Ace Breaking News – In short: Flood-affected areas in North Queensland are forecast to receive more rain, and severe weather warnings from the Gulf Country to Townsville are in place. Areas around the Upper Flinders could see 24-hour rainfall totals of up to 250 mm.
What’s next?
The bureau expects the rain to ease from Wednesday as the trough moves east.
More rain is expected to fall in parts of North Queensland already impacted by flooding, but conditions are forecast to ease by the middle of the week.
The Bureau of Meterology said there was a trough extending from the Northern Territory to Townsville.
“We’re still expecting a fair bit of rain, and it’s probably covering a broader area than it has been doing throughout [last] week,” forecaster Rickus Lombard said.
He said “a fair amount of rain” was expected to come and that some areas around Townsville received 20-30 millimetres in three hours overnight.
Rollingstone received 143mm of rain since 9 am. Sunday, and about 80 mm was recorded at Bluewater.
In the Gulf Country, Kowanyama recorded 119mm since 9 am. on Sunday.
This park in Ayr was completely inundated. (ABC North Qld: Lily Nothling)normal
“That trough is forecast to slowly move south again, probably more towards the Whitsundays … but we’re still expecting rainfalls to be around higher mark for the next couple days,” Mr Lombard said.
He said the region could expect six-hourly totals between 120-180 mm.
“With your 24-hour totals getting up to 220mm, you might even see it getting up to 250mm the further west you are — so probably through the northern Goldfields, Upper Flinders and up towards the gulf,” Mr Lombard said.
The bureau is expecting the trough to move east by the middle of the week.
“Things are not quite clearing up, but there is some good news — getting to Wednesday, we definitely see a clearing trend,” Mr Lombard said.
“We’ll see a decrease in rainfall from Wednesday and towards the end of the week.”
Warnings are still in place
Major flood warnings remain in place for the Cape, Upper Burdekin, Flinders, Haughton, and Herbert rivers.
Yesterday, Premier David Crisafulli said it would take some time to gauge the cost of damage.
“We have to make sure that individuals who need support get support, we have to make sure that the councils are able to do their repairs and then we have to look at business support packages,” he said.
There are more than 4,000 homes without power, including about 1,600 in the Hinchinbrook region.
Power was restored to about 1,400 Townsville homes, but it has gone out again.
The landslide near Crystal Creek took out power infrastructure and left many homes blacked out. (Supplied: Ergon Energy)normal
Ergon Energy said it hoped to restore power to all residents by 10pm on Monday, including at Paluma, where power poles and wires were wiped out by a landslide near Crystal Creek.
“We’re looking at, with the assistance of the ADF, lifting in generation and fuel pods there,” spokesperson Emma Oliveri said.
“We know it’s been an anxious wait for our customers in that community.”
SES volunteers and Ergon Energy workers have been using the rail bus to access Ingham. (ABC North Qld: Chloe Chomicki)normal
Residents urged to ‘stock up’
Hinchinbrook Shire Council Mayor Ramon Jayo urged residents to restock from Ingham if they were able to access town over the coming days.
“It’s important that if the water does drop sufficiently – and we get those roads open quickly – that they do avail themselves of that opportunity to come to town and stock up,” he said.
“Resupply still limited … but there is some stuff about, particularly at Woolworths.”
He said council crews had started to clean up, and that and kerbside bin collection would recommence on Monday.
Dozens more SES volunteers are heading to Ingham on Monday via rail bus as the Bruce Highway remains cut at Ollera Creek, south of the flood-ravaged town.
David Regazzoli says preserving food has been a challenge. (ABC North Qld: Chloe Chomicki)normal
David Regazzoli was also on the bus, travelling from the Lower Herbert to Townsville to pick up a new generator after his broke on Sunday night.
“The power has been cut the whole time the flood has been up, so we’re just trying to keep food cold,” he said.
“Down where we are, we’re pretty well used to it, but I think town didn’t fair too well — all suffering.”
Residents are becoming increasingly frustrated by the delay in the restoration of power to communities that have been blacked out for more than a week.
Paula Marx says she woke up every hour to check water levels when the flooding started. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)normal
‘So saturated’
Some residents in Giru, in the Burdekin region, have begun the heartbreaking task of assessing the clean-up ahead.
Paula Marx and her 92-year-old mother have been taking refuge at a neighbour’s home for the last three days.
They were evacuated by police boat when the first flood hit.
“I’m fine, [but] as soon as I try to describe it, I tear up,” Ms Marx said.
“I’ll be glad when it’s over.”
Ms. Marx’s home was not inundated but did sustain significant water damage. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)normal
Ms. Marx said her floorboards were drenched and electricity at her home was still limited.
“Everything was so saturated, it was so unsafe,” she said.
“I’ve had an electrician come in … we’ve got two power cords that run from that junction box at the moment, which is kind of OK.
“If I put the fridge on it short-circuits everything, so we’ve got to get a new fridge, freezer, and all that.
“The carpet’s wet … it’s the mud and the mould, I’ve run out of clothes, it’s everyday stuff and throwing all the food out.”
Lincoln Strathie’s car is covered in mud after being flooded. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)normal
It is the first time Lincoln Strathie had experienced a flood in, and the height of the water caught him by surprise.
His car was inundated twice.
“It just came in pretty quick — half an hour, and it was at your feet,” Mr Strathie said.
“We’ve got two garden sheds full of stuff … that we’ll have to chuck out, power tools, and stuff that was just a bit low.”
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