Authorities warn of localised flooding in Mackay city fringe
Streets near Mackay State High School and the airport are being inundated after heavy rain and there are fears some cars parked in the may be flooded. LATEST
Mackay
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Authorities are warning about localised flooding on the city fringe as Mackay is drenched, and water rises on the road into the airport.
Streets including parts of Shakespeare St, James St and Evans St near Mackay State High School were inundated in the early morning, with fears some cars parked in the may be flooded.
It is understood there is also severe flooding on Archibald St and near the airport.
Mackay Airport has warned morning passengers not to attempt to drive in, as Boundary Rd is flooded shut.
“The safety of passengers, our community, and stakeholders is our highest priority,” the airport said.
Please contact your airline directly for further information if you are due to fly in or out of the airport today.
As of 8.35am, these roads are believed to be flooded and closed, according to the Mackay Emergency Dashboard.
- Olivers Crossing, Kowari - Gorge Road
- Habana - Neills Rd
- Beaconsfield - Holts Rd, Beaconsfield Rd, Golf Links Rd
- Glenella - Hicks Rd
- Walkerston - Pugsley St
Eric, a Forth St resident in South Mackay watched the water lap at his garage door at 6.30am.
When cars drive past, the water smashes his house.
“They come full bore.
These cars come through and they do more damage than the floodwaters.”
It’s not his first local flooding in three decades.
“We’ve been here for 30 years and we’ve had it half a dozen times under,” Eric said.
“I asked the council for some road closed signs but they’re never around you know.”
Claudia Smith and Aisha Adams are housesitting a home in Forth St, South Mackay, and “weren’t really prepared” for a potential flood.
“It shot up in half an hour,” Ms Smith said.
“ We checked at 6am and it was still fine but by 6:30 am it was lapping at our door. It’s gone back now.
“They’re old drains these ones, so we’ve heard.”
Mackay received more than 150mm between 9am Monday and 6am Tuesday.
Sucrogen Weir has received 118mm and Sarina 105mm.
However Pioneer River levels are meant to stay well below the minor flood level of six metres.
This comes as rain is easing further north but danger remains with potential flash flooding and displaced crocodiles after multiple rivers breached their banks.
Over the past three days homes, roads and bridges have been smashed and dozen rescued from history-breaking floods that cost the life of a woman in Ingham under the relentless rain.
Cardwell, north of Townsville had another 141mm in the 19 hours until 4am, while Townsville itself had just under 50mm of rainfall.
Halifax recorded 102, while further Saltwater Creek near Innisfail had 120mm of rain.
In its latest forecast the Bureau of Meteorology said a gradual weakening of the low and monsoon flow will see the risk of heavy rainfall confined to more localised parts of the warning area Tuesday morning.
Areas of heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding are forecast between Cardwell to Yabulu.
“Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100 to 140mm are possible. With isolated falls up to 180mm possible.”
“This risk is expected to persist Tuesday morning.”
It comes as an extraordinary video has emerged of a woman, being visited by a crocodile at the stairs of her highset house on the Haughton River near Giru.
The freshwater crocodile is seen struggling to swim against the rapidly moving floodwater and ends up by washed closer to the home.
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