Flash flooding impacts Central Queensland after heavy rainfall
Police have confirmed a Clermont man has tragically died after his body was found in a vehicle submerged in floodwaters.
Rockhampton
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A Clermont man has died in floodwaters in the Central Highlands as savage storms continue to lash Central Queensland.
A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed police and emergency services retrieved a ute that was found in floodwaters off the Gregory Highway at Hibernia, near Capella.
“The male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was found deceased,” the spokesman said.
“We were called there at 7.10am after a member of the public called the vehicle.
“Recovery may take some time due to the weather conditions.
“He has yet to be formally identified.
“The Forensic Crash Unit will investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, as the cause remains unknown.
“Anyone who may have seen a white Toyota Landcruiser utility travelling along the Gregory Highway overnight in the vicinity is urged to come forward.”
A police spokesman later confirmed the man was a 77-year-old from Clermont.
The matter is still under investigation.
In a night of wild weather, flash flooding forced residents living in Rubyvale and Sapphire to secure their belongings and move to higher ground.
An emergency alert was issued by the Central Highlands Regional Council regarding flash flooding in the Rubyvale and Sapphire areas on Thursday at 9.30pm.
That emergency alert has since been cancelled, with council and SES crews in The Gemfields offering support to anyone impacted by Thursday night’s flood event.
Resident Rob Iona had 154mm at her place, which caused flooding.
“Our water issue comes from our dam breaking its banks above us. We are well above river levels, on a hill, so all the water from up top ends in on our dam,” she said.
Flash flooding has also impacted Clermont.
Clermont Golf Club posted to Facebook that it had received more than 150mm in the past 36 hours and that Friday’s ‘chicken run’ was called off.
“All going well weather wise we should get a game around the wet course on Sunday,” the page posted.
Clermont Veterinary Surgery veterinarian Briony Brooks said the creek crossing 400m from the vet surgery on Laglan Road was flooded.
“We can’t get through at the moment,” Ms Brooks said on Friday morning.
“We had some staff walk across the train track to get to the clinic this morning with everything that is going on here.”
She said there was a path that could be taken for emergencies.
“We will do what we can if there is an emergency and an animal is needing treatment,” she said.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kimba Wong said the Central Highlands and Capricornia had been the focus area for rainfall over the past couple of days.
“Particularly across the Central Highlands we have had some heavy falls over the last 24 and 48 hours,” Ms Wong said.
“Clermont has had a couple of days of a few rain gauges picking up more than 100mm.
“Since 9am Thursday, we have had 169mm at Sunny Park, just south west of Clermont, and the previous 24 hours to yesterday another 101mm at that same location.
“Broadly speaking across that area a little pocket of 50-80mm in most gauges and just over 100mm in a few gauges over the last 24 hours.”
She said most of the higher falls in Capricornia in the past 24 hours had been in Gladstone and further south.
“Bundaberg picked up 191mm since 9am yesterday,” she said.
“Awoonga Dam, just south of Gladstone, had quite a few showers and storms move through the area with 157mm there.
Since 9am Thursday, Rockhampton had 34mm of rain, Yeppoon recorded 25mm, Gladstone Airport recorded 81mm, Emerald recorded 58mm, and Biloela recorded 8mm.
A minor flood warning is in place for the Dawson River, with minor flooding occurring at Baralaba along the Dawson River on Friday as flood waters arrive from upstream.
In the past 24 hours, 10-25 mm has been recorded in the Dawson River catchment area, with isolated higher totals up to 55mm.
River levels in the Upper Dawson catchment are easing upstream of Taroom. Further downstream, river levels along the Dawson River are rising on approach to Theodore.
Minor flooding is occurring along the Dawson River between Moura and Beckers.
There is also a flood warning for the Nogoa River, with major flooding occurring along Theresa Creek about Valeria on Friday.
River level rises downstream are expected to continue, impacting local transport routes.
The Gregory Highway at Theresa Creek will be closed when the river level exceeds 9m. The river is currently at 6.78m and rising.
Ms Wong said flood watch was covering the region due to the rainfall recorded in the last 48 hours.
SES local controller Eddie Cowie said crews had responded to more than 100 requests for assistance in the past 30 days in the Rockhampton region.
“We have already had our fair share of damage,” he said.
“On Friday we responded to 15 jobs, and two yesterday.
“There has been a consistent request from the community and our teams are available and ready to respond as required.
“We have flood boat rescue teams on standby, we have chainsaw teams and rescue teams all geared and ready to go depending on what the requests are.”
He said there had been about 100 requests for assistance overnight across Queensland.
“If the situation arises we are ready to respond,” he said.
A number of roads are closed across Central Queensland due to flash flooding including the Gregory Highway, about 7km north of Capella at Abor Creek, Capella Rubyvale Road and Cotherstone Road.
According to police, Theresa Creek and Retreat Creek Bridges on the Gregory Highway north of Emerald are expected to flood with water over the road Friday evening and be closed to traffic.
It is understood the Gregory Highway will remain closed for up to four days.
Two events in Central Queensland have been cancelled due to the recent wet weather.
The Rockhampton Heritage Village has cancelled Saturday’s Heritage Village Christmas Fair.
The event will not be postponed.
Central Highlands Regional Council has decided to postpone its annual Nogoa November celebrations scheduled for this weekend until early 2022.
As a precaution, the floating footbridge on the western side of the Emerald Botanic Gardens has also been temporarily removed from the river to prevent any damage due to fluctuating river levels.
The bridge will be returned once it is deemed safe.
HQPlantations has closed all plantation forests, including Byfield in Central Queensland, to the public due to the recent rainfall.
A period of sustained dry weather will be required before plantation roads can be used without causing further damage.
The situation will be reassessed on Thursday, 2 December, 2021.
The causeway at Water Park is currently flooded, impacting access to areas of Byfield State Forest, including Water Park Creek camping and day use area and Byfield Conservation and National Parks including Five Rocks camping area and Nine Mile Beach camping areas.
Access will be reopened when the creek height has dropped to a safe level (generally around 2.2m).
Access to Upper Stony camping and day use areas is also compromised by flooding at the moment.
These sites will be reopened when the flooding subsides to a safe level.
Due to recent rainfall impacting on access roads to Carnarvon National Park, Salvator Rosa and Ka Ka Mundi sections are closed up to and including Monday, November 29.
The closure will include all walking tracks in the Salvator Rosa section and the Nogoa River and Bunbuncundoo Springs camping areas.
Carnarvon National Park is also closed up to and including Friday, December 3.
The closure will include all day-use areas, walking tracks and camping areas.
Minerva Hills National Park is also temporarily closed due to heavy rain flooding access roads.
Rangers will review the closure on Monday, November 29.
Ms Wong said residents living in the Central Highlands and Capricornia could expect less severe storms and heavy rainfall over the weekend.
“There is a very slight chance that we will see a couple of storms through the weekend but it is looking like much less of the widespread heavy falls we have seen the past couple of days,” she said.
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