Qld weather: FNQ flood effort gathers pace as conditions ease
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s might is being felt in remote Cape York Indigenous communities with “significant flooding” expected across the region in the coming days.
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Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper’s grunt is being felt in remote Cape York Indigenous communities with “significant flooding” expected across the region in the coming days.
Premier Steven Miles said flood levels in Cape York near Kowanyama were still be monitored.
As of 6am Thursday, 220 residents have been evacuated from Wujal Wujal and Degarra.
Highways continued to reopen slowly, with emergency services still door knocking vulnerable residents.
The Bureau of Meteorology said “significant” river level rises were being seen across several catchments the Cape.
“We are expecting Major flood levels at Kowanyama along the Magnificent Creek in coming days and there are a couple of peaks that are moving through this river catchment,” a spokeswoman said.
“We are expecting those peaks to start coming through Kowanyama from Saturday through to about Monday next week.”
Local thunderstorms are forecast but they will not “significantly contribute” to further flooding in the Far North.
A separate severe thunderstorm outbreak is forecast for central and southern Queensland this weekend.
“There are some early indications we may see localised, very dangerous thunderstorms dotted in the mix for some parts of this region,” the spokeswoman said.
Those storms could hit on Christmas and boxing day.
Major flood levels at Kowanyama are forecast to be equal or greater than peak levels seen in 2009 and 2000.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said high visibility patrols would remain in Far North Queensland communities.
“We have established an operation Victor Conrad, using extra police resources to conduct anti-looting high visibility patrols in our suburbs of vulnerability,” she said.
“We have seen three cases of looting already.”
The search for an 85-year-old man missing from Degarra continues.
Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said significant earthworks had been completed in Kowanyama in preparation for flooding.
Police have also begun door knocking residents and the town has been stocked with food, water and aviation gas.
Officers have now accessed all 35 cutoff communities.
“I can now confirm we have accessed every one of those communities and I am pleased to report we do not have any missing persons. any serious injury and resupply will now continue into those communities,” Mr Chelepy said.
An additional 200 QFES personnel have been deployed to alleviate front line workers.
Mr Chelepy said there were no plans to evacuate Kowanyama.
“We do have aviation assets variables and will continue to monitor that,” he said.
Ms Carroll said an unidentified body found near Wujal Wujal was not confirmed to be the missing 85-year-old man.
“We knew family had contact with him late on the 17th and he could not be heard from on the following day so they reported him missing,” she said.
“We will continue to search, and there will come a point in time that we feel nothing else can be done, but we have not got to that point in time yet.”
QFES have now assessed 2600 properties, of which 1100 require “significant repair” before they are liveable.
Mr Chelepy said the road into Wujul Wujul remained completely impassable but most other roads now had diversions in place.
EARLIER:
Scammers targeting Far North Queensland flood victims have been slammed as “opportunistic grubs”.
As the evacuation of Wujal Wujal continued on Wednesday and defence personnel stepped up rescue and clean-up efforts in flood ravaged communities, stories of fraudsters posing as electricians came to light.
A scam alert was issued and Energy Minister Mick de Brenni urged residents scheduling electricity checks to ensure workers had valid licenses.
“We have heard some reports of some individuals holding themselves out as licensed electrical contractors that are not, so we are urging Far North Queenslanders to do that license check,” he said.
Mr de Brenni said those scamming flood victims were “opportunistic grubs”.
“Throughout this last week, we have seen stories of incredible heroism, of communities coming together to help neighbours, friends and complete strangers,” he said.
“But, if there are people behaving disgracefully, preying on the vulnerable and pretending to be licensed electricians to earn a buck – these people are opportunistic grubs.
“I absolutely condemn anyone who could act in this way – it’s just un-Australian.”
Townsville-based Chinooks flew into the remote flood-ravaged community on Tuesday afternoon, transporting 97 elderly residents, children and some parents out of the town safely to Cooktown.
It comes as the search continues for an elderly man missing from Degarra and as politicians announce more disaster relief and issue warnings about the potential for serious flooding further north in communities like Kowanyama, where people are already being evacuated.
State Disaster Coordinator Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said the focus for police on Wednesday was completing the evacuation of Wujal Wujal residents, getting supplies into Cooktown to support the evacuees, and trying to enter cut off towns north of the Daintree Village.
Mr Chelepy said police had been able to enter 16 isolated communities, with no new reports of missing persons or serious injuries.
“The pleasing news there is everyone’s okay … now we know the needs of those communities,” Mr Chelepy said.
A search for a missing 85-year-old man in Degarra is continuing on Wednesday.
Aerial assets were assisting with the search, but Mr Chelepy said the destruction in the area was “devastating”.
“I hold grave concerns for that person and I ask anyone in the area who may have any information to please contact police,” Mr Chelepy said.
“While I still hold hope, I hold grave concerns given what I have seen on the ground.”
The man was last heard from at 10pm on Saturday night.
Speaking from Cairns this morning, Premier Steven Miles said it was a “miracle” there had been no reported loss of life.
He said more resources will be flown in to assist with damage assessments and relieve emergency service personnel who have been working for a week.
The Captain Cook Highway between Cairns and Smithfield has been reopened, along with the access road to Yorkeys Knob, but residents are urged to take care. Access to Holloways has been restricted to local traffic and emergency vehicles only.
Mr Miles said police were now closely monitoring areas for looting.
“At the end of the day there is nothing more loathsome, nothing less Queensland than looting,” he said.
Mr Miles said 80 per cent of homes and businesses which have lost power were expected to be reconnected by Thursday night and 90 per cent by December 23.
“Our crews are working as hard as they can to get as many people as they can reconnected before Christmas Eve,” he said.
An appeal has been launched for Australians who would like to donate to the flood disaster recovery effort.
Donations can be made to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Uniting Care, St Vincent De Paul and Givit, with the Queensland Government contributing $1.5 million.
“We’ve asked Givit to focus some of the $100,000 we’ve provided to them on any children who might have lost toys that were put aside for Santa,” Mr Miles said.
New Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd said QFES had completed 1700 damage assessments and an additional 144 SES personnel had been deployed.
Ms Boyd encouraged residents to use the SES assistance app to access recovery support and to call the Queensland Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349 for financial assistance.
Ms Boyd confirmed of the 1700 damage assessments, one property was completely destroyed, 57 have been severely damaged, 187 moderately damaged and 226 with minor damage.
The bulk of assessments would start coming through on Wednesday as assessors gained access to severely impacted areas.
“We predict that those (damage) numbers will jump significantly today, particularly in the severe and moderate categories,” Ms Boyd said.
Mr Miles said temporary accommodation or long-term housing would be arranged for residents who required it.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt announced a third round of disaster assistance financial relief for farmers and small businesses.
“What we’re activating today are freight subsidies being made available to primary procedures in some of the hardest hit areas,” he said.
“That’s to alleviate the costs of moving stock and operating materials around.”
Disaster assistance and capital loans will also be made available for small business and not-for-profits to assist with repair, loss of equipment and loss of income.
Major contractors have been engaged to assist local councils with clean up efforts.
Mr Watt commended the mateship and “incredible heart” displayed by Queenslanders, using Holloways Beach resident “Roscoe” as an example.
“He took in ten neighbours and their pets, their dogs, their birds and all sorts of other things, to give them emergency housing when they needed it,” he said.
“They’re the kind of examples we’re seeing right across this community and I know it’s that community spirit that will get Far North Queensland through.”
Mr Watt said Queensland was looking at “a very expensive repair bill”.
“It can easily be in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars when it comes to just clean up alone,” he said.
“We are looking at a very expensive repair bill, there is no doubt about it.
“There is going to be big dollars involved in repairing some of those bridges and roads.”
Speaking from Brisbane, Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said there was now the potential for major flooding to hit more northern centres like Kowanyama.
“Significant river level” rises exceeding major flood levels are expected in Kowanyama, with Mr Chelepy saying vulnerable community members had already been evacuated.
Prime Anthony Albanese is expected to arrive in Far North Queensland later this week after flying into Brisbane on Tuesday.
Mr Albanese stood by the Bureau of Meteorology after questions about the federal agency failing to warn Queenslanders of the devastating scale of the flooding disaster in the Far North, leaving hundreds of residents stranded on their rooftops.
Mr Albanese insisted all agencies had “done a remarkable job” in what he described as “difficult, unprecedented circumstances” as rescue efforts relied on neighbours with boats and the army airlifted hundreds of residents from the top of their homes.
“These are the stories of which every Australian can be proud of the very essence of the Australian character that shines through, the true Australian spirit we see time and time again,” he said.
Suncorp Group has received about 900 claims, including more than 650 for homes since December 10.
It said there was no estimate yet on the cost of the disaster.
Suncorp Group’s Home Claims Customers executive general manager Alli Smith said hazardous and challenging conditions were still being experienced on the ground.
“We already have our local tradies on the ground stripping out damaged homes and helping make emergency repairs, and our customer support teams, assessors and additional builders are ready for deployment once safe,” she said.
“Our claims contact centres are available 24/ 7 to help impacted customers to lodge claims, arrange emergency repairs, organise temporary accommodation for customers with severe damage to their homes and can provide cash payments to make emergency purchases.
“Our claims teams are also making proactive welfare calls, sending emails and SMSs with information on the claims process.”
Local heroes Magoo and Gavin Dear, who have been publicly praised for rushing to the aid of their neighbours, rescuing those trapped on roofs and in tree tops, received a special thank you from Mr Albanese.
More than 2m of rain fell around Cooktown and Rossville which delayed the arrival of Australian Defence Force rescue operations and emergency relief deliveries for more than 24 hours.
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A humble Mr Dear said mystery resident “Magoo” was “the real hero of the story”.
“He made 16 trips and landed on that roof in the p — sing rain, where no other chopper pilot would fly,” he said.
Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott said the Wujal Wujal residents that were evacuated to Cooktown were relieved to be rescued.
“There’s a real sense of relief and happiness. Lots of back slapping and smiling going on down there,” he said
Mr Scott said the evacuees were greeted by police, ambulance and Red Cross officers, enjoying a “big feed of rice and stew”.
Cooktown had been planning to play host to about 300 Wujal Wujal community members but Mr Scott said some residents had asked to stay behind in the remote Indigenous community, requesting supplies be delivered to them.
With the Bureau of Meteorology now forecasting decreased rainfall, Mr Miles said clean-up and disaster assessments could begin.
“We have continued … to see acts of bravery from frontline workers and local heroes, local volunteers,” he said.
“Far North Queenslanders are incredibly resilient. I know that they are tired and some of them are wet but we continue to see them doing what they do, supporting their neighbours and getting on with the job cleaning up after this disaster.”
Residents cleaning up in the mud were urged to wear enclosed shoes to protect them from contaminated flood waters.
Cairns Regional Council issued a warning to its residents to not enter floodwaters near sewage treatment facilities after flooded systems spilling raw sewage on to the streets. Respite from torrential rain on Monday allowed authorities to enter infrastructure and remove debris that was blocking water supply to treatment facilities, which had almost totally depleted Cairns’ water supply by Monday morning.
But massive damage to water infrastructure at the northern beaches suburbs means residents of Holloways Beach are likely to be reduced to bottled water only.
Overnight four SES vessels, two civilian vessels and two QFES vessels with navy support attended rescues at Machans Beach and Holloways Beach, bringing 200 people to safety, with just one swift water rescue and three boat rescues conducted during Tuesday.
An epic rescue effort was made by brothers Jarrod and Ricky Mellor and friends Jacque Matelot and Melanie Fogarty who saved an estimated 60 people from the roofs of their homes in submerged streets.
The pair launched their boat from storm drains in Barron River at 6pm Sunday night and made six trips to and back from Holloways Beach until the wee hours of Monday morning.
In her 38 years in Cairns, Ms Fogarty said she had never witnessed anything like this.
Mr Matelot said one house had 28 people on the roof at one time.
“When boats were pulling back in, we were ferrying anyone who needed to get back into the suburbs – ferrying them and animals back to their friend’s homes,” he said.
Senior meteorologist Laura Boekel was quizzed about the weather bureau’s failure to adequately alert residents of the impending devastation, insisting the “weather situation evolved quite rapidly”.
“We use the best science to make those predictions and we had to change that warning strategy quite quickly into the weekend as we got more information that those rain rates were likely to be higher than initially predicted.”
Ms Boekel conceded the agency didn’t provide the community at risk of the incoming flood with sufficient warning, “acknowledging there wasn’t a lot of lead time”.
“In terms of delays, I’ll walk you through the timeline over Saturday,” she said.
“That’s when the situation started to evolve and change quite rapidly … in the afternoon, we started calling and briefing emergency services, as well as local councils.
“Then we started issuing our first warnings by around 9pm … acknowledging there wasn’t a lot of lead time and we started seeing those rainfall rates really change in the early hours of Sunday morning.”
Jumping in to defend the Bureau, Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said “meteorology is not a perfect science” and if not every single detail was right – “that’s unfortunate”.
“The fact is, I was certainly seeing warnings … from the Bureau days leading up to this event that we were facing life-threatening flash flooding,” he said.
“That was there for all people to see, and if we weren’t able to get – through the Bureau of Meteorology – every single detail right, that’s unfortunate.”
Ergon Energy acting chief operating officer Jeff Green said more than 500 workers were now on the ground in Far North Queensland inspecting and restoring electricity supply.
On Tuesday, 11,000 households and businesses were still without power, the majority of customers in Cairns, Mareeba, Douglas and Livingstone Shire council areas.
Additional reporting Sandhya Ram, Vanessa Marsh
To find a licensed electrical contractor, call Master Electricians Australia (MEA) on 1300 889 198 or the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) on 1300 361 099.
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Originally published as Qld weather: FNQ flood effort gathers pace as conditions ease
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