Higher flood peak on way

Noosa residents will face another tense night tonight as an even higher flood peak hits the Noosa River just before 7pm.

Noosa residents will face another tense night tonight as an even higher flood peak hits the Noosa River just before 7pm.

Noosa mayor Bob Abbot told thedaily.com.au this morning that river levels were expected to be another 200mm higher than last night but he was hopeful that the region would not see a repeat of the damage caused during the 1992 floods.

While Mr Abbot said the rain had eased in Noosa, and the sun was starting to come out, motorists should avoid the area because they could create more heartache for flood-affected homes and businesses.

"Stay away. There are still road closures in the area. The David Low Way will be closed (due to a partial collapse near Sunrise Beach) and there will be roads closed around the Noosaville area,'' Mr Abbot said.

"We are just saying to people that it is dangerous and they will create bow waves by driving through which will affect homes and businesses,'' Mr Abbot said.

Emergency Management Queensland said State Emergency Service volunteers had attended 155 jobs in the Noosa area until 1am this morning with residents calling for tarps, leak repairs, and some sandbagging around the area.

An EMQ spokesperson said motorists were still being urged to stay off the roads with SES this morning re-assessing all roads in the area to see which ones could be reopened.

He urged residents who needed assistance to contact the SES on 132 500. Residents who needed sandbags to help protect their homes could collect them from the SES headquarters in Tewantin.

Yesterday dozens of people were rescued from homes and cars after flash-flooding caused by the one-in-100-year deluge.

More than 300mm of rain and high winds lashed the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay regions since yesterday caused by an unusual low pressure system over the state's south-east.

At Gympie, 8,000 people camping at the Gympie Muster event were stranded with roads to and from the area closed.

Most damage has been caused by fallen trees which had been weakened by the prolonged drought and flooding in the still-rising Mary Valley catchment - where the controversial Traveston Crossing Dam is planned.

Noosa Shire Council reported the Noosa River had broken its banks at Tewantin, and warned residents in low-lying areas to consider evacuating homes ahead of possible flooding tonight.

The high tide due at 6.55pm is expected to create further problems.

At Pumicestone Passage, near Caloundra, torrential rain caused a sewerage pipe to burst.

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh yesterday chaired a meeting of the state's Emergency Management Committee.

``The Gympie region has a long history of devastating flooding and I want to ensure all government agencies are well-prepared,'' Ms Bligh said.

She urged people to stay home rather than risk crossing dangerous flood waters.

Senior forecaster Jeff Callaghan said the current low pressure system over south-east Queensland was a freak event, not seen since the 1800s.

Such events usually occurred in late autumn or early winter, he said.

``They are very rare in August and the last one we can find was probably in the 1880s,'' Mr Callaghan told ABC radio.

``We know they happen now but we haven't in the past had any of these events in August or September.''

The low has set a new rainfall record at Rainbow Beach, near Gympie, where 713mm had fallen in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.

Weather bureau climate records meteorologist Claire Webb said the ``amazing'' rainfall was more than three times the previous total of 216mm for the whole month of August set in 1998.

Rob Drury, operations manager for SEQ Water which manages the region's dwindling dams, said 27mm fell at Wivenhoe, 36mm at North Pine dam and more than 100mm fell in the Stanley River, which flows into Somerset dam.

The combined dam levels of Somerset, Wivenhoe and North Pine was this evening at 17.54 per cent, an increase of 0.77 per cent.

But inflows were expected to continue into the middle of next week, adding up to another month's supply.

Queensland Water Commission chief John Bradley announced the rain would postpone level six water restrictions - which could have been in place as early as next month - until late November or early December.

But Mr Bradley said the region's water crisis was not over, urging residents to continue to conserve water.

Originally published as Higher flood peak on way