Grief counselling teams join Lockyer Vallery flood rescue effort

GRIEF counsellors will be sent with search and rescue teams to the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley after devastating flooding in the southeast Queensland centre.

Anatomy of a flash flood

GRIEF counsellors will be sent with search and rescue teams to the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley after devastating flooding in the southeast Queensland centre.

Although the confirmed death toll remains at 10, more than 90 people remain missing in the agricultural area that was struck by flash-flooding on Monday.

A wall of water flew struck Toowoomba, then rapidly fell down the Great Dividing Range to inundate the Lockyer Valley.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the floods were the ``worst natural disaster in our history''.

``We do expect our emergency search and rescue teams may face a difficult and emotional task as they search for and possibly find bodies in some of those isolated areas,'' she said.

``Our thoughts are with those workers and they are particularly with those families who are continuing to hope and anxiously wait for news of their love ones.

``We hope that they have good news at the end of today, although we do stress it may take several days.''

An air exclusion zones has been put in place as search and rescue teams compile evidence for the Coroner.

While emergency services are focussed on the Lockyer Valley, there are also concerned with the flood situation in the major regional centres of Ipswich and Brisbane.

The Bremer River will peak this afternoon about 4pm at a similar level _ 20.5m _ as the 1974 flood. About 4000 homes are expected to be flooded.

Brisbane faces its flood peak tomorrow morning about 4am with heights higher than the 1974 flood.

Ms Bligh warned local residents to stay at home and not to disturb emergency workers.

``This incident is not a tourist event - this is a deeply serious natural disaster,'' she said.

``Stay in your homes. Do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary.''

Inner city streets in the inner city, including the arteries Coronation Dr, Milton Rd, and the Centenary Highway, are cut by floods.