Queensland flooding: Stranded camp kids evacuated
A GROUP of children who were stranded by floodwater at school camp for almost a week in north Queensland have been flown out in a break in the bad weather.
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A GROUP of children who were stranded by floodwater at school camp for almost a week in north Queensland have been flown out in a break in the bad weather caused by a tropical low.
Police confirmed that all 68 students and 10 staff had been succesfully evacuated to Townsville by 4pm, Sunday.
Several separate charter flights were used to transfer the children and teachers, with about 10 staff and students on each plane - the plane limits required an aerial rescue to be done in stages.
A convoy of taxis was waiting at the airport to take children to Willows State School to be reunited with their families.
The students and staff had been trapped at the Echo Creek adventure park near Tully since last Monday.
“The airlift was a major logistical operation and saw a co-ordinated effort involving police, Department of Education, other emergency services and private transport operators coming together to undertake the smooth running of such a large task,” State Disaster Coordinator Deputy Commissioner Bob Gee said.
A doctor and two nurses were flown into camp late on Saturday to check on the health and wellbeing of the group. Three children with gastro were then flown to Cairns but authorities decided at the time it was safer to leave the remaining students where they were.
A diabetic child and a parent were evacuated from the site on Friday.
The window to evacuate them today came ahead of more rain predicted in the coming days.
There had been earlier hopes the flood water may have subsided enough for the group to be evacuated by bus, but updated weather forecasts predicted more wet weather was likely in the area.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was due to visit the camp today as part of a wider tour of the region to assess the damage.
Torrential rain for much of the last week has caused flooding across the region, with the area between Cairns and Townsville disaster declared by the State Government, and labelled an official catastrophe by the Insurance Council of Australia.
I’ve just arrived to inspect flood damage in Ingham. pic.twitter.com/yjD2Gn3bbg
— AnnastaciaPalaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) March 11, 2018
More than 700mm of rain fell in a number of catchment areas in four days, with The Boulders, south of Cairns, receiving 1009mm in the seven days to 9am Saturday.
More than 200 homes were inundated at Ingham, where flood waters started to recede on Saturday, and some residents at Innisfail had to evacuate.
Rain started to ease on Saturday, but the Bureau of Meteorology has warned more may be on the way later next week, with a potential cyclone loitering in northern waters.
For most of the region, however, the focus is turning from response to recovery.
Ms Palaszczuk said the full extent of the damage caused by the rain would not be known for weeks, but that flooding would have a detrimental impact on banana and sugar cane crops, and the aquaculture industry.
“We will get the full assessments over the next few weeks about the impact on the economy and I think everyone should spare a thought for the farmers who are going to feel a huge impact,” she said.
Forecasters predict possible cyclonic activity later this week as a tropical low develops on the monsoon trough in the Coral Sea.
Packs of bull sharks, crocodiles and black snakes have been seen swimming along flooded roads — one croc lunging at a vehicle — while the only way to get a cold drink at Ingham’s famed Pub with No Beer, the Lees Hotel, was by boat.
The Babinda Boulders, north of Innisfail, has officially recorded a whopping 1003mm in five days.
Other sites in the tropical north have posted daily falls above 400mm.
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has declared the Hinchinbrook and Cassowary Coast regions a “catastrophe” with disaster assessors prioritising thousands of claims from policy holders.
Flood-affected residents have also been advised they may be eligible to apply for a disaster relief cash payout of up to $2000.
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