Two people dead in Queensland floods as serious new warning issued
Heavy rainfall has drenched parts of southeast Queensland with roads cut as authorities warn of potentially life-threatening flooding.
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A flooding disaster is unfolding in Queensland with two people dead and more intense rainfall is forecast.
Authorities have warned of potentially life-threatening flooding.
Hundreds of people have contacted emergency services for help as flood waters rise across the state’s southeast.
A major system has drenched areas stretching north from Gympie to the southern border and west to the Darling Downs.
Towns have been cut off as flash flooding hits southern Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for people in the Southeast Coast, parts of Wide Bay and the Burnett and Darling Downs and Granite Belt.
At 7pm the bureau sent an urgent warning for major flooding in the Lockyer and Laidley Creeks.
“In the past 24 hours, widespread rainfall has occurred across the lower Brisbane River and tributaries, with totals of 100-300mm observed,” the bureau said in an alert.
A major flooding warning is also current for the upper Brisbane river basin, with flooding expected at Gregor Creek and Woodford.
In the Darling Downs, the situation has been compared to the disastrous flooding of 2011.
In Toowoomba, footage showed major flooding in the CBD and swollen waterways.
Down the Toowoomba Range, a deluge that dumped 300mm has turned parts of the Lockyer Valley into an inland sea.
Grantham and Helidon residents have been told “water levels are rising rapidly”.
People in the area have been urged to evacuate if safe to do so or seek higher ground.
Mayor Tanya Milligan said, “We’re still expecting significant rain of Laidley, Glenore Grove and Gatton, between 150-200mm.”
“The highway at Glenore Grove has been closed.”
Biggest rainfall totals
Cooran: 637mm
Moy Pocket: 476mm
Old Range Rd: 468mm
Kenilworth: 446mm
Kandanga: 443mm
Beenham Valley Rd: 419mm
Authorities issue warnings
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deputy commissioner Mark Roche said multiple people had been rescued from floodwaters.
“What’s disappointing to me is that we are actually seeing the footage of people driving into floodwaters,” he said.
“This is a serious event. It is a life-threatening event. We found a number of rescues this morning where people were clinging on to trees.”
Queensland woke this morning to the aftermath of another torrential downpour, with the wild weather claiming a second life, along with a third in NSW.
QFES crews have responded to almost 1000 incidents across southern Queensland in the past 24 hours including more than 40 swiftwater rescues, while SES volunteers have been working through more than 950 requests for assistance.
The upper Lockyer Creek catchment west of Brisbane recorded rapid rises on Friday afternoon.
On Friday evening, emergency warnings were issued for the areas of Lockyer Creek within the Somerset Regional Council and for Gympie Regional council.
An emergency alert was issued by the Moreton Bay Regional Council advising of intense rainfall that had led to flash flooding throughout the region.
“If you were impacted by flooding in 2011 or 2013, or are in a low lying area near the Lockyer Creek, you should move to higher ground and seek shelter,” QFES said.
Major flood warnings were in place for the Laidley and Lockyer Creeks, Eyre Creek, the Logan and Mary Rivers and the Upper Brisbane River.
The Queensland BOM said while current levels were not as high as the devastating 2011 floods, the situation remained very dangerous.
Police confirmed a man from Gympie, west of the Sunshine Coast, died in floodwaters while trying to ride his motorcycle home from work at 1am on Wednesday.
Philippa Tayler, 63, from the Sunshine Coast, died after her car became stuck in floodwaters early on Wednesday morning.
In NSW, a man died after his vehicle entered floodwaters on the Central Coast just after midnight on Friday.
The 54-year-old’s body was found in a Toyota LandCruiser in floodwaters near the Maddens Creek crossing at about 1.30am.
Queensland Police deputy commissioner Steve Gollschewski warned that there was still a significant deluge to come.
“On top of the significant rain we’ve already seen, we have soaked waterways and ground, so that means we’re going to see lots of run-off, so we can expect more flash flooding and we are planning to deal with riverine flooding particularly in the Mary River,” he said.
“We are expecting inundation of some properties in the Gympie area and we’re watching very closely to see what will happen in Mary Barra.”
Mr Gollschewski said it remained to be seen just how bad the damage would get.
“Around Jimboomba up to 118mm is the prediction, but what we’re seeing is very intense falls in particular areas,” he said.
Flash flooding warnings were issued for Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley just before noon.
Between 7.30am and 10.30am, Upper Lockyer recorded 105mm of rain.
Another warning was issued for residents in Imbil, with homes threatened as Borumba Dam overflows.
The Sunshine Coast and its surrounding areas are now facing the storm’s brunt, with 423mm of rain falling in the six hours to 4.30am in Biggenden, inland from Fraser Island.
However, the town is far from alone, with 315mm falling north at Fig Tree, 289mm at Paradise Dam and 241mm at Fred Haigh Dam.
The Wide Bay and Burnett, Southeast Coast, parts of Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts are all being told to stay vigilant.
“Locally intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible with thunderstorms during this period, particularly over areas north of Brisbane,” the warning said.
“Six-hourly rainfall totals in excess of 300mm are possible.”
The average February rainfall in Brisbane is 115mm.
Queensland Police deputy commissioner Paul Taylor warned people to be highly cautious of floodwaters when travelling in cars.
“If it’s flooded, forget it. People are possibly getting surprised by the water on the roadway, but with this weather, people should be prepared, have an alternate route, make sure that you have another way to either get to work, get home from work or even getting the children to school,” he said.
“People need to be aware and drive to the conditions.”
In NSW, Sydneysiders can expect showers and a muggy thunderstorm on Friday as the city’s mercury sticks at a warm 27C.
Up to 15mm of rain is set to fall on Friday, 30mm on Saturday and up to 25mm on Sunday.
The state’s north will be hit even harder, with Lismore and its Northern Rivers surrounds experiencing up to 80mm on Friday.
It comes after a week of weather chaos across both states, with fears up to three months of rain could fall in just 24 hours.
Comparisons have also been made to the tragic 2011 floods that claimed the lives of 33 people across Queensland.
Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe said the sheer amount of rain falling had the power to claim more lives.
“It won’t just be heavy rain - at times we’re talking about intense rainfall with potential for totals of over 300mm in a six hour period, causing life threatening flash flooding,” he said.
“That means you can get flooding away from rivers in a very short space of time. The rivers themselves are going to be rising very rapidly as well over the coming days.
“This could easily be on par with the 2011 floods.”
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