Burketown residents urged to leave as sewerage leaks, power to be cut
Some residents of Burketown in Queensland’s Gulf Country have opted not to leave as instructed, as the town’s sewerage was compromised and power cut by rising floodwaters.
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All remaining residents in Burketown in Queensland’s Gulf Country have been told to leave now, with the town’s sewerage system compromised and the power soon to be cut.
As the flood crisis continues in the state’s northwest, authorities have this morning said it is no longer “safe for people to remain” in Burketown.
“This is particularly relevant to the elderly and people with young children,” police said in a statement.
“Sewerage to the town has been compromised and power to the town will be cut off today.”
Burke Shire Council mayor Ernie Camp said it was the worst flooding he’d ever seen.
His own property has been inundated by water and he’d lost livestock, pets, machinery, and several sheds and buildings were underwater.
Cr Camp was hopeful power would be restored after some repairs later on Saturday, but urged people not to stay behind.
“The flooding is the worst on the Leichhardt in living memory, and possibly since it was settled 150 years ago,” he said.
Cr Camp evacuated his family on Friday but he is one of about 160 people still left in the area.
He is unable to go home and has been staying with friends.
There is so much water that people are travelling several kilometres by boat to find dry land to evacuate.
Brolgas have been spotted swimming, and others have drowned as the persistent rain prevents them from drying off their wings.
Cattle have been lost and found floating up to 15km away, and other livestock have been heard desperately calling out in what Mr Camp described as “death by 1000 cuts”.
“We will accept asset losses and regretfully we have to accept stock losses, but we are trying very hard not to lose one of our friends,” he said.
Despite the catastrophic events, Cr Camp was focused on the future.
“We look forward to it all being over and the rebirth.
“We will survive this, but some businesses won’t without the help of tourism.
“The last thing we need is a hand out, we need a hand up.”
Apryl Ford and her partner are among many other people who have chosen to stay in Burketown as they refuse to leave their pets behind.
The native title officer owns three dogs who live at her house in the highest part of the township, which has so far escaped rising floodwaters.
But Ms Ford said the town was slowly going under and water was beginning to seep into her backyard.
“We have had people evacuate from the lower part of the township and slowly move their cars, furniture and animals up into people’s yards,” Ms Ford said.
“We are expecting the water to get higher in waves, you get a surge that comes through and the water rises.
“We think it will peak on Monday but the majority of the town is starting to go under.”
Ms Ford said she and many others were prepared to climb onto their roofs if needed, but in a worst-case scenario would seek higher ground at her parent’s double-storey house.
People started to be evacuated from the area by air on Friday which was a stressful time for locals.
“There was a lot of stress and tension leading up to the evacuations.”
“There had been a miscommunication around town that people were being arrested if they didn’t leave so it caused a lot of distress in the community.”
Power was expected to be cut in Burketown on Saturday as the water treatment plant threatened to flood.
Ms Ford said they had some supplies to tie them over but it was a “scary” thought to potentially run out of drinking water.
Her partner, a Gangalidda man, is one of many locals who have also chosen to remain on country during the weather event.
Ms Ford said the remaining community members were rallying together through the circumstances and helping each other wherever they could.
MORE WILD WEATHER FORECAST FOR SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
The emergency comes as severe storms battered Central Queensland earlier this morning, with more wild weather expected to hit the South East this afternoon, after 200mm of rain was recorded in a massive deluge in some parts of the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted the South East, including Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, will cop up to 60mm of rain on Saturday as rain systems combine and thunderstorms form.
It comes as Yeppoon recorded more than 200mm of rain since 9am on Friday – including 100mm that fell in just one hour early this morning – while Gladstone recorded 91mm of rain.
Further south, rain gauges north of Brisbane recorded more than 50mm in some parts.
The Bureau initially expected more than 100mm of rain to fall on the South East this weekend but the prediction has since been revised to up to 60mm.
The Bureau meteorologist Jonathan How said while the conditions have eased slightly, people should still be aware of potentially damaging storms rolling in Saturday afternoon and evening.
“For the rest of today we are looking at fairly widespread showers in mostly the South East and inland parts of the state,” Mr How said.
“Brisbane itself is looking rainy and it really depends where the thunderstorm moves over the city.
“We have revised down the expected rainfall but there is still a risk of particularly heavy falls if it passes over.”
The weather bureau earlier issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Saturday, saying “broad parts of western and southern Queensland” could be impacted, with the potential for isolated falls of up to 120mm and flash flooding in some areas across the day.
⛈ï¸QLD Storm Forecast for Saturday 11/3. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding are possible around broad parts of western and southern Queenland, including #SEQld. pic.twitter.com/TFWijkMV7o
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 10, 2023
The miserable wet weather has been generated by a low sitting behind a huge tropical system that brought 500mm of rain to the state’s northwest earlier this week.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Danny Johnson said the Darling Downs and South East Coastline would be most affected, with the system to continue into Sunday.
“It’ll be pretty widespread. There could be 60-70mm on Saturday, and depending on the big thunderstorms associated with that, up to 120mm isolated falls,” he said.
“Whenever you get that amount of rain in a short amount of time you can get some flash flooding. Keep checking for warnings.”
The South East Queenslanders can look forward to the return to low humidity levels next week as storm system moves offshore on Monday.
“Humidity will clear off again, and we’ll be back to drier cooler air mass,” Mr Hanniffy said.
Wendy Webster and her granddaughter Lillian gathered their boots and umbrella’s to prepare for a potential shower out in the Scenic Rim, but Ms Webster say’s “the rain always misses us out here.”
“Lillian’s got out her umbrella in hope she will see some rain, but it’s always a wait and see game for us,” she said.
“Farmers would love it but there’s a huge Sunflower festival near our Scenic Rim Brewery in Mount Alford, so were hoping for a light shower rather than a downpour.”
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