Townsville flood: decision made to release gated water, flooding Townsville suburbs
Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has announced an unprecedented amount of water will be released from the Ross River Dam, flooding numerous Townsville suburbs.
Townsville
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UPDATE 9PM:
THE spillway gates of the Ross River Dam will be opened even further tonight with homes at risk of flooding from 10pm.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has issued an emergency alert flood message for residents in Cluden, Rosslea, Hermit Park, Oonoonba, Idalia, and Railway Estate.
The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group announced at 9pm that it would further open the Ross River Dam spillway gates to try and prevent more significant flooding downstream as flows into the catchment continue from tonight and tomorrow’s predicted rain.
Residents are likely to experience increased flooding from 10pm or 11pm.
Mayor Jenny Hill said decisions to increase the opening of the spillway gates “were not taken lightly”.
“The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group (TLDMG) has analysed expert advice and the decision to open the spillway gates will help protect more homes from flooding given this heavy monsoonal rain continues,” Cr Hill said.
“We are making a tough decision that will impact on some residents but it will help to protect many more homes in the affected suburbs.
“The TLDMG is totally focused on ensuring the appropriate response to this huge rain event affecting our community.”
Cr Hill said residents concerned about their safety should consider leaving their home.
“The Heatley Secondary College is operational as an evacuation centre for anyone needing a safe place to stay,” she said.
It comes after an automated text message was sent to Townsville residents, regardless of where they live, stating that their property “may experience imminent flooding from the Ross River”.
The text message was sent by the TLDMG about 8.45pm.
The capacity of the Ross River Dam at 9pm was 190.6 per cent or 444,494 megalitres.
Heavy rainfall and flash flooding remains a high risk in the Townsville area tonight, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
EARLIER:
A flash flooding warning has been issued for Condon, Rasmussen, Kelso, Kirwan, Jensen, Burdell and Deeragun.
The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group has warned residents they may experience intense rainfall on top of already elevated flood levels.
This comes after Mayor Jenny Hill announced water would be released from the Ross River Dam, placing Rosslea, Railway Estate, South Townsville, Idalia and Oonoonba in danger of inundation.
“This may cause fast moving and rapidly rising water levels leading to flash flooding. Residents are advised to move to higher ground if concerned,” a statement said.
Meanwhile the Bureau of Meteorology has warned homes near the Ross River are expected to be inundated this afternoon.
The bureau issued a flood warning for the Ross, Bohle and Black Rivers, and Bluewater Creek following ongoing heavy rainfall in the Townsville region shortly after midday on Friday.
The Ross River Dam is 188 per cent full, according to the latest reading at 5pm on Friday.
It is the highest level recorded in the last 10 years, surpassing a reading of about 167 per cent recorded in 2009.
LOW LYING HOMES TO LOSE POWER:
Residents in low lying areas will have their electricity switched off until further notice.
An Ergon Energy spokeswoman said the network in low lying areas that have been inundated or are at high risk will be switched off for public safety reasons.
“We will restore full supply when it is safe to do so, but we ask for the community’s patience in this emergency flood situation,” she said.
“Even if you have not been asked to evacuate you may lose power because the network that supplies your home has been affected.
“Our first priority is to keep the community safe and protect the network that serves them. It’s better to turn the power off now than have to repair flood damage later.”
A total of 422 homes and businesses were without power in Annandale, Rosslea and Stuart as of 6pm on Friday.
POLICE URGE WULGURU RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER EVACUATING:
More residents living near the scene of a landslide are being urged by authorities to consider evacuating.
A resident of Mueller St, Wulguru, told the Bulletin police had begun door knocking to warn people that there is risk of further landslips in the next 24 to 48 hours.
Heavy rain caused a rock slide at Mueller St overnight, going under one home and filling the backyard and driveway of two others.
RESCUE SPECIALISTS FLOWN IN:
More than 30 swiftwater rescue specialists have been deployed across the Townsville region by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
A QFES spokeswoman said the number of crews at each location is fluid, but there are currently ten swiftwater specialists in the Hinchinbrook Shire Council area, including two in Ingham, 12 in the Townsville City Council area and another ten in the Burdekin Shire Council area.
An extra four swiftwater rescue specialists are being flow in from Brisbane and will be stationed in Mt Isa from Saturday.
RESIDENTS REACT:
Water has flooded into many houses in suburban Townsville and residents are bracing for more rain to come.
A number of people have been evacuated throughout the suburbs Including Hermit Park and Railway Estate.
Marion Calliope, who lives on Windsor St in Hermit Park, was filling sandbags to try and keep her house dry.
“We are just preparing, just to be on the safe side,” she said.
“Out street is pretty well right, so there’ no water up our street today but if the Ross (River) breaks its banks then you never know, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Ms Calliope has been living in Townsville since 2003 and said she had never seen rain like this before.
“They said it’s unprecedented and it certainly is,” she said.
“There’s no need to panic until such time as we something drastic happen.”
DAM WATER TO FLOOD SUBURBIA
The Ross River Dam spillway gates have been opened to higher levels in an unprecedented attempt to reduce the impact of flooding in the coming days.
“Ross River Dam continues to spill,” the bureau statement said.
“River levels at Black Weir are rising and currently below the minor flood level.”
At the time of the warning the Ross River at Aplins Weir was at 1.91 metres and rising.
The river level at Aplins Weir is currently above the record flood level, exceeding the previous record of 1.77 metres from 1998.
The Ross River at Aplins Weir will exceed 2.00 metres early Friday afternoon and may reach the major flood level (2.9m) during the weekend.
SUBURBS ON ALERT
- Condon
- Rasmussen
- Kelso
- Kirwan
- Jensen
- Burdell
- Deeragun
- Rosslea
- Railway Estate
- South Townsville
- Idalia
- Oonoonba
EARLIER: SUBURBS will be flooded as Townsville City Council releases an unprecedented amount of water from the Ross Dam for the safety of the wider community.
TOWNSVILLE: SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS
Mayor Jenny Hill announced the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group had decided to open the dam doors, placing certain areas in danger of severe flooding.
The vast majority of people in Townsville will not have experienced weather like this in their lifetime: State Disaster Coordinator DC Bob Gee. #bigwet
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) February 1, 2019
Residents in areas including Rosslea, Railway Estate, South Townsville, Idalia and Oonoonba should prepare their homes for potential inundation — which includes sand bagging and moving items to higher ground.
“The reason we’ve taken this decision is to reduce the risk of flooding based on the best date we’ve been able to get from our various sources,” Cr Hill said.
“We have put out an emergency alert for people in the affected areas to advise them that their properties may be at risk.
“We haven’t taken this decision lightly.
“We have to be mindful that our responsibility is to protect the majority of the community.
“In taking this action we believe that we can mitigate some of the risk in terms of the rainfall that we expect in the next three to four days.”
Access into Idalia will be restricted following the further opening of the spillway gates.
Department of Main Roads have advised closures will be in place on Abbott Street, Lakeside Drive and Oonoonba Road.
Residents will be able to leave the area but will not be able to return until the TLDMG advises it is safe to do so.
MORE WEATHER NEWS:
Townsville Police District acting Chief Superintendent Steve Munro said he supported Council with this decision.
Police and the State Emergency Service will be doorknocking homes in the affected areas to notify residents. Residents are urged to have a plan if their homes become inundated.
Council crews will also be doing targeted sandbagging to protect homes in the area.
The Australian Defence Force will be assisting with the sandbagging effort.
About 100 Townsville soldiers will deploy to assist the city in sandbagging their properties against further damage.
A 3rd Brigade spokeswoman said the Army was contributing troops from the 4th Regiment, The Royal Australian Artillery, The 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment and the 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion.
Capabilities such as Bushmasters are also being used in the efforts.
Your Army proud to be out supporting our community as part of a great multi agency team. Let’s all stay alert and respond to @TCC_News @QldPolice advice #teamwork pic.twitter.com/7K9t7XB9K6
— Brig Scott Winter (@3BrigadeTSV) February 1, 2019
MORE WEATHER NEWS:
> Haughton River reaches record flood levels
> Missing man found after floodwater search
> OPINION: Townsville disaster centre a let-down
Heatley Secondary College — also known as the public cyclone shelter — has been established as an evacuation centre.
Residents in the area can go to the Heatley Secondary College if they are concerned about flooding in their homes or safety.
The evacuation centre is located at 321 Fulham Road in the school gym and will be staffed.
Meanwhile the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group has advised Emergency Alert Watch & Act text messages are being sent to residents who are potentially impacted by the wet weather event.
Residents who do not receive text messages are currently not in the predicted zone of impact.
In a press conference this morning, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she supported the council’s decision.
“We’re very comfortable with the decision they have taken and of course by opening up the gates it’ll let a substantial amount of water out,” she said.
“Can I just urge all Townsville residents there just to make sure that they are following all those emergency alerts.”
The Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Dr Richard Wardle said the rainfall was expected to continue over the weekend and into next week.
“What we have is a really active monsoon that’s bringing exceptional weather and floods and we’ll continue to see that over the next few days,” he said.
“This weather event is unusual because of the prolonged nature of the daily rains we’re seeing, we’re expecting high daily rain totals with some locations possibly recording 400mm per day for a number of days.
“It really depends on the position of that monsoon trough.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the silver lining was drought affected areas seeing some rainfall.
“The good news for out west is that some of our western communities that are going through drought are actually receiving some rainfall which is wonderful news,” she said.
Police have been placed in areas where they are expecting further inundation and officers and soldiers are doorknocking homes.
Originally published as Townsville flood: decision made to release gated water, flooding Townsville suburbs
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