FLOODWATERS OF DESPAIR: Man, 70, found dead in submerged vehicle as Queensland battles unprecedented deluge – with towns isolated, livestock stranded and records shattered
- A man in his 70s has been found dead in his vehicle, submerged in floodwaters at Normanton, in outback Queensland
- Queensland Police confirm the death is not suspicious, but a report will be prepared for the coroner
- Towns are cut off, livestock is stranded, and records have been broken as two weather systems drench the state
Tragedy has struck in outback Queensland as a man in his 70s was found dead in his vehicle, submerged in floodwaters at Normanton. The devastating discovery was made on Tuesday afternoon, as the state battles an unprecedented deluge that has left towns isolated and livestock stranded.
“The death has not been deemed suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner,” Queensland Police said in a statement. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of driving through floodwaters, with police urging motorists to exercise extreme caution.
“Motorists are urged to never drive through floodwaters,” police warned. The warning comes as two weather systems continue to drench the state, with Normanton one of the hardest hit towns.
Aerial footage shows the devastating impact of the floods, with water engulfing the dry landscape and turning it into a lake. “Obviously we’ve got quite a lot of rain here in a very short period of time and you’d say it snuck up on us a little bit,” local Troy Gallagher said.
Gallagher has been using his boat to collect supplies and rescue stranded residents, including a local teacher and his two dogs. “Very grateful to hear from us, and yeah, I brought him back to town. We don’t expect the Norman to go down. I don’t expect it down for a week and a half,” Gallagher said.
The deluge has transformed the landscape of Cloncurry, known for its iconic red dirt plains, with the town’s striking soil now completely submerged under floodwaters. “The creek has come up the highest we’ve ever seen it in 63 years. So, yep, a fair bit of water,” one local resident said.
The Curley family’s station in outback Queensland has been inundated, with their patio now boasting an unexpected waterfront view after more than 100mm of rain fell on Monday night. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the state, locals at Mission Beach are dealing with the impacts of a coastal trough.
“Just a little bit of rain here this afternoon,” one resident said, standing knee-deep in their backyard. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Harry Clark warned that the situation remains serious and rapidly evolving. “We have seen some seven-day rainfall totals around that sort of 300 to 400 millimetres for the Gulf country and parts of the northwest.”
Premier David Crisafulli told reporters that authorities are dealing with communities that will be isolated, with concerns for agriculture and impacts on roads. “We are not out of the woods yet. We will be continuing to monitor both of those systems closely. It will be a fairly rapidly changing situation, particularly in the northeast.”
But Crisafulli said the community is “tough” and knows how to deal with these types of flooding events. As the state continues to battle the unprecedented deluge, residents are bracing themselves for the worst, with the situation expected to worsen in the coming days.