Queensland Flood Update – 10 January

Flash floods hit Brisbane Australia’s 3rd largest city

Summary of latest events:

• At least two people have been killed and seven others are missing after a flash flood swept through the city of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

• Floods have swamped the town of Dalby again, the town is evacuated.
• Town of Gympie is inundated
• The towns of Kilcoy and Toogoolawah in the Brisbane Valley have been cut off by floodwaters
• Heavy rains reported in south-east Queensland and Darling Downs
• Forecasters say heavy rains will continue to ravage the flooded areas for the next 48 to 72 hours
• Several flooded towns “remain under siege from rain”
• More flooding to hit northern NSW

TOP PRIORITY
FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR LOCKYER CREEK

Issued at 8:37 PM on Monday the 10th of January 2011 by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane.

Very heavy rainfalls have been recorded in the Toowoomba, Crows Nest and Gatton area and have caused extreme rises in the upper Lockyer Creek between Helidon and Gatton with the peak currently arriving in the Glenore Grove area.

Record flood levels of 18.92 metres were recorded at Gatton this evening before the station failed. This level is well above the previous record peak of 16.33 metres from the February 1893 flood.

Very fast and dangerous rises are occurring downstream of Gatton to Glenore Grove and will extend downstream to Lyons Bridge and O’Reilly Weir during Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Contact the SES on 132 500 for emergency assistance if required.

Without Warning?

Toowoomba’s mayor said the scale of the floods was “unbelievable” and that it had left the city in shock.

‘It’s a real disaster scene where I’m standing at the moment in Russell Street, Toowoomba. There’s furniture and furnishings and it’s just blown shops away.”Mayor Peter Taylor said

”We have a railway line about 60 or 70m (230ft) suspended in mid-air and two cars that are virtually unrecognizable that have floated and smashed into the rail.”

Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said police had received numerous calls from people needing to be rescued, a report said.

“We’ve had multiple calls requesting urgent assistance from people caught in vehicles, caught on the street, caught in flood ways,” he said.

“It is an evolving and obviously quite desperate situation for them,” he said. “There has been no warning of this event.”

NO Warning? For crying out loud!

Here’s a warning to all Deputy Police Commissioners in Australia:

EXPECT BACK-TO-BACK DISASTERS IN AUSTRALIA UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

[DOES the lack of warning refer to flagrant wrongdoings by the state or federal government, which Deputy Police Commissioner Stewart is reticent about?]

The Rain’s Impact Unpredictable

“The ground is so waterlogged, the catchments so primed, the rivers so full, the creeks are all flooding, and it will mean something more dramatic than it has in the past,” Emergency chief Warren Bridson said.

“That 200 millimetres (eight inches) of rain… could mean the difference between a minor flood and a major flood.”

The rain’s impact is totally unpredictable, he added.

Excerpts from Local News Reports

“One person is dead and other lives are under threat after a flash flood swept through the Queensland city of Toowoomba, turning streets into raging torrents.” Source

“Seven people, three of them children, are feared missing in flash flooding west of Brisbane, capping a day of chaos as Queensland’s flood emergency spread to its thickly populated southeast corner.” Source

“A flash flood has hit the city of Toowoomba west of Brisbane with witnesses saying cars have been swept away, police say.” Source

“Weather officials issued a severe weather alert, warning of flash flooding and worsening river floods in Queensland state’s heavily populated southeast and the center of the country’s lucrative Gold Coast tourist strip.” Source

“Dalby‘s fifth flood since December 20 is expected to be the worst yet.” Source

“Dalby is facing its second major flood threat in a month after waters reached flood levels three weeks ago.” Source

“About 500 people in the rural Darkwood and upper Thora communities, near Coffs Harbour, became cut off on Monday due to flooding along the upper Bellinger River, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) says.” Source

Floods threaten the Great Barrier Reef

“Australia’s devastating floods are flushing toxic, pesticide-laden sediment into the Great Barrier Reef, and could threaten fragile corals and marine life in the world’s largest living organism, environmentalists said on Monday.” Source

Source: Image from Japan Meteorological Agency satellite MTSAT-1R via Bureau of Meteorology. Posted on 10 January 2011 12:01 UTC

• Latest Satellite Image.
• IR Color Animation

Maryborough to Gold Coast Rainfall and River Conditions

In MALENY 321mm of rain has fallen in under 6 hours, 164mm in one hour alone.

Source: BOM

Queensland Rainfall Map

Queensland Flood Map  (10-01-2010)

Links to Queensland Floods Satellite Images

• Queensland Flood Update – 10 January Posted on January 10, 2011
• Brisbane on high alert for flooding Posted on January 9, 2011

• Rockhampton Flooding Satellite Images Posted on January 8, 2011
• 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

Latest Weather Observations for the Brisbane Area

• Source: BOM

Queensland Warnings Summary

• Current warnings

Australia’s Latest Weather Warnings

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

Related Links:

• Brisbane on high alert for flooding
• Aus Disasters [Links page]