Residents in Queensland’s north remain on high alert with hundreds of millimetres of rain expected to be dumped in parts of the region in the coming hours.
More than 1200mm of rain has fallen over Ingham and Townsville in the past three days, cutting power and roads, inundating homes and forcing school closures, with floodwaters expected to continue to rise until tomorrow morning.
One person has died and more than 400 are currently taking shelter in six evacuation centres across the region.
Emergency services received 480 requests for assistance overnight and performed 11 swift water rescues.
With more rain still to fall, Townsville councillor Andrew Robinson has urged locals to have a plan.
“It’s not too late to still plan, decide what you are going to do in the event that your house is inundated, where are you going to go?”
Critical infrastructure and supplies
Residents of Charters Towers have been urged to restrict water use to drinking and toileting with power and water supply to the town disrupted.
Many major supermarkets in the region are now either closed or isolated by floodwaters.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has urged residents to remain calm as images of empty supermarket shelves begin circulating on social media.
He confirmed the region has at least six weeks’ food supply in warehouses.
He said residents cut off by floodwaters who were in need of supplies should contact local disaster management for assistance.
The town of Ingham remains without power after a substation was inundated and the Ollera Creek Bridge, which forms a critical part of the Bruce Highway, has collapsed.
Premier David Crisafulli today confirmed the Defence Force was preparing to assist with high-clearance vehicles and air support.
He said that support would continue as floodwaters recede and the clean-up begins.
Crisafulli was expected to visit the flood-stricken region this afternoon, after the Townsville Airport reopened this morning
The low-pressure system across the southwestern Cape York Peninsula to the east coast near Lucinda is gradually weakening and the heavy rainfall risk is likely to become confined to more localised areas later today and into tomorrow.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns flash flooding remains likely between Tully and Giru, inland to the far western Herbert and Lower Burdekin district, including Townsville.
Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100mm to 140mm are likely, with isolated falls up to 180mm.
Some areas, including Cardwell Gap and Paluma, have received more than 600mm in the last 24 hours.
Major flood warnings are in place for the Haughton, Herbert, Ross, and Upper Burdekin rivers.
The Herbert River at Ingham Pump Station may reach 15 metres today, which is still below the 1967 flood level of 15.2 metres, but is expected to continue to rise before peaking tomorrow.
Major flooding is expected at Aplin Weir due to controlled releases on the Ross River Dam.
“This will contribute to flows downstream in the Ross River. Major flooding is expected on Monday morning, with further river level rises expected over the next few days,” a social media post from Townsville Disaster Information warned today.
The river is currently at 1.7m, above the moderate flood level of 1.6m.
It is expected to exceed the major flood level of 1.8m this morning and is likely to reach about 2m by the afternoon.
The woman was travelling with an SES crew on the boat when it struck a tree and flipped.
Her body was found a short time later.
