn’t need anymore fence fixing practice though,” she said.

Another week of unsettled weather could result in possible daily falls of more than 80mm in the Gympie region this week as severe storms becoming increasingly more likely on Wednesday and Thursday.

Now and then: Gympie flood photos 2022 and 1999

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A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said wind gusts of up to 74km/h were recorded at Double Island Point on Sunday afternoon and rainfall totals of up to about 30mm.

A minor flood warning remained for the Mary River on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, the Gympie flood clean-up continued with multiple businesses still not open and the threat of many not being able to afford to reopen.

All schools have reopened, but One Mile State School was hit hard by the floodwaters, and is bussing several year levels to Central School because of severe damage to some classrooms.

Gympie’s netball competition is on hold as flood damage to the courts is assessed. the floodwaters left centimetres of mud on the courts which could not be pressured hosed off and had to be scraped off with a bulldozer.