Torrential Rain Brings Flash Flooding Terror to Far North Queensland: Residents on High Alert as Rivers Burst Their Banks
- More than 300mm of rain has fallen in some areas, causing flash flooding and minor flooding in parts of Far North Queensland
- Canegrowers are devastated as their freshly planted crops are soaked, with fears of erosion and loss of new plantings
- Cairns’ main drinking water storage has been boosted, but the city still faces water restrictions as levels remain significantly lower than usual
Far North Queensland is reeling after a deluge of torrential rain brought flash flooding terror to the region, with some areas recording more rain in 24 hours than they typically receive in the entire month of September.
Topaz, on the Atherton Tablelands, has been hardest hit, with a staggering 379 millimetres of rain falling in just 24 hours – including a massive 110mm in only three hours. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning on Wednesday morning for heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the southern Tablelands, which was later cancelled.
Minor flooding is occurring at Peets Bridge on the Mulgrave River, with the weather bureau warning that minor flooding is also possible at Gordonvale on Thursday morning. Daintree Village is also at risk of minor flooding this evening with the high tide and elevated river levels along the Mossman River.
In the Tully catchment, the bureau is warning of potential minor flooding at Euramo on Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, Cairns Regional Council has announced that the city’s water levels have risen from 89 per cent to 93.6 per cent after the heavy rain, but water restrictions are still on the cards.
For canegrowers like Luke Zammit, the torrential rain has brought devastating consequences. “We planned to get 100mm in total by the forecast and yet we’re talking about 300[mm]. Some places maybe have got more,” he said. “Some of the farms probably needed a drink but it’s very hard to see the benefit [for] freshly planted cane.”
Steven Calcagno, a canegrower from Bellenden Ker, described the rain as “a bit unusual” for September and “not ideal”. He added that a Friday night downpour had a local creek alongside his farm pumping, saying “it was running really fast and roaring, so it was getting pretty close to a flood event.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has recorded more than 326mm of rain at Innisfail since the start of the month, making it one of the wettest Septembers on record for the town. Forecaster Steve Kennedy said widespread rain was expected to continue over the next two days, although with less chance of falls above 100mm.
Luke Zammit is hoping for a reprieve from more wet weather over the coming weeks as the cane harvest continues. “Our local fishing club at Kurrimine Beach is praying that it’ll drop because they’ve got a big tournament this weekend,” he said.