Residents in Far North Queensland are being urged to take shelter, get as high as they can, and to avoid driving in floodwaters with more challenging conditions ahead. Fresh warnings come as disturbing footage emerged showing locals wading through murky waters despite crocodile warnings.
Taken from a helicopter above, the vision shows a man and a woman struggle to walk through near waste-deep water just metres away form their submerged car. The pair were spotted after an ostensible failure to drive through floodwaters along the Jarra Creek Bridge along Tully Gorge Road.
Stunned Aussies reacting to the vision referred to the pair as “croc bait” on social media.
The rainfall has been fuelled by two tropical lows, however thankfully they are unlikely to form into cyclones. Nonetheless, cyclonic-like rain totals have lashed Townsville and surrounds with forecasts of 200mm to 400mm expected through Sunday into Monday.
A severe weather warning remains in place for large stretches of the state’s north between Cairns and Ayr, with more intense rainfall expected between Tully and Townsville.
“We’re likely to see widespread falls of anywhere from 200 to 400 millimetres almost on a daily basis, with isolated falls in excess of 900 millimetres possible,” BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore on Saturday afternoon.
“We could even be talking about places in excess of one metre over the next few days. That is an incredible amount of rainfall.”
The situation has led to dangerous flash flooding with authorities warning of “life-threatening impacts.” The severe rainfall could also threaten to destroy homes, properties and businesses, with flash-flooding leading to washed-out roads and potential landslides.
Residents who can urged to leave by midday
An emergency warning was issued at 5am on Sunday for the Hinchinbrook Shire with authorities warning residents to stay in place.
“Get up as high as you can where you are. There is dangerous flooding,” it warned.
Another emergency alert was issued for greater Townsville, with residents of Cluden, Hermit Park, Idalia, Oonoonba, Railway Estate and Rosslea warned to leave by midday on Sunday.
A disaster declaration has been made for both Townsville and Innisfail. Meanwhile authorities have deployed further resources to the state’s north with the Australian Defence Force assisting on the ground.
“The next 24 hours it is absolutely critical that you listen to emergency services and stay alive to the alerts,” state disaster co-ordinator Shane Chelepy said on Saturday.
“We are dealing with a dual event here… We are dealing with flash flooding from the heavy rain, but we are now seeing impacts from those major riverine systems which will bring riverine flooding into those communities.”
Adding further need for caution is the threat of crocodile populations pushing into flooded communities.
An Aloomba resident, south of Cairns, captured a video of a “decent sized” croc moving through floodwaters, just a few metres away from their car on Friday.
The vision was shared by Triple M Cairns on Saturday. “With many creeks and rivers currently flooded in North QLD, remember these beasts are on the move,” the station warned on social media.
Reacting to the video, local councillor Brett Moller urged locals to “always be vigilant and crocwise around our waterways, especially in flood waters”.
Speaking to Yahoo News on Friday, Queensland crocodile breeder and expert John Lever explained the danger.
“Crocodiles don’t want to be fighting raging torrents all the time so they always swim to the water’s edge and of course, when you get rising water levels the water reach is always changing and going further inland, so they end up further inland,” he said.
“Now when the water recedes and particularly in flood zones, crocodiles are left in a waterhole where they’ve never been seen before.”
with AAP
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