Flood disaster taking toll on graziers in north-west Queensland, more rain forecast for tropical coast

Severe weather continues to impact Queensland as communities grapple with ongoing flooding and the potential for further heavy rainfall. A man died in Normanton, while others have been rescued from rising waters, as a week of monsoonal rain causes widespread disruption across the state’s north and northwest.

Potential isolated heavy falls

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported the potential for isolated heavy falls in “already flooded catchments” in the northwest, though conditions are expected to be more isolated than in recent days.

Meteorologist Shane Kennedy said major flooding is possible at Richmond from late Friday. He added that there is the potential to see further 15 to 40 millimetres per day with more isolated 50 to 100 millimetres.

At Gilliat Plains, Jessica Bridges said she turns on the TV at night to fall asleep so she does not have to listen to the rain. “There’s a lot of anxiety and big emotions in a lot of people’s households,” she said. “What happened in 2019 was horrible, and to have to live through that more than once in your lifetime … there’s an essence of PTSD.”

Ms. Bridges noted that “there’s still a lot of water to come down the channels” as the rain eases in the northwest.

Several locations in the northwest broke monthly December rainfall records, including Burketown, Normanton, Cloncurry and Julia Creek with 450mm to 550mm.

Acting Superintendent of the Mount Isa District Paul Austin said while conditions were easing, people should not be complacent. “We still have a lot of run-off, water moving in river systems at major flood level,” he said. “We also have quite a few people trapped in some of those smaller towns.”

Graziers have been working to assess stock losses and move cattle to higher ground. Ashley Gallagher said his pilot encountered crocodiles while attempting to move cattle, forcing them to leave the animals on an island.

On the coast, a severe weather warning south of Ingham to north of Bowen is likely to continue across the weekend. Onshore winds are bringing more rain with heavy falls possible around Townsville, where 251mm has been recorded since 9am on Thursday.

Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said king tides in the coming days, combined with the heavy rainfall, mean the flood risk remains for the city. Residents, including Duncan Fyfe, expressed frustration with the recurring flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the system should shift offshore early next week.