Gold Coast weather: Beaches to reopen as city starts clean-up Gold Coast weather: Currumbin Waters businesses count cost after floods
Beaches have started to reopen, while Gold Coast business owners are counting the cost of flash flooding which tore through their premises on Thursday. >>> LATEST WEATHER FORECAST
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BEACHES across the Gold Coast have started to reopen after the city experiences days of storms and torrential rain.
In a statement the Council said beaches will be reopened on a case-by-case basis with conditions to be monitored closely.
“At this stage most southern beaches remain closed. Please check with lifeguards before entering the water at any of our beaches and always swim between the flags,” the statement said.
A Council spokeperson said the majority of beaches between Miami and north Surfers Paradise are open, while beaches in the vicinity of the Seaworld Tower to Sheraton Mirage Resort in Main Beach are closed due to access issues.
Further south, areas along Burleigh Heads beach are open but the southern beaches from Rainbow Bay to Tallebudgera are closed due to inshore currents and debris.
Lifeguards will continue to monitor conditions. Beachgoers are advised to exercise caution when swimming between the flags and heed advice from Lifeguards.
Council also said that maintenance crews are focusing on cleaning-up debris on beaches and clearing roads this morning and any roads affected by floodwater will be inspected before being reopened.
For assistance for flood or storm damage call the SES on 132 500.
Businesses count cost after flash floods
GOLD Coast business owners have been left devastated by more wild weather causing flooding in areas of the city.
Currumbin Waters businesses were left a wreck after torrential rain from 10am on Thursday hit the Coast and teamed with a high tide caused widespread flooding.
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The Gold Coast City Council issued an emergency alert warning for residents of Tallebudgera and Currumbin after floodwaters started to rise from midmorning on Thursday.
From 9.30am yesterday to 7am today, Coolangatta recorded 136.8mm of rain as the flooding caused multiple roads across the city to be closed.
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The downpour left Zozo’s business owner Sue Earmell with no choice but to lock up her business at midday and head home, despite it being filled with water.
“It happened so quick it wasn’t fun. The whole shop is gone, we’ve lost all the equipment,” she said.
“In the shop the water was just past the top of my ankle when we were told to leave because the roads were closing.
“I’ve been in this shop for 10 years and have never seen it flood like this.”
With her husband in hospital, Mrs Earmell said she would be cleaning the ruins of the family-owned business with her daughter, who works at the cafe, and her son.
The flooding didn’t stop fellow Currumbin Waters business Sel’s Auto Mechanical Repairs from its staff Christmas drinks.
“It’s only the fourth time we’ve seen flooding in 20 years at the shop,” Sel’s owner Donna Freriechs said.
“We’ve learnt from past experiences and when it started raining we hoisted everything up.”
Coastal Exhaust owner Michael Pott said he got to the point that he couldn’t stop water from entering his Currumbin Waters business so instead cracked a beer.
“I figured it was going to be high, but not as high as it was. It (flood water) probably came half a foot into the workshop.
“In 2005 it came up pretty high, but today was worse. All you can smell is salt water because it was high tide this morning and all the rain has flooded the creek.
“All the customers’ cars were inside, but one of our employee’s cars is probably written off.
“We tried to get it out, but the gutters are so low here. By the time you walked out to the gutter, the water was over our knees and had already gone through the car.
“You think the rain is going to go but it just keeps coming and coming.”
Media who were in Currumbin were required to dash to their vehicles when the floodwaters started to rise mid-press conference.
At least one motorist had to be rescued from their vehicle after the sudden onset of flooding across the southern Gold Coast caused traffic chaos.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Tallebudgera Connection Rd and Valley Dve after a male driver attempted to cross flood waters and required a swift water rescue about 10.50am by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
There were further reports of flooding on Stewart Rd, which caused massive delays for vehicles attempting to get on to the M1.
In Mudgeeraba, there was water across Franklin and Somerset drives, while the bridge at Clagiraba Rd in Clagiraba was also under water.
The severe flooding also hit the grounds of Elanora State High School, with water flowing on to 19th Ave.
The conditions caused Council to open sandbagging stations at Burleigh Heads, Bilinga and Pimpama with all Council waste and recycling centres temporarily closed.
BOM meteorologist Matt Marshall said the heavy rainfall can be expected to ease on Friday.
“The rest of the week will see lighter rainfall, with more scattered showers predicted rather than the larger rain the Gold Coast has experienced recently,” he said.
“Across the weekend the region can expect about 5mm of rain with a chance of a scattered shower to bring a little bit more.”
Originally published as Gold Coast weather: Beaches to reopen as city starts clean-up Gold Coast weather: Currumbin Waters businesses count cost after floods
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