Cairns wet weather: Three kids rescued from rock, rollovers, floods
Emergency services have responded to a car rollover, two dramatic creek rescues, a multi-vehicle collision across the Far North with the wet weather causing chaos.
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A car rollover, two dramatic creek rescues, a multi-vehicle collision, and it’s only mid-February. The wet is throwing us spanners.
The serious rain of last week has weakened but it’s left a few bruises.
More than 100mm of rain fell on Cairns in the few days to Friday.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Cairns Aero received 33.4mm, 45.6mm and 20mm in the last three days of last week, with 41mm of showers on Monday, racking up more than 100mm of rain, which was a record for a short spell in February so far.
Three children calling for help were rescued from a rock in a flooded creek in Woree late on Friday afternoon.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Swift Water technician Senior Firefighter Tom Neville said the children “were very glad to see us,” when the firefighters arrived at Gordon Creek near the intersection of Rigg and Windarra streets, Woree.
“They were sitting on a rock in the swollen creek,” he said.
The youngest was about 10 and the other two young teens.
Mr Neville said Gordon Creek was “very swollen with floodwater”.
Then a 14-year-old boy saved a young girl from drowning in the bursting Gordon Creek in Cairns.
Michael Misi rescued the girl late on Friday, after heavy rains flooded stormwater drain and creeks including the Gordon.
Michael said he was walking home from school when he heard a group of kids yelling for help on the Windarra St bridge.
More than 300mm of rain fell in Daintree Village in 24 hours up to Thursday, causing widespread flooding.
BOM duty forecaster Danny Johnson said the wet weather last week was concentrated around the Cassowary Coast region, with Daintree copping the most rain.
Daintree recorded 304mm in 24 hours with the first respite on Friday at 9am.
About 5am on Saturday an SUV rolled onto its side after hitting an embankment on the Captain Cook Highway north of the Rex lookout, closing the northbound lane.
The car was northbound between Cairns and Port Douglas and driven by a male, who was fortunately not hurt.
The difficulties continued as a multi-vehicle collision blocked the Kuranda Range Road in both directions from about 9am.
The road did not open until after midday, by which time the backed-up traffic started moving, albeit slowly.
Police and QFES have reported no further traffic incidents since then, and the rain is backing off for now.
Senior Meteorologist at the Bureau Felim Hanniffy said the trough driving the rain is weakening and shifting northwards, and as it does the risk of heavier falls will diminish.
“The showers will stick around, but there’s not too much in them,” he said.
Monday and Tuesday will be similar, with a few showers but nothing much out of the ordinary, with a fresher south-easterly breeze coming into play.
“It could strengthen on Wednesday and you might get more showers, and some moderate and isolated heavy falls, particularly on the Cassowary Coast.”
Originally published as Cairns wet weather: Three kids rescued from rock, rollovers, floods
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