Flash Flooding Fury: Elderly Man’s Tragic Death as Queensland’s North is Lashed by Record Rainfall – 37 Roads Closed and More Chaos to Come
- A man in his 70s has lost his life in the devastating flash floods that have ravaged Queensland’s north, leaving a community in mourning.
- Premier David Crisafulli has warned of more wild weather to come, with isolated heavy falls of up to 100 millimetres possible in the next few days.
- Thirty-seven roads are currently closed, including sections of the Bruce Highway, as emergency crews battle to clear landslips and reconnect roads.
In a heartbreaking development, a man in his 70s has become the first victim of the flash flooding that has brought Queensland’s north to its knees. The tragic loss was confirmed by Premier David Crisafulli, who said the community would be “cut deep” by the news.
“In the end, property can be replaced. People can’t,” Crisafulli told Sunrise, his voice laced with emotion, as he assessed the damage in Mount Isa. The premier’s words were a stark reminder of the human cost of the disaster, which has seen thousands of people affected by the record rainfall.
The weather system may be starting to break up, but the damage has already been done. Isolated pockets have received rainfall totals greater than the massive 2019 floods that devastated the region. “This is certainly not as widespread as that, but there are isolated pockets where people have had some really, really significant damage and some significant loss,” Crisafulli warned.
As the situation continues to unfold, emergency crews are focusing on two key areas: clearing landslips and reconnecting roads, and delivering fodder drops to isolated cattle in the coming days. Stock movements have been underway over the past couple of days, particularly out of the Hughenden area, to move cattle to safer ground.
Crisafulli, who has convened a disaster emergency meeting, praised the emergency workers who cancelled leave to respond to the crisis. “We’ve prepared for this event better than I’ve ever seen in Queensland history,” he said, noting that swift water rescue crews, senior police, ambulance officers and SES volunteers have been pre-positioned across the region.
“This is wet season rain, it’s what happens in north and far north Queensland… They are very resilient people,” the premier said, but even the most hardened residents are bracing for more chaos to come. With more wild weather expected over the next few days, the people of Queensland’s north are holding their breath, hoping that the worst is behind them.