Cyclone Debbie: evacuations as deluge swamps Queensland

Storms from Cyclone Debbie are now dumping heavy rain across Queensland’s most populated areas.

Flood waters block the road between Airlie Beach and Proserpine. Picture: AAP

The weather system that hit the Whitsunday Coast as Cyclone Debbie is now dumping heavy rain across Queensland’s most populated areas, with flood alerts in towns and suburbs south to the NSW border and west to the ­Central Highlands and Darling Downs.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of widespread rainfall of 150mm-250mm today. Similar falls were recorded in just an hour during Cyclone Debbie. The ­extent of the system will cause widespread flooding.

Parts of Proserpine were still cut off by flooding yesterday and police were searching for the owners of two submerged cars found near the closed Bruce Highway to ensure they were safe.

To the south, Pioneer River in Mackay was rising fast, with low-lying areas inundated despite being spared a tidal surge on ­Tuesday.

The city’s Kinchant Dam was expected to reach record levels and downstream residents were yesterday urged to evacuate, while there was also a “watch and act” alert over another dam.

The Pioneer River catchment received more than a metre of rain in two days, as much as half its ­annual average rainfall.

Bundaberg residents were urged to stock up on supplies in ­anticipation of worse flooding, and the occupants of several cars had to be rescued after becoming trapped in high water.

Flooding has delayed relief ­efforts and frustrated electricity and communications crews working to restore services not only in the Whitsunday Coast but areas to the south and west. ­

Despite dams filling fast, the lack of electricity has left communities with limited drinking water and looming sewage ­problems.

Police and emergency services have had to prepare crews in areas to the south subject to the flood alert while having others in the north to help with the clean-up.

The bureau’s Matthew Bass said Cyclone Debbie was downgraded to a tropical low at 3am ­yesterday and was tracking southwest before it was expected to veer back east.

“We are still expecting very heavy rainfall, and we have issued a severe weather warning for ­central parts of Queensland today and it is likely we will extend that warning further south into southeastern Queensland during this evening and into tomorrow,” Mr Bass said.

Mr Bass, who also warned of dangerous seas and strong winds along the coast, said Brisbane and southeast Queensland would have the heaviest rainfall tonight and early tomorrow.

Brisbane City Council yes­terday made available sandbags at five sites as a precaution while Somerset Dam released water as part of a flood mitigation strategy.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday said people should not become complacent or think that just because the ­weather system was no longer a cyclone it would be mild.

“This is a huge weather system,” she said.

“It has come across the coast in northern Queensland and is going to come all the way down to the southeast — a huge system — so I need everyone to listen to the authorities. If you do not need to be on the roads, do not be on the roads.”