A major flooding event is wreaking havoc in North Queensland, with one person confirmed dead and thousands more affected by power outages and water supply disruptions.
The town of Ingham is bearing the brunt of the floods, with the local power substation set to be shut off and residents warned to evacuate immediately.
Emergency Alerts Issued as Flooding Worsens
An emergency alert was issued for the Bluewater area on Sunday afternoon, with residents told to leave immediately or move to higher ground due to the danger of flooding.
The alert comes as the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts intense rainfall and potentially life-threatening flash flooding in the region.
Power and Water Supply Disruptions
The flooding has already caused significant disruptions to power and water supplies, with Magnetic Island and Palm Island experiencing outages.
Premier David Crisafulli warned that the situation could get worse, with over 2000 homes in Townsville already without power.
A Once-in-a-Century Event
The Premier described the flooding in Ingham as a “once-in-a-century occurrence”, with the town experiencing monsoonal-like conditions.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting that the deluge will continue into Monday, with various parts of the coast between Tully and Ayr recording over 300mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
Rainfall Totals
Here are the latest rainfall totals for the region:
- Rollingstone: 999mm
- Deeragun: 666mm
- Ingham: 662mm
- Saunders Creek: 655mm
- Townsville: 545mm
- Ayr: 402mm
- Innisfail: 259mm
- Mackay: 184mm
- Cairns: 82mm
Government Support Available
The government has announced emergency payments of $180, up to $900 for a family of five or more people, to support those affected by the floods.
What’s Next?
Senior bureau meteorologist Dean Narramore warned that the rain will continue all day and night, with further rainfall expected on Monday.
The situation is expected to ease slightly from Tuesday, but the region can still expect widespread rain and local heavy falls.
Stay safe, North Queensland! We’ll keep you updated with the latest news and updates on the flooding situation.