QLD Flood Toll Reaches 10
Swarms of Infected Mosquitoes Plague Rockhampton as Floodwaters Isolate City
Australia’s Disasters Continue to Unfold
PRIORITY: FLOOD WARNING FOR THE FITZROY RIVER BASIN
Issued at 7:14 PM on Tuesday the 4th of January 2011 by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane.
Major flooding continues along the Dawson, Comet, Mackenzie and Fitzroy Rivers.
The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton was 9.2 metres at 3:15pm Tuesday and rising slowly with major flooding.
The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton is expected to peak up to 9.4 metres on Wednesday and remain above the major flood level of 8.5 metres for 1 week after the peak.
CONNORS/ISAAC RIVER SYSTEM:
Moderate flooding will continue to ease on the Isaac River at Yatton.
COMET RIVER:
Major flooding will continue to ease along the Comet River during this week.
MACKENZIE RIVER:
Major flooding is occurring along the Mackenzie River, where the main flood peak is now downstream of Tartrus.
DAWSON RIVER:
Major flooding extends downstream from Taroom between The Glebe area through to Knebworth, including the towns of Theodore, Moura and Baralaba. The main flood peak is currently in the Baralaba area, where flood levels will remain above the major flood level (9 metres) until at least Sunday. Major flood levels at Theodore and Moura are expected to continue to fall during this week.
FITZROY RIVER:
The Fitzroy River at Riverslea continues to fall. At 5:30pm Tuesday the river was at 26.56 metres with major flooding. Levels at Riverslea are expected to continue to fall very slowly during this week.
At Yaamba, flood levels currently remain steady near the peak, where at 6pm Tuesday the river level was 16.55 metres and steady.
The Fitzroy River at Rockhampton was 9.20 metres at 3:15pm Tuesday and rising slowly with major flooding. Rockhampton is expected to peak up to 9.4 metres during Wednesday. This is similar to the 1991 (9.3m) and 1954 (9.4m) flood levels. Rockhampton river levels are expected to remain above 8.5 metres (major) for 1 week after the peak.
Predicted River Heights/Flows:
DAWSON RIVER at:
Theodore: Major flood levels will fall slowly through this week and remain above major flood level (12 metres) until the weekend.
Moura: Major flood levels will fall slowly through this week.
Baralaba: Major flood levels will fall but remain above major flood level (9 metres) until the weekend.
FITZROY RIVER at:
Yaamba: Remain around the major flood peak of 16.55 metres overnight. River levels to remain high for several days.
Rockhampton: Peak up to 9.4 metres during Wednesday, and remaining above 8.5 metres for 1 week after the peak.
Weather Forecast:
Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms. [SOURCE: BOM]
Warnings and River Height Bulletins are available at
http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/flood/
Floodwaters are surging into the city of Rockhampton, which is almost entirely isolated.
“We’re really still in the middle of an unfolding disaster.” said QLD premier Anna Bligh, as the forecasters reported that Fitzroy River will crest on Wednesday, possibly Thursday.
At least 1,000 homes have been evacuated, as of posting, just before a 9.1m surge of floodwater swamped most of the central Queensland city of Rockhampton.
The health authorities fear an outbreak of Ross River virus, a debilitating infection, which is all but inevitable after large swarms of mosquitoes plague sewage-infested Rockhampton [as well as other populated areas throughout the flood-stricken Queensland and NSW.]
“Rates of the disease – spread to humans by mosquitoes that have fed on infected kangaroos and wallabies – will at least double, said Stephen Doggett, a senior scientist at Westmead Hospital, and could rise much higher.”
The health authorities are concerned about outbreaks of other types of skin and blood infections, as well as snake and spider bites as the cleanup operations begin, a health official expert said.
Tourism Harms the Planet and Can Kill You!
Police rescue German tourists near the northern town of Jabiru after their car became stuck going through crocodile-infested waters. (Northern Territory police /via LA Times. January 3, 2011)
“Truly Startling”
Prime Minister Julia Gillard on an aerial tour of the town of Emerald called the disaster area as “truly startling.”
She said it was “a major natural disaster” and recovery would take “a significant amount of time.”
“You see how widespread the floodwaters are and how affected Emerald is, how many houses have been affected,” she declared. “The patches that are not covered by floodwaters are a lot less than the area that is covered by floodwaters, so it’s a very tough time in Emerald.”
Wheat Shortage
The impact of severe flooding in Australia goes beyond the local communities and would probably lead to wheat shortages and an increase in the price of food.
The flooding in Queensland and NSW may have destroyed up to 20 million tons of wheat and barley crops.
FORECAST: More Rain!
Image Source: Japan Meteorological Agency satellite MTSAT-1R via Bureau of Meteorology. Image posted at: Sunday 4 January 2011 09:49UTC. Click images to enlarge.
Total Rainfall Forecast
Source: BOM
Recent Rainfall Map
Click Image to Enlarge.
Queensland: Rainfall Map (3 months)
Queensland: Warnings Summary
- Ocean Wind Warning 1,
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning – Queensland 1,
- Flood Warning – Burdekin River,
- Flood Warning – Don River and Adjacent Streams,
- Flood Warning – Fitzroy River,
- Flood Warning – Condamine-Balonne Rivers,
- Flood Warning – Macintyre/Weir,
- Flood Warning – Moonie River,
- Flood Warning – Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper Ck,
- Flood Warning – Gulf Rivers,
- Queensland flood warning summary.
Flood Warnings, Rainfall and River Information
Australia Current Warnings
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