Rockhampton Flooding – Satellite Images

Flooding in Rockhampton, Queensland

Image captured by ASTER on NASA’s Terra satellite – 7 January 2011

Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (3 MB, JPEG)

The image uses a combination of visible light and infrared to enhance the contrast between floodwaters and earth. “Reflective surfaces on buildings make the city shine white against a background of plant-covered land (which shows up as red). Sediment-loaded water is brown, while clearer water is black.” Source: NASA-EO.

Meanwhile, the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Queensland issued the following flood warning earlier today.

FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FITZROY RIVER BASIN
Issued at 4:00 PM on Saturday the 8th of January 2011 [IDQ20765]
by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane.

Moderate to major flooding continues along the Dawson, Comet, Mackenzie and Fitzroy Rivers.

The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton has remained steady at about 9.15 metres during Saturday following a peak of 9.2 metres on Wednesday. Levels will fall veryslowly from Sunday. Rockhampton river levels are expected to remain above 8.5metres (major) until late next week.

CONNORS/ISAAC RIVER SYSTEM:
Moderate flooding continues to ease on the Isaac River at Yatton.

COMET RIVER:
Major flooding continues to ease along the Comet River into the weekend.

MACKENZIE RIVER:
Minor to major flood levels continue to fall along the Mackenzie River, where the main flood peak is now downstream of Tartrus. Levels will fall graduallybetween the Comet confluence and Tartrus.

DAWSON RIVER:
Minor flooding is easing slowly in the upper Dawson River at Taroom. Renewed rises are occurring downstream in the Glebe area with only minor flood levels expected. Downstream at Theodore, Moura and Baralaba, levels will continue to fall fast this weekend before small renewed rises and minor flooding during nextweek.

FITZROY RIVER:
Major flooding continues in the Fitzroy River at Riverslea. At 2:30pm Saturday the river level at Riverslea was at 26.22 metres and falling. Levels areexpected to continue falling very slowly through the weekend.

At Yaamba, flood levels continue to remain steady at 16.45 metres, following amajor peak of 16.55 metres recorded during Tuesday.

The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton remains steady. At 3:30pm Saturday, the river level at Rockhampton was 9.10 metres. River levels are expected to fall veryslowly from Sunday. Rockhampton river levels are expected to remain above 8.5metres (major) until next Friday.

Predicted River Heights/Flows:

DAWSON RIVER at:

Baralaba: Flood levels will fall but remain above major floodlevel (9 metres) until Monday or Tuesday.

FITZROY RIVER at:

Yaamba: Remain above major flood level for several days.

Rockhampton: Fall extremely slowly during the weekend.Remain above 8.5 metres (major) until late next week.

Next Issue:

The next warning will be issued at about 7am Sunday.(River heights are constantly updated on the Bureau website.)

For other entries including additional satellite images, click HERE.

BOM Links: CURRENT WARNINGS

NSW/ACT | VIC | QLD | WA | SA | TAS

Related Links:

• Queensland Floods Spread to NSW Posted on January 7, 2011
• Queensland Flooding – Satellite Images Posted on January 6, 2011
• Australia: More Severe Weather Looms
• Mosquitoes Plague Flooded Rockhampton
• Queensland Flood Update – 3 Jan 2011

• Nature’s DoS Attack on Australia
• Queensland Flooding: Disaster of “Biblical Proportions”
• Australia Flood Update
• Thousands of Australians Evacuate Flood-hit Queensland