Brisbane floods: Southeast awash as ex-TC Alfred unleashes
Residents in one part of Brisbane have been told to prepare to move to higher ground as the dangerous aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues, with emergency alerts also issued north and west of the city, major flood warnings in place and a severe storm warning current. LATEST
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Residents in one part of Brisbane have been told to prepare to move to higher ground as the dangerous aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues, with emergency alerts issued, major flood warnings in place and a dangerous storm warning current.
A ‘watch and act’ alert was issued for Enoggera Dam at 5.30am on Monday, with Brisbane City Council advising residents to prepare to move to higher ground due to increased inflows into the dam.
Earlier, alerts were issued for people in the Kenmore area, with fears the Gubberley Creek Detention Basin could fail. Alerts were also issued for areas around Oxley Creek in the city’s southwest and parts of Ipswich.
West of Brisbane, an evacuation centre has been opened at Laidley State High School after a ‘take shelter now’ alert was issued at 7am.
The alert warned that dangerous flooding would continue in the Lockyer Valley in coming hours. “Warn neighbours if safe to do so, secure belongings and take safe shelter or go to higher ground,” the alert said. The Sunshine Coast has not escaped, with a ‘watch and act’ message issued just after 7am.
The Sunshine Coast Local Disaster Management Group issued the flood watch and act message after intense rainfall across the region led to flash flooding.
Locals were urged to not drive unless necessary and to move to higher ground away from floodwaters.
It comes as Premier David Crisafulli urged people to stay connected and alert to dangerous conditions with more rain coming, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced disaster relief payments would be available from Tuesday afternoon.
There are also major flood warnings in place, including for the Logan and Albert Rivers, the Bremer River and Warrill Creek, and for Laidley Creek.
WARNING: ‘VERY DANGEROUS’ STORMS, WHAT’S NEXT
A warning for ‘very dangerous’ thunderstorms is current for parts of the Ipswich, Gympie, Somerset, Scenic Rim, South Burnett, Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley, Cherbourg and Southern Downs Council Areas.
Intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash-flooding is possible. The storms are forecast to impact Gatton, Esk and the ranges between Gympie and Murgon by 8.10am and Laidley, the area south of Esk and the area northeast of Kingaroy by 8.40am.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Andrea Peace said intense rainfall would continue until Monday night, but flooding would continue across the next few days.
“We still have very dangerous thunderstorms moving throughout South East Queensland at the moment,” she said.
“We have a very dangerous storm, which is sort of around Caboolture, and it’s moved southward. So it’s forecast to move just to the west of the Brisbane CBD over the coming hour or two.
“Also now we’re seeing, further west through the Lockyer Valley, another very dangerous storm and the reason that we have a very dangerous alert on them is due to that intense rainfall and it’s likely to be leading to flash flooding very quickly.
“The landscape is very wet, and so any rainfall that we’re seeing now is resulting, and particularly in these very high rainfall rates where we’re seeing up to 70 millimetres in an hour, in flash flooding very quickly.
“What I’d be saying today is that we are still expecting, particularly for the morning, anywhere through South East Queensland to experience heavy showers or intense thunderstorms.”
Ms Peace said those thunderstorms and intense rainfalls were likely to ease into Monday afternoon and late evening. She said tomorrow’s forecast for Brisbane was for zero to six millimetres.
Ms Peace warned that there was still flooding to come, with major rivers and creeks across the southeast likely to peak later on Monday.
“There’s still so much water to move through the river systems, the flooding is not going to ease as quickly as what the rain will ease,” the meteorologist said.
“So we have major flood warnings for the Bremer and Warrill creeks. We have major flood warnings for Laidley Creek and a moderate for Lockyer Creek.
“We’ve got a minor flood warning for the Brisbane River, I guess one good thing is the Brisbane River catchment … actually hasn’t seen as much rainfall as some of the other areas around the southeast. So that’s really good news for the Brisbane River.
“But we’ve also got major flood warnings for the Logan and Albert rivers as well. So a lot of water still moves through the river systems.
“We’re really expecting them to peak later today, and still expecting the rivers to be rising through Monday.
“Even if the rain stops, the flooding is still going to be an issue in the coming days.”
PREMIER, PRIME MINISTER SPEAK
Mr Crisafulli this morning urged residents to stay connected and alert over the next few days, telling Channel 9’s Today that doorknocking would continue today as a series of emergency alerts were issued overnight.
“There was quite a large amount of rain across a big area. So to give you a perspective, there were 17 people rescued by swift water,” he said.
“Right now as we speak we’re going back to areas that we doorknocked earlier in the week advising people that they have to leave places like Grantham, for example, and there are warnings both major river warnings as well as what we call those emergency alerts for those local ones.
“The creeks and that flash flooding. So my message to Queenslanders is the system is nearly over, but there is still some rain to come.
“And what we’re asking people to do is stay connected. And above all, make sure that you put yourself first.
“So if you are in an area where you know you’re impacted by that flooding, consider what you’re evacuation plan is.
“Consider where the higher ground is, just make those sensible decisions. Don’t go driving through floods. And I have every faith that if people continue to do that, we will continue to see Queenslanders respond the way that they have.”
When asked whether Hervey Bay should have had more of a warning after parts of the region copped a 300mm deluge since 9am Sunday, Mr Crisafulli said he always shared information in “real-time”.
“My attitude is when I get information, I give it to Queenslanders. Now, obviously, the bureau do its modelling and they can continue to address people and be part of those warning systems,” he said.
“But I’ve always taken the approach: I’ll give the information and I’ll give it in real time because I believe that that’s the best way for people to respond.
Mr Albanese said disaster relief payments would be available for those living in local government areas impacted by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred from 2pm on Tuesday.
“What that does is provide for 13 weeks or up to 13 weeks of full pay, for those who’ve lost income in the affected local government areas,” Mr Albanese told Sunrise.
“There are those who are unable to go to work because their businesses are shut or because of some of the road closures, some people just can’t get to work.”
He praised emergency services for their response. “The emergency response teams and volunteers, the SES, police and emergency services, they’ve been heroes during this period, they have worked around the clock.”
MASSIVE RAINFALL TOTALS, POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE
Areas around Brisbane have recorded massive rainfall totals, including 349mm since 9am on Sunday at the Green Hill Reservoir at Indooroopilly.
In the same period, 326mm fell at Mt Coot-tha, 324mm at Kenmore, 322mm at Rosalie, 310mm at Corinda, 299mm in Brisbane City, 287mm at Mt Nebo, 285mm at Camp Hill, 282mm at Mansfield, 281mm at Ithaca Creek, 276mm at Salisbury, 265mm at Mt Gravatt, 251mm at Eagle Farm and 191mm at Slacks Creek.
It comes after residents between Redcliffe and Brisbane’s southern suburbs were caught by surprise, waking on Sunday to trees crashing into houses, foliage strewn across roads, traffic lights out, and roofs ripped off of houses.
More than 206,000 Energex customers were still without power across South East Queensland on Monday morning, with most outages still on the Gold Coast.
In Brisbane, the most affected suburbs included Capalaba (4957), Redland Bay (7078), Southport (3072), Nerang (4531), Mudgeeraba (3717), Labrador (3910), Logan Reserve (4333) and Park Ridge (3046).
EMERGENCY SERVICES RESPONSE
The SES had more than 3600 callouts between 4am Sunday and 4am this morning, with 41 per cent of the jobs “structural” followed by tree down (22 per cent) and flooded (21 per cent). There were 1148 in Brisbane, 643 callouts on the Gold Coast and 458 callouts in the Moreton Bay region.
The Queensland Fire Department has responded to about 430 incidents related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in the last 24 hours.
Of the 435 incidents, 46 were rescues, performed by swift water rescue crews and other personnel, a QFD spokeswoman said.
There were also 50 people evacuated from floodwaters in the last 24 hours including two people who were saved from the roof of their car in Redbank about 2am.
QAS also provided assistance as several SEQ residents became trapped in flooded cars and homes overnight.
Paramedics received reports of a vehicle caught in flood water on Dunning St in Palmwoods just after 4am on Monday.
Several people were also assessed after they became trapped in their own cars overnight in flood waters at Nambour, Redbank, Indooroopilly, Waterford, Arundel, Tamborine, Wilston, Daisy Hill and Pallara.
No one was seriously injured or taken to hospital.
A person was also assessed by paramedics after they became trapped in a home on Perwillowen Road in Burnside early Monday morning. They were not taken to hospital.
A spokesman for Energex said the company would know in the next two days when electricity would be reconnected to every home.
“Once we’ve got that then we can almost go street by street with a firm date for when power will be restored,” he said.
Nearly 100,000 homes and businesses across Brisbane and the City of Moreton Bay were still without power, with residents warned intense rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding was possible.
EMERGENCY ALERTS ISSUED
An emergency alert was issued for the Sunshine Coast just after 7am on Monday.
The Sunshine Coast Local Disaster Management Group issued the flood watch and act message after intense rainfall across the region led to flash flooding. Locals were urged to not drive unless necessary and to move to higher ground away from floodwaters.
Earlier, residents of Currumbin, Tallebudgera and Elanora on the Gold Coast were urged to seek shelter on Sunday night when coastal creeks broke their banks. Residents of Laidley in the Lockyer Valley were also urged to seek shelter.
At 1.33am on Monday, an emergency alert was issued from the Logan City Council after major flooding of the Upper Oxley Creek.
“Council advises dangerous flooding is occurring in the area, and urges Greenbank, New Beith, and Forestdale residents it’s too dangerous to leave now. If you are near flood waters get up as high as you can where you are.”
It follows a similar alert at 11.40pm on Sunday issued to Tamborine, Cedar Creek, Wolfdene, Bannockburn, Windaroo, Mt Warren Park, Beenleigh, and Eagleby after major flooding of the Albert River at Beenleigh.
On the Gold Coast, residents in Luscombe, Yatala, Stapylton, Alberton and Gilberton were given the same advice after dangerous flooding in the area.
In Kenmore, the Brisbane City Council issued a prepare to leave warning at 1.30am for the Gubberley Creek Detention Basin amid fears of a possible failure of the basin. “Conditions could change quickly. Warn neighbours if safe to do so,’’ the warning said.
Residents in Oxley Creek were also warned of flash flooding and told to prepare to move to higher ground at 2.20am.
CHAOS ON ROADS, IN HOMES
Meanwhile, motorists were rescued from floodwaters at Logan and the Gold Coast, while flash flooding closed Bowen Bridge Rd at Herston in inner Brisbane, northbound lanes of the Gateway Motorway at the Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd exit, and Brisbane Rd at Bundamba in Ipswich.
In Wilston, it took the water in Tania Mann’s back yard to reach under her home in just 20 minutes – significantly faster than what she experienced during the 2022 South East Queensland floods.
At Joyner, north of Brisbane, destructive winds caused a 35m gum tree to crash through the roof of Steve and Jo Warren’s home.
The couple said they had brought their dog in when the wind started to pick up on Saturday night and 20 minutes later – about 10.35pm – they heard a loud bang.
“We then found a tree that had actually landed on the roof of our house,” Ms Warren said. “It was pretty scary; the noise was so loud.
“We knew that something had fallen on the roof, but we thought it might just be some branch, not a whole tree.”
The couple then realised they had widespread damage to their home when their roof caved in over their kitchen and living area.
In Romeo Court, Joyner, Jim and Anne Franklin lost the guttering of their home on Saturday night after a large tree fell across their driveway about 10.15.
“We were both asleep and I woke up to a big thump,” Mr Franklin said.
“I wondered what it was and thought there must have been a tree down somewhere, so I came out the front and saw this big tree down the front of our place.”
The winds were so strong at Redcliffe resident Daniel Goullet didn’t hear the moment his roof tore apart and hit powerlines before ending up in the middle of the road.
“It’s pretty crazy,” he said.
“You could hear the front awning banging and all the water was coming through. I’m just in shock. This is crazy.”
Mr Goullet’s neighbour Peter Flanagan said it was “pretty terrifying” to see a roof banging and flapping about in strong winds.
“You think it’s going to blow off and hit somebody,” he said.
Kedron Brook resembled a dangerous river as it reached minor flood levels and had cut multiple roads, including Shaw Rd in Kalinga and Widdop St in Hendra.
Enoggera Creek was also flooded and close to breaking its banks.
Norman Creek had already exceeded moderate flood levels, as well as Lota Creek at Ransome.
Fishing supply store Tackle World in Lawnton had been preparing for a flood, but two separate sandbag theft incidents have left it vulnerable.
CCTV showed a man stealing sandbags from the front entrance of the store early on Saturday morning.
“It is a bit disappointing, particularly after we thought we would be prepared for flooding. Now we don’t know if we have enough,” Tackle World Lawnton staff member Mitch Townsend said.
Wilston couple Allie Hickey and Sam Stocks, who have lived in their Victoria St home for the last year, had never seen the water rise as high as it had on Sunday.
“A lot of the surrounding people have been warning us to move our cars and keep an eye out if we lose power or have the water shut off,” Ms Hickey said.
“We have been watching neighbours pack up and evacuate all day.”
Since Friday, 450,000 homes and businesses have lost power, with many enduring three days in the dark.
More than 2000 Energex and Ergon workers had already reinstated power to more than 150,000 homes, including about 40,000 on Sunday. Energex chief executive Peter Scott thanked the community for their patience.
“I sincerely thank you all for the patience you’ve shown … there’s been 1500 live lines on the ground,” Mr Scott said.
“They’ll continue to work hard to reconnect the network for you.”
Wastewater was released into the Brisbane River at Morningside due to the extreme wet weather.
An Urban Utilities spokesperson advised temporarily avoiding contact with the Brisbane River between Vic Lucas Park at Bulimba and Colmslie Beach Reserve at Murarrie.
“During wet weather, stormwater infiltrates our wastewater network, increasing flows,” they said.
“Crews will erect signage at nearby key access points to the river as soon as it’s safe.”
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Originally published as Brisbane floods: Southeast awash as ex-TC Alfred unleashes
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