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Heavy rain forecast for Sunshine Coast, Noosa regions

A massive band of rain remained off the Sunshine Coast on Thursday morning with weather experts predicting much more rain could be dumped on our saturated region. SEE THE LATEST

Aisling Brennan, Mark Furler, Scott Sawyer, Kristen Camp, Matty Holdsworth, Tegan Annett and Felicity Ripper
12 min read
February 24, 2022 - 7:33AM
Flooding on Sunshine Coast

A massive band of rain remained off the Sunshine Coast on Thursday morning with weather experts predicting up to 300mm could be dumped onto the region.

Storms on ­Wednesday claimed the life of a 63-year-old woman swept away in a torrent of water on the Sunshine Coast, while police hold grave concerns for a missing man whose motorbike was found near floodwaters.

Schools closed, roads were flooded and a train derailed after more than 300mm fell.

The Bureau of Meteorology updated a severe weather warning on Thursday morning, warning of heavy rainfall that could lead to life-threatening flash flooding.

“Six-hourly rainfall totals between 80 and 120mm are likely, reaching up to 180mm over areas east of Gympie to Jimboomba. The heaviest falls are expected through the latter parts of Thursday into Friday morning.

Intense rainfall was possible Thursday night leading into early Friday with six hourly totals of up to 300mm possible.

Damaging wind gust of 90 km/h are possible from late Thursday afternoon over the Southeast Coast, east of about Gympie to Mt Tamborine.

Locations which may be affected include Warwick, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Gympie, Stanthorpe, Caboolture, Ipswich, Jimboomba, Mount Tamborine and Redcliffe.

Hinterland suburbs had been hammered in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday with 425mm recorded in Mt Wolvi and falls of more than 350mm in Pomona and Kin Kin.

Significant falls were also recorded in more suburban areas with Sippy Downs recording 159mm and 163mm recorded in Mountain Creek.

The rain relented overnight and Thursday morning with only 30mm recorded in Maleny since 9am Wednesday and double digit falls across the region.

Sunshine Coast police and firefighters both reported relatively quiet nights with only a few welfare checks related to floodwaters.

Earlier, meteorologist Felem Hanniffy said the focus Thursday would likely be around the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

“We could see falls broadly of 100mm to 200mm with localised totals well in excess of that again on Thursday,” he said. “The risk will be in the morning and again later in the day so we might see a bit of a reprieve during the day time.”

It comes after the wild weather caused a freight train to derail from its tracks between Traveston and Cooran stations.

CHECK BELOW FOR LATEST ROAD CLOSURES, MAJOR INCIDENTS, SCHOOL CLOSURES AND RAINFALL.

Queensland Rail say flood waters over the tracks has prevented access to the derailed third-party freight train which has resulted in changes to its timetable.

With more severe weather in store over the next 48 hours, Queensland Rail has replaced much of its train service with buses.

“For the rest of today (Wednesday), rail replacement buses are operating between Caboolture and Gympie North stations,” a Queensland Rail statement said.

“From tomorrow (Thursday), the Caboolture to Nambour section will re-open, with buses to remain in place between Nambour and Gympie North stations.

“We ask customers to please allow an additional 60 minutes of travel time for their journey.”

It comes after the weather bureau issued a flood warning for the Mooloolah River and Palmview after rivers and creeks across the Sunshine Coast are responding to heavy rainfall recorded overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, leading to localised flooding.

Police also held “grave concerns” for a motorbike rider who has been missing since early Wednesday in the Gympie region.

LifeFlight response to Gympie flooding

LANDSLIDE

A Sunshine Coast road has been closed after two cars crashed into rocks and caused a landslide.

A Queensland Police spokesman said Landsborough Maleny Road was closed about 4km west of Mary Cairncross Road after a two-car crash at 3:29pm Wednesday.

The spokesman said the cars had hit some rocks and caused the landslip.

Two men in their 50s were being assessed by paramedics for minor injuries and are in a stable condition.

A Queensland Ambulance spokeswoman said the men were suffering from neck and chest pain.

The spokeswoman confirmed a large rock had fallen at the scene.

Police tweeted diversions were in place and told drivers to expect delays.

The road will remain closed until it is deemed safe.

RESIDENTS REACT:

Kenilworth dairy farmer Shane Paulger has lived on property neighbouring the Mary River for 60-years and said the storm was unlike anything he’d seen.

Mr Paulger said the river had risen at an incredible speed and by about midday on Wednesday it was close to breaking the banks.

“I went down to look early this morning and it had about three quarters of a metre at 2am and by 4.30am it had gone up seven metres,” Mr Paulger said.

“The speed of it was quite surprising. Crikey it rose quick.

“It might have matched the big floods of 1989, for the speed in which it rose.”

Mr Paulger said the storm came in about 8pm and stayed a constant threat the entirety.

Kenilworth farmer Shane Paulger said Tuesday night’s intense storm was the worst he had seen in 60 years.
Kenilworth farmer Shane Paulger said Tuesday night’s intense storm was the worst he had seen in 60 years.

Traveston resident Jodie Bampton is unable to leave her Noakes Rd home due to the road and her driveway being flooded in on Wednesday morning.

“We had over 150mm, my rain gauge was full and leaking,” Ms Bampton said.

“Last night when the rain just kept coming so heavy I thought ‘oh my goodness are we going to get washed away’, but we're in a Queenslander up really high.”

Ms Bampton told the Sunshine Coast Daily after the terrifying night she went downstairs on Wednesday morning to find water was rushing under her home.

“I felt like I could hear a river, but it was mainly the dams either side of me rushing,” she said.

Owner of Cooran Community Store Elyse Patten said the football field in Cooran was inundated with two metres of water, while both bridges into town were also submerged.

Elyse Patten (left) of the Cooran Community Store.
Elyse Patten (left) of the Cooran Community Store.

“There’s no access to town and there’s people stranded, they are trying to find another way around and starting to talk about maybe trying to walk across the bridge when it starts to go down,” Ms Patten said.

When Ms Patten opened the store on Wednesday morning the floor was covered in water.

“Some lovely locals helped me sweep it out, we’re still open and we’re going to be delivering mail to parts of the area we can access,” she said.

WATCH: Cooran locals help to clean up flood waters in general store

“People are saying they haven’t seen anything like this for 25 years.

“A lot of people have been caught by surprise as there was no notice, we just went to bed and woke up this morning and you can’t go anywhere, it happened really fast.”

REGION BRACED FOR MORE WILD WEATHER

Parts of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa have braced for more intense rainfall of up to 200mm over the next 48 hours as a coastal trough develops.

The weather bureau have warned for flash flooding with more downpours due on Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday.

It comes after falls of between 200-300mm fell in parts of the region overnight, including 308mm at Pomona, 183mm at Landsborough, 158mm at Sippy Downs and 170mm at Pelican Waters.

Police confirmed the tragic death of a 60-year-old woman who died in flood waters at Belli Park, near Kenilworth about 8am.
Sunshine Coast Police District Superintendent Craig Hawkins said the up to 10 people who were unaccounted for on Wednesday morning had been located.

However he said there a man whose motorbike was found near floodwaters at Greens Creek, Gympie, was yet to be found.

“He left home for work and never arrived,” Superintendent Hawkins said.

“His motorcycle was located in flood water at Greens Creek, near Gympie but our search is still under way to try to locate him.”

Meteorologist Helen Kirkup said thunderstorms were also likely to bring “intense” rainfall totals.

“There’s a coastal trough developing, so it will depend how the winds converge to where it will fall but there’s a huge amount of moisture in the air,” Ms Kirkup said.

“Pretty much the whole of the southeast is at risk. It will be a tough couple of days.

“Today and tomorrow we could easily see another 100mm and within places that do get the enhanced rain from thunderstorms, 200mm isn’t out of the question.

“Just hope that is misses the places that had copped it the worst.”

Ms Kirkup said the catchments of the major rivers across the region were all at risk.

Superintendent Hawkins urged residents to be prepared for more significant rainfall over the next two days.

He said on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning multiple rescues were conducted throughout the Noosa and Sunshine Coast areas.

It included multiple people being rescued from caravans that were inundated with water at Kin Kin.

A home was also flooded.

Superintendent Hawkins said power could be lost and more roads flooded with more significant falls forecast.

He said emergency response teams faced challenging conditions made worse by residents “sightseeing”.

“We have seen significant rain in the past 24 hours and we are likely to see more of that over the next two days,” he said.

“If the road is flooded do not risk yours and others lives from driving into it.”

“Given we are likely to see further rainfall up until Friday I’d recommend people to be prepared and avoid using the roads where possible.”

Sunshine Coast Council advised it had opened up an evacuation centre at Nambour Showgrounds and support systems were being put in place for the hinterland town of Kenilworth which had been cut off by floodwaters.

A search was also underway in Cedar Pocket in the Gympie region for a man believed to be missing in floodwaters after his motorbike was found about 200m from Green Creek Bridge, Cedar Pocket Rd.

Latest advice from the Bureau of Meteorology is that the Mooloolah River may burst its banks and trigger flooding in Palmview on Wednesday afternoon.

Flooding was expected in Tewantin on the high tide on Friday as the Noosa River continues to rise while some minor flooding was expected along the banks of the Maroochy River.

Officer in Charge of Noosa Police Station Senior Sergeant Benedict Carroll warned Noosa locals a large amount of debris was moving through the upper reaches of the Noosa River.

Senior Sergeant Carroll said the debris heap was hitting Lake Cootharaba and was expected to come down the Noosa River shortly after.

The region was lashed with more than 300mm falling in the past 24 hours in some parts.

TRAFFIC MAYHEM:

Roads across the region have been cut off this morning after becoming inundated with floodwaters.

Nambour Connection Rd has also been cut off near Woombye, affecting access to the Bruce Highway.

There are reports of two serious crashes on the Bruce Highway itself, a multi-vehicle crash at Glenview before the Roys Rd overpass which has affected southbound lanes and another crash southbound just past the Caloundra Interchange which has blocked all southbound lanes.

There have been several reports of cars stuck in floodwaters and paramedics were called to Beddington Rd and Eumundi Noosa Rd about 5.35am to assist after three cars became stuck.

VIEW GALLERY

Paramedics were assessing three stable patients in their 40s at that incident.

Queensland Rail has suspended passenger train services between Caboolture and Gympie North due to flooding over the tracks while a third-party freight train has derailed between Traveston and Cooran stations about 3.20am.

It’s understood the train derailed carrying general freight with one driver on board who was believed to have escaped with only minor injuries.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said two crews were called to the scene after the train derailed due to floodwater on the train line.

“When we arrived, crews were 300m away and were unable to contact driver because of the flooding,” she said.

“Queensland Rail were able to control some of the power and crews waited for floodwater to subside.

“We were able to liaise with Queensland Rail and they advised us that the train had rolled, driver was in the cab not trapped but (couldn’t get out) due to rising flood.”

The swift water rescue tech team were eventually able to reach the driver and he was removed safely from the cab at 6.05am.

Queensland Ambulance crews were assessing the driver by 6.25am after he was walked to safety by two firefighters.

It’s understood the train is on its side, overhead live wiring has become exposed and diesel remains.

Cooran Community Store owner Elyse Patten said residents reported seeing a crane trying to access the derailed train.

Emergency services remain at the scene monitoring a diesel leak and electrocution concerns with surrounding flood water.

Queensland Rail Acting CEO Scott Riedel said buses are replacing trains between Caboolture and Gympie North stations this morning following the line disruptions.

“When the derailment occurred, Queensland Rail immediately suspended rail traffic and called emergency services to attend,” Mr Riedel said.

“The single occupant and driver of the train is shaken but thankfully has no major injuries.”

Queensland Rail will work with the relevant parties to investigate the incident.

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said other crews had been kept busy in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with several non-life threatening rescues taking place across the region.

Four crews were called to Glenview Road, Glenview, following reports someone was stuck in flood water at 6.15am.

They were able to get the person to safety however due to floodwater on the connection road the road remains blocked and crews remain on scene.

Emergency calls were also made by residents in Kin Kin, Belli Park and Cooran following rising floodwater threatening homes, which crews were able to successfully rescue any trapped people.

ROAD CLOSURES:

Road closures and reported flooding as of 8am:

Hollett Rd, Goldburg Ct, Old Hollett Rd, at Doonan, Noosaville and Weyba Downs, both directions affected

Beddington Rd, Doonan

Doonan Bridge Rd, Doonan

Toolborough Rd, Yandina Creek

Eumundi Kenilworth Rd and intersection of Paddy Melon Ln, Belli Park, all directions affected

Ninderry Rd, Yandina

Collins Rd, Yandina

Eumundi Kenilworth Rd, Gheerulla

Obi Obi Rd, Kenilworth and Obi Obi

Colemans Rd, Yandina

Wappa Dam Rd, Mapleton

Kiamba Rd bridge, Nambour

Yandina-Bli Bli Rd, Parklakes

Dulong School Rd, Dulong

Petrie Park Rd, Nambour

Ann St, Nambour

Bli Bli Rd at Tuckers Creek

Mayers Rd, Coes Creek

Eudlo Flats Rd, Kuluin

Lindsay Rd, Buderim

Jubilee Dr, Palmwoods

Old Bowling Green Rd, Palmwoods

Chevallum Rd, Chevallum

McGilchrist Rd, Chevallum

Eudlo rail underpass

Highlands Rd bridge, Eudlo

Neill Rd, Mooloolah Valley

Commissioners Flat Rd, Peachester

Old Gympie Rd, Glenview

Evans Grove Rd, Glenview

Connection Rd, Mooloolah Valley

Stevens Rd, Glenview

Koala Ct, Caloundra West

Sippy Creek Rd, Palmview

Glenmount Rd, Tanawha

Crosby Hill Rd, Tanawha

Stringybark Rd, Buderim

Ballinger Rd, Buderim

RAINFALL:

Rainfall totals of between 30 – 150mm have been recorded in the catchment area since 9am Tuesday.

In the six hours to 4am 270mm of rain fell at Cooran near Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast, while 255mm was recorded at Cedar Pocket Dam, 219mm at Black Mountain and 209mm at Dagun Pocket.

Further heavy rainfall is forecast for the next few days, which may lead to further river level rises.

In it’s latest warning, the Bureau says river level rises are occurring across the Maroochy River catchment.

Strong river rises and minor to moderate flooding are occurring around Kiamba and Yandina early Wednesday morning.

Mooloolah River:

Minor flooding may occur along the Mooloolah River.

The river level at Palmview is currently at 0.85m (below minor) and rising with the tide. The Mooloolah River at Palmview may reach the minor flood level (4.50m) Wednesday afternoon, with forecast heavy rainfall.

Coochin Creek:

Strong river level rises are occurring along the Coochin Creek early Wednesday morning, from heavy rainfall overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

Noosa region

Higgins Storm Chasing reported that there was significant flash flooding in the Cooroy area after falls of 200mm to 300mm in a couple of hours.

“Reports in the area state this is the worst flooding in 11 years.’’

Sirens were reported to evacuate all the vans at the Cooroy RV Park in the early hours of Wednesday.

Esther Attewell posted that there had been “loads more than 300mm in Cooroy”.

“ (We’ve) been under a raging Niagara Falls since 7pm. I hope people are being safe, we’re on a hill and flooding.”

“It’s just going to be a bomb site outside in the morning. Insane rain.’’

Another posted the rain was ‘absolutely insane’ at Pomona and had not let up.

Riannon McGrath said it had been the heaviest way she had seen In Palmwoods. “I would say nearly all night! Tin roof so no sleep!!”

At Nambour, the rain was torrential through the night and accompanied by lightning and thunder.

Nambour Plaza carpark has reportedly been flooded, with drivers being urged to take caution when driving in the area.

At Dicky Beach in Caloundra, Katrina Astill reported it was like a ‘wall of water or being under a waterfall.’’

“Gutters not coping and waters just pouring out.”

At Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast, another reported it was ‘pouring’

Matt Burke posted on Facebook on Wednesday morning that both lanes southbound at Kybong near the new service station was flooded.

“Just drove in and car in front of me at 100km/h lucky we got out but everyone was going past us doing the same even trucks as you can‘t see the water till you hit it.”

SCHOOLS CLOSED

The Queensland Department of Education has advised the following schools are closed due to ongoing flooding concerns:

Dagun State School

Gympie East State School

Kandanga State School

Kenilworth State Community College

Kia-Ora State School

Kin Kin State School

Pomona State School

More to come.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast/heavy-rain-forecast-for-sunshine-coast-noosa-regions/news-story/3dc79b110c3951a6925794c742b1d9c4