Emergency services battle bushfire, floods and storm damage in Queensland

Emergency services are rushing to stop bushfires, as others continue to help clean up the devastation caused by mammoth storms.

Residents in southwestern Queensland are being urged to prepare to leave their homes as a bushfire edges towards the region, with authorities warning it could quickly take hold.

Queensland Fire and Emergency issued the watch and act warning for the Beebo area on the Queensland-NSW border between Goondiwindi and Stanthorpe, at about 12.30pm on Wednesday.

Authorities have urged those in the area to prepare to leave the Yelarbon State Forest area.

PREPARE TO LEAVE - Beebo (near Inglewood) - fire as at 12:38pm Wednesday, 3 January 2024.
For all current warnings, updates and mapping go to https://t.co/vqyJTUPBhe. pic.twitter.com/FGeYanHJLV

— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) January 3, 2024

“A large, slow-moving fire is burning within the boundaries of Yelarbon State Forest,” QFES warned.

“It is travelling towards Bosnjaks Road.

“Conditions could get worse quickly.

“Firefighters are working to contain the fire. You should not expect a firefighter at your door. Firefighting aircraft are helping ground crews.”

The locality of Beebo recorded 84 residents living in the area in the 2016 census.

It’s a complete change compared to the rest of the state, where thousands are continuing to clean up after severe storms caused intense damage to properties and businesses across the southeast.

Maddy Northeast shared the terrifying moment she was swept 40m away in floodwaters while camping in the Numinbah Valley on the Gold Coast on New Year’s Day.

The video, posted on TikTok, shows Ms Northeast, her sister and a dog on top of a vehicle as raging floodwater rushes past them.

Maddy Northeast and her family were camping when the flood struck. Picture: TikTok

She was swept 40m away in floodwaters. Picture: TikTok

“I got swept away in my tent 40 metres down a river, then trapped by a fallen tree, started suffocating and tent was filling with water,” Ms Northeast said on TikTok.

“I had to be rescued by our camp neighbours cutting me out with an axe. (I) lost all my belongings but grateful to be alive … happy New Year.”

The video has already had 151,000 views since it was uploaded.

Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday, Ms Northeast said she was thankful her tent got caught in the tree as she was swept away.

“If I didn’t hit the tree, I would have been further down the river and I don’t know what would have happened,” she said.

“The tree actually fell on top of me and they had to rescue me with an axe, so they had to cut the tree off the tent and pull me out into a raging river.”

Ms Northeast recalls the horrifying moment. Picture: TikTok

She says she’s lucky to be alive. Picture: TikTok

Ms Northeast’s lucky escape comes as residents in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria continue to be threatened by “unstable” storms that have ravaged the east coast since Christmas.

Storm warnings remain in place for certain areas in the three states as intense rainfall continues to cause riverine and flash flooding.

More than 500mm of rain has fallen in the past 48 hours in South East Queensland and northern NSW, including 568mm in Upper Springbrook and 533mm at Numinbah.

Rain soaked Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast overnight to Wednesday morning with up to 500mm falling in some areas. Photo: Weatherzone

The deluge has sparked continued flooding, with the Bureau of Meteorology putting moderate flood warnings in place for the Connors-Isaac River, Mooloolah River, Albert River and Logan River in the state’s south.

“Heavy to locally intense rainfall is likely across the Flood Watch area during Tuesday and may persist into Wednesday morning,” the bureau warned.

“Showers will remain active across the broader flood watch area during Tuesday and into Wednesday.

“Localised river level rises and flash flooding are likely within the areas of heaviest rainfall, with isolated minor to moderate riverine flooding possible.”

Len Latours’ home was totally destroyed by a tornado on Christmas night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

However, Queensland Disaster Recovery Minister Nikki Boyd said she’d been advised that the “worst of the weather is behind us” and the southeast can expect isolated showers over the next few days.

Ms Boyd said the focus would now turn to amping up recovery and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, with “all available boots on the ground” to help with the mammoth clean-up.

The bureau said there was no severe thunderstorm activity expected “though storms could be gusty in nature about the northwest of the state”.

Deputy state recovery co-ordinator Ben Marcus said with conditions easing, he was turning his sights on a reconstruction deadline of January 22 when schools reopened.

“We need to get the economy back to where it should be at this time of year,” he said.

“We need to have the roads open, the buses running and the schools open so those children can return to a sense of normality.

⛈️ Thunderstorm forecast for today (Wed 3/1/24): Thunderstorm focus is expected to be across more western and northern #QLD. No severe activity is expected, though storms could be gusty in nature about the northwest of the state.
Current warnings here: https://t.co/T8c6ZSvUIIpic.twitter.com/2cmYiIh0oL

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) January 3, 2024

“My major focus is around Jimboomba, Cedar Vale, Cedar Grove and then on the northern Gold Coast around the hinterland side, towards Wongawallan.

“It’s all hands on deck and I think by the end of the weekend we’ll see a large increase in our reconstruction efforts.”

There’s 8395 homes and businesses still without power on Tuesday, a week after the devastating storms struck.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said residents and personnel alike would be feeling a sense of “relief” as the weather conditions eases.

“There’s a lot of work to be done as we all know but the personnel who are contributing to that recovery effort are very focused,” he said.

Seqwater is also continuing to monitor dams and waterways as flood warnings remain in place for some areas across the southeast.

A Seqwater spokesman said based on the forecast, officers weren’t concerned about any water releases at the moment.

The amount of rainfall has added an extra three to six months’ worth of supply to the catchment since Christmas.

A strong wind warning is also in place for coastal areas along the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast waters.

Fallen power lines and power poles have caused major traffic hazards across multiple roads in southeast Queensland after days of massive storms. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

More than 8000 people remain without power in Queensland due to the storms. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

The torrential rain plaguing Queensland and NSW has been caused by a coastal trough, aided by an upper-level system that’s slowly moving through the area bringing enhanced rainfall.

Rain that has fallen over the past few weeks has left catchments saturated, meaning any new rainfall in the area will likely cause river rises and flash flooding.

Residents will get a break from the rain after Wednesday, according to the Bureau, with the trough to weaken as well as pushing south and likely offshore as the day continues.

Despite the positive news, the storm system has been described as “unstable” by bureau meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.

“Our thunderstorm forecast shows just how unstable the areas are over eastern Australia, with thunderstorms possible pretty much everywhere except for Tasmania,” Ms Bradbury said on Tuesday.

Melburnians were hit by a mammoth storm on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Beachgoers in St Kilda were forced to run from the incoming storm. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

She also warned of continued disturbances in Victoria after heavy rain, damaging winds and large hailstones plagued the state on Tuesday.

More than 10,000 homes remain without power on Wednesday morning after a severe thunderstorm moved through Bendigo, Castlemain, Ballarat, Kyneton and greater Melbourne.

While the bureau has now cancelled its severe thunderstorm warning, saying the “immediate threat” had passed, it warned residents to be on alert with “further warnings to be issued if necessary.

Flood warnings remain in place for the Loddon River and Avoca River.