Queenslanders caught ‘completely off-guard’ by flash flooding resulting from heavy rain

Cars were swept away and residents confined by flooded roads when a 280mm deluge blindsided Queenslanders in the state’s southeast.

Cars were swept away and people confined by flooded roads on Tuesday when a 280mm deluge blindsided Queenslanders in the state’s southeast.

Since 9am Monday, almost 250mm fell at Mt Glorious, just west of Brisbane, while Upper Springbrook recorded 280mm and 177mm near Peachester in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Weather authorities admitted they were caught off-guard by a sudden change in conditions that caused a severe weather system which was expected to shift out to sea.

The Bureau of Meteorology on Monday downgraded an earlier warning of life-threatening flash flooding due to expectations a subtropical low would remain offshore.

But conditions changed suddenly on Monday night.

Jasmin Cooper said she had no time to prepare before the paddocks comprising her Peachester property “completely went under” as 143mm fell on the suburb.

“We had seen the weather warning on Monday morning which had me on edge but the amount of rain we got overnight caught us completely off guard,” Ms Cooper said.

“There’s a couple things I would have been able to do like moving our tractors to higher ground and making sure our horses and dogs were in a safe spot.”

A property at Peachester pictured before and after flooding in April.

Ms Cooper, a veterinary nurse, on Tuesday captured a video of her “cheeky” horse Phil with a new-found love of floodwater, wading through his paddock.

“I was a bit worried because you can get currents in flood waters,” she said.

“If it was my dog who went for a swim, he would have been swept away.”

The heavy downpour compounded days of consistent showers across the southeast which filled creeks and soaked the soil on properties across the southeast.

Ms Cooper said the water had nowhere to go as the usually-empty creeks around her home were full and joined London Creek.

Her partner was unable to head south towards Peachester for work about 3.30am on Tuesday as London Creek had flooded Bald Knob Rd.

The creek is a tributary of the Stanley River which runs along side Commissioners Flat Rd where at least two vehicles were swept into floodwater on Tuesday.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service swiftwater technicians traversed the murky water to search one vehicle which sank.

“Thankfully, no one was in the vehicle however it is a timely reminder to back it up,” a QFES spokesperson said.

BRISBANE Queensland

The Stanley River is one of many flowing into Somerset Dam where water will be released from in the coming days.

Pieter Clesson from the Bureau of Meteorology said an increase in onshore flow, and south-easterly winds because of the low increase, unexpectedly intensified wet weather.

“Because of that low increase, we had the massive south-easterly winds on the southern side,” Mr Clesson said.

“So, we had stronger onshore flow, which helped to bring that more widespread rain.”

Mr Clesson said similar weather patterns usually occurred overnight where a strengthening of winds offshore brought in unexpected rain.

“That low did remain offshore and it didn’t interact directly with the coastline, it was more just that onshore flow that brought that widespread rain in those regions last night.”

Sisters Kasey 8, and Jessica Hewitt 10, play in the rain on their family Pineapple and Raspberry farm at Wamuran. Photo Lachie Millard

Pineapple and Raspberry farmer Emma Hewitt said the rain hadn’t dampened school holiday plans for her children Kasey 8, and Jessica, 10, who spent Tuesday playing in the mud.

Ms Hewitt said they had prepared their Wamuran farm for the heavy downpour after a wet long weekend.

“We definitely didn’t need the rain here but there was plenty of farmers who did,” she said.

RACQ reported more than 150 roads across Queensland were closed due to flooding.

The club had received almost 80 claims by Tuesday afternoon as a result of heavy rain across the weekend.

BOM meteorologist Kimber Wong said southeast Queensland could expect showers on Wednesday with the weather clearing in the afternoon.