Person struck by lightning in Brisbane storms as Burketown waits for flood peak
A man is fighting for life after being struck by lightning at a golf course north of Brisbane, while thousands of properties were left without power, and 42 calls for assistance were made as storms swept through South East Queensland on Sunday.
QLD weather news
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD weather news. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A man is fighting for his life after he was struck by lightning while playing golf north of Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.
A witness said the man was struck at Wantima Golf Course at Brendale amid heavy rain. Other players at the golf club rushed to help the man as soon as he fell to the ground.
The incident happened about 2.30pm.
The man was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.
Meanwhile, more than 2000 properties in the Noosa region were without power early on Sunday night despite a severe thunderstorm warning being revoked.
The golf club will remain closed on Monday as course and weather conditions are assessed.
An Energex spokesman said that by 5.30pm more than 157,000 lightning strikes had been recorded across the southeast.
By 6:45am on Monday, 2522 Energex customers were still without power, 1026 of which were at Lawnton in the Moreton Bay Region.
Energex is working quickly to restore power to impacted homes, with outages down to 1632 customers by 7:15am.
During the height of the storms, 4500 properties were affected, with 2300 in the Noosa Shire area. There were still 2800 homes without power early on Sunday evening.
Energex crews were working fast to restore several power lines after they were brought down by trees.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said they were still assisting Energex after a tree was brought down about 3.30pm near Welsby Parade at Bongaree on Bribie Island.
She said they had made the road safe but were still assisting with lighting.
An Energex spokesman confirmed there were a number of power lines down across the region.
A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said 42 State Emergency Services (SES) tasks had been completed in the Southeast on Sunday.
She said 18 were completed by 4pm with an additional 24 overnight, most of which were in response to fallen trees, tarp requests for leaking roofs and a small number of sandbagging requests.
Another tree was pictured down at Gayundah Esplanade at Woody Point north of Brisbane.
While heavy rain was recorded across multiple areas including Noosa, Redcliffe and Caboolture, the threat of thunderstorms had passed.
The Bureau of Meteorology cancelled the warning in Gympie, Brisbane and Noosa council areas, but a severe thunderstorm warning was in place for parts of the Wide Bay and Burnett District.
Around 4pm, in just one hour 70mm was recorded at Imbil, Koala Court and Bells Creek North. While, 52mm fell in just 30 minutes around 3.30pm at Eumundi.
The storms caused havoc earlier on Sunday at the Kalbar Sunflower Festival on the Scenic Rim, with patrons forced to run for cover.
Weather bureau senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said Stanthorpe had received falls of about 70mm since 9am while closer to Brisbane between 15-30mm fell.
Ms Bradbury said thunderstorm activity for SEQ would most likely ease for the start of the working week, with a return to sunny days by Wednesday.
Meanwhile major flood warnings remain in place for Burketown, in the state’s northwest
“We are expecting a fairly extended period of peak flooding, it’s going to reach the peak and then hold onto that peak most likely until tomorrow,” she said.
But Ms Bradbury said it has been quite dry near the Gulf Country since about 9am on Sunday.
“There is a possibility of some showers and some isolated storms but remaining quite isolated over the next day, it is not expected to have a significant impact on the flooding in those areas,” she said.
“That risk of wide spread heavy rainfall has eased, although we still could see some localised moderate falls.”
More than 35 homes were inundated in Burketown on Sunday morning and all but 70 people had been evacuated. Water and power was cut to the town and sewerage systems compromised after the region was pelted by a year’s worth of rain in a matter of days.
Queensland Police said on Sunday morning that flood water heights in Burketown were still subject to change, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying the Albert River was expected to peak in the afternoon.
“I’m advised that evacuations have gone well … there’s about 70 people who chose to remain and we’re monitoring that,” Ms Palaszczuk said at a press conference on Sunday.
Ms Palaszczuk said that all vulnerable residents were removed and the 70 had chosen to stay with authorities keeping in contact with them.
Just under 90 people were evacuated from Burketown as of late Saturday.
Evacuees were taken to nearby Doomadgee, or flown to Mount Isa, more than 300km away.
At least 37 properties have been inundated by rising flood waters, with fresh fears the small Burke Shire community could be isolated for up to two weeks.
A police spokesman said 37 houses and two water pumping stations had power switched off, due to safety concerns.
Sewage and water treatment to the town has also been cut.
Residents are instructed to conserve water usage and monitor advice from Burketown Shire Council.
Getting a read on the Albert River is difficult, with gauges not available along the river system.
The Albert River’s previous flood record, from March 2011, peaked at 6.78m, but hat record has already been smashed.
“At Doomadgee Township a major record river level of 8.54 metres was recorded on Friday morning, however river levels are now rising more slowly, and nearing a peak,” said the a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson.
“Record major flooding is occurring at Burketown, with further rises and a record peak likely during Sunday.”
The Premier said the state government had approved disaster relief funding and that Community Recovery Hubs would be established in Camooweal.
“That will roll out, of course, during this week … usually household assistance initially kicks in and from memory was around $1200 a family.”
“Some of these homes have had a lot of inundation so the recovery will kick in almost as soon as the floodwaters reside.”
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that an extended record flood peak was likely to continue at Burketown during Sunday and into Monday.
They issued their 14th major flood warning for the Nicholson, Gregory and Leichhardt rivers on Sunday morning.
Up to 35mm was recorded across the Nicholson and Leichhardt River catchments in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday.
Further showers and isolated thunderstorms were forecast for the remainder of Sunday, however widespread rainfall had generally eased in the area.
Significant major flooding had been observed in the upper parts of the Nicholson and Leichhardt catchment at Riversleigh, Gregory Downs and Doomadgee township.
At Doomadgee Township a major record river level of 8.54 metres was recorded on Friday morning, however river levels were falling by Sunday morning and were above the moderate flood level.
The major Flood Warning for the lower Flinders River remained active on Sunday as the Bureau issued the final flood warning for the Cloncurry River.
Rainfall totals up to approximately 55mm had been recorded over parts of the Cloncurry River catchment in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, however levels were easing slowly.
Renewed river level rises and major flooding are occurring along the lower Flinders River, downstream of Richmond, and The Bureau expected them to continue over the next few days.
The Bureau cancelled a severe thunderstorm warning issued early on Sunday morning for people in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt Forecast District.
They said that while the immediate threat had passed the situation would continue to be monitored as less severe storms continued.
“Thunderstorms are still active near Inglewood, although rainfall rates have likely eased to be below heavy thresholds,” they said.
Just over 50mm had been recorded in the hour to 7am Sunday morning at Giddi Giddi South.
OVERNIGHT
Unprecedented floodwaters in the Gulf of Carpentaria had authorities pleading with residents of an inundated town to evacuate as a major weather event cut roads, power and compromised sewerage systems.
All Burketown residents who remained on Saturday were told to evacuate before nightfall after flood levels in the North West Queensland town broke records.
Small helicopters and planes were being used to assist and people were also travelling several kilometres by boat to find dry land to evacuate as police warned: “It is not safe for people to remain.
“Sewerage to the town has been compromised and power to the town will be cut off.”
While the drenching rain had all but stopped in the town yesterday, the devastating floodwaters were still rising.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted they would peak on Sunday.
Cattle in the area have been lost and found floating up to 15km away from their properties, and other livestock have been heard desperately calling out for help.
Brolgas have also been spotted swimming in the floodwaters, while other birds that could not dry off their wings have drowned.
Burke Shire Council Mayor Ernie Camp said it was the worst flooding he had seen.
His property was inundated and he had lost livestock, pets and machinery, and several sheds and buildings were underwater.
“The flooding is the worst on the Leichhardt (River) in living memory, and possibly since it was settled 150 years ago,” he said.
“We will accept asset losses and regretfully we have to accept stock losses, but we are trying very hard not to lose one of our friends.”
While many elderly residents and children did heed evacuation warnings, Burketown resident Apryl Ford was one who refused to leave her three dogs behind and chose to stay. She lives in the highest part of the township, which has so far escaped the floodwaters.
But Ms Ford said the town was slowly going under and water was beginning to seep into her backyard.
“We have had people evacuate from the lower part of the township and slowly move their cars, furniture and animals up into people’s yards,” Ms Ford said.
“We are expecting the water to get higher in waves; you get a surge that comes through and the water rises.”
Ms Ford said she and many others were prepared to climb on to their roofs if needed, but in a worst-case scenario she said she would seek higher ground at her parents’ double-storey house.
Mr Camp said his region would need support following this extreme weather event.
“We look forward to it all being over and the rebirth. We will survive this, but some businesses won’t without the help of tourism. The last thing we need is a handout, we need a hand up,” he said.
The southeast escaped the worst of the predicted rain, while more than 200mm fell on Yeppoon in Central Queensland by Saturday morning, and 74mm at Kippa-Ring.
Brisbane’s drizzly rain and possible thunderstorms were expected to stay until Sunday afternoon.
Weather bureau meteorologist Jonathan How said the southeast was not out of the woods.
“Brisbane itself is looking rainy and it really depends where the thunderstorm moves over the city,” he said.
“We have revised down the expected rainfall but there is still a risk of particularly heavy falls if it passes over.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Person struck by lightning in Brisbane storms as Burketown waits for flood peak
Join the conversation
New emergency alert as Far North braces for second coming of biblical flood
A second deluge of up to 300mm is set to pound Far North Queensland, with flood warnings for half a dozen rivers and more than 140mm of rain recorded overnight in some parts.
Read more
Freak ‘wall of water’: Inside Brisbane’s battle of 1893
In a freakish turn of weather Brisbane flooded three times in February 1893, leaving a third of the population homeless and claiming the lives of 35.
Read more