Woolworths shelves emptied in Mount Isa as floodwaters cut roads
After devastating floods across the state’s far north last week, shoppers in the region have been faced with a tough task to fill their food trolleys. SEE THE PICTURES
QLD News
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Residents of Mount Isa were faced with empty supermarket shelves this week after devastating floods hit Queensland’s north last week.
With roads cut-off earlier in the week and empty supermarket shelves and fridges, some have described the scenes as “apocalyptic”.
Alarming images of empty shelves in a local Woolworths store were shared to the Mount Isa Community Page on Facebook on Monday, with the post receiving hundreds of reactions and comments.
Resident Virginia Connolly said she was worried about what the empty shelves mean for her family.
“I’ve a household of nine to feed. Empty supermarket shelves scare the c*** outta me,” she said.
Resident Robyn Caslick said there was no milk available on Monday evening when she went to the store.
Other members jokingly offered to sell breast milk at exorbitant prices of $100 for a bag.
Other residents described the situation as “ridiculous” and “concerning”, while some have suggested locals should consider preparing an emergency kit in the future.
“Oh dear … time to get open the disaster preparation cupboard. a bit like Christmas prep … a few spare cans every shop, ten kilos of flour, ten kilos of rice, freezer space for meat and veg, carton of milk or powder etc,” Ducky Gosling said.
With very little fresh produce available, some residents on Monday had to think outside the box to plan for the week ahead.
Crystal Ring said shelves looked empty when she walked into the supermarket on Monday.
“I bought pork loin only in meat section, no milk or fresh produce, one bag of frozen veg and no bakery products,” she said.
“My kids are also happy for the less healthy lunch box options this week but what do you do.”
A Woolworths spokeswoman confirmed delivery schedules should return to normal by the weekend.
“Our Mount Isa store has received several deliveries in the last 24 hours, including a range of meat, poultry, dairy, fruit and vegetables. The Mount Isa store team has worked through the night to get stock back on shelves for customers today,” the statement said.
“The store will continue to receive further deliveries throughout the week, returning to regular delivery schedules by the weekend.”
A Coles spokesperson said some supplies had been delivered to the struggling town after trucks were able to get back on the roads yesterday afternoon.
“The water had subsided enough to let us get trucks through and we had a big load of groceries arrive at the store yesterday evening,” the spokesperson said.
Queensland Police reminded displaced residents on Wednesday that it was unsafe to return to their homes and to limit movement in flood waters due to unseen hazards and recent crocodile sightings.
Mount Isa District Disaster Coordination Centre (DDCC) senior sergeant Adrian Rieck said planning was underway to safely return residents to their homes in the coming days.
“The Local Disaster Management Group and emergency services are working together to ensure this can be done safely and community members can be appropriately supported,” he said.
“This includes personnel from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) completing Rapid Damage Assessments (RDAs) to ensure the area and infrastructure is safe, as flood waters recede.
“The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) is also preparing to deploy to Burketown, to provide social support to our affected communities.”
Mount Isa DDCC aircraft remain stationed nearby 24/7 for medical emergencies and the transport of supplies.
A road near McKinlay opened briefly on Monday night allowing a semi-trailer carrying groceries to be delivered to the Coles at Mount Isa, before shortly closing again.
Stock remains on standby ready to be sent to the town once roads reopen.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said yesterday that the Albert River near Burketown “is expected to have peaked above the 2011 record flood level of 6.78 metres on Sunday” – a new record.
“The river level along the Albert River at Burketown Airstrip is expected to continue easing slowly over the next few days, but is likely to remain above the major flood level (6.00m) during Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly longer,” a spokesperson said.
“The river level is expected to remain elevated through to at least the end of the week.”
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