Wet Xmas for QLD

[MO]

@XYGTHO, If I were you I'd be getting it to much higher ground asap.

[Jim Goose]

XYGTHO.. id be moving stuff in anycase. take all the precautions now before its too late. dunno what you can do about the car though. Keep piling the bricks under it....

[MO]

Saw news footage of a guy in Emerald, I think,with a classic Corvette it was in his shed up on blocks. The cars roof was well and truly in the roof of the shed and the water was lapping at the tyres and still rising.

[rodderz]

Airport to shut today, last flight at 1.45pm. We are not far from the airport though and the water looks to be a few days off getting to the immediate area, maybe there is fast rises happening today. The yeppon lagoon was receding yesterday, but apparently the river will back up again when it gets higher.

Few more roads closed over north side, had a hard time dropping off mates after nye booze up last night.

[Sam_Boss260]

To all the guys up north, stay safe.

[Road Games]

I was there in the 91 flood... We had just moved to Blackwater in Dec when they told me it never rains out here

It never looked as bad as what you guys are facing now though .... cars can be replaced, please stay safe guys ..
Daz.

[XR6_661]

Not much happening in FNQ...had something like 100mm overnight.

You southeners are hogging all the fun =P

[rodderz]

Water level getting up there now, heaps of roads around the outskirts of town are now closed or starting to fill with the drains backing up because of the river height. Quay st may get shut tomorrow, water nearly level with it. The carpark next to the height marker is now half full.

There was a report of not much dunny paper left in town today, people are going stupid buying enough stuff for 3 months not a few days at a time

[buggerlugs]

They reckon we are going to get sued up here on the Sunshine Coast for false advertising !!! Just for something different, it's still raining cats and dogs. Has been since about early October !! Gympy got 300mm overnight

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

They reckon we are going to get sued up here on the Sunshine Coast for false advertising !!! Just for something different, it's still raining cats and dogs. Has been since about early October !! Gympy got 300mm overnight

Arent we the Sunshine Flooded state?

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

They reckon we are going to get sued up here on the Sunshine Coast for false advertising !!! Just for something different, it's still raining cats and dogs. Has been since about early October !! Gympy got 300mm overnight

My Mrs and I sometimes head up to the Matilda at Kybong (Sth of Gympie) at night for some munchies (no, not stoned, just hungry and feel like a chiko or something). Tonight was one of those nights. Apparently the Goose Hwy is cut before Gympie and the carpark at Matilda was a temporary caravan park, roof top tents etc. I felt sorry for the poor buggers having to try and sleep in the mass of sedans there with towels ion the windows to block the sunlight. The staff reckon there are a couple hundred trucks parked round the back too.

Still, its better than stuck in the middle of nowhere beside the road I suppose, at least there are food/drinks and toilets and showers.

[buggerlugs]

The rain woke me up at 4.00am it was that heavy. I thought there was a train on the roof. For the last hour it hasn't let up. Our bridge down the front is now under water.

[Jestr75]

My wife and I drove to Brisbane yesterday from Hervey Bay to pick up our new car. Got stuck at Kybong on the way back for a little while then went back in through Traveston, Kin Kin and Cedar creek to get to Gympie. A bit extra travel time but we just picked up a G6E turbo so it was all good.

[Road Games]

Telethon is on tonight guys .. I will be doing my bit .. I helped the guys and gals down in vic with the bushfires as well so hopefully they will return the favour

[rodderz]

Water isn't going down much here in Rocky, a lot of businesses need the highways and airport to reopen so they can start making money again. Airport still a few weeks off as they will need to test the Tarmac due to the base being soft now. We have to get the fast cat from Yeppoon down the coast to Gladstone and get a plane from there.

Ridges Resort is losing nearly $40,000 a day down the beach due to lost bookings, played golf there today and if was very quiet for a Sunday.

Hopefully the waters recede soon, it's gonna be a rotten place when the water goes and leaves the mud, some areas the water's already going a bit rancid. And the sandflies are ******!

[Road Games]

Sorry to hear that rodderz :(

Tune in , help out and feel good folks ...

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...09#post3518709

[Dumpsta]

From what I hear, Rocky peaked at 9.2? I went in for a squiz, pretty awesome site to see, apparently worth a drive out to Yaamba but I cbf. Going in again today or tomorrow to pick my car up so see what happens then.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Arent we the Sunshine Flooded state?

I've got a mate and his family up here from Central NSW, checking QLD out to move here.... tough sell with the volume of water we have falling from the sky.

Hopefully it eases up for all affected and they can get on with their lives, really hope insurance companies payup where they should without dragging people through the wringer too.

[buggerlugs]

300mm in 24 hours here and it is still bucketing down..........

[my_gxl]

Originally Posted by Scott

I've got a mate and his family up here from Central NSW, checking QLD out to move here.... tough sell with the volume of water we have falling from the sky.

Hopefully it eases up for all affected and they can get on with their lives, really hope insurance companies payup where they should without dragging people through the wringer too.

Well at least they can see where not to buy

[Geez Louise]

My son is going to the Sunshine Coast for 12days today. He booked it over 6mths ago. I can not remember a time where I have seen it rain so much up that way.

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by Geez Louise

My son is going to the Sunshine Coast for 12days today. He booked it over 6mths ago. I can not remember a time where I have seen it rain so much up that way.

Tell him to bring flippers Geez. It is supposed to start clearing by saturday !!! Which part of the coast is he staying at ?

[Geez Louise]

He is actually staying in Surfers. They are doing the whole Theme Park thing. Hadn't had my first coffee of the day yet when I posted...

[Scott]

^^ Could have saved a few bucks on Wet'n'Wild & White Water World lol.

[Jim Goose]

It now seems that the South East is experiencing flooding as well.....

Floods return to Dalby, as Gympie goes under

Updated 28 minutes ago

PreviousNextSlideshow: Photo 1 of 3
Floodwaters are rising in Gympie's CBD.

Floodwaters are rising in Gympie's CBD. (The Gympie Times: Craig Warhurst)

* Video: Brisbane in thick of flood alert (ABC News Breakfast)
* Video: Gympie on alert as river keeps rising (7pm TV News QLD)
* Video: St George relieved as Balonne stops rising (7pm TV News QLD)
* Video: Rivers remain high, roads cut off in Rockhampton (7pm TV News QLD)
* Audio: Gympie latest town isolated by Queensland floods (AM)
* Audio: Taskforce boss says flood recovery could take years (AM)
* Map: Dalby 4405
* Related Story: SE Qld corner 'should prepare for possible floods'
* Related Story: More flash-flooding in Lockyer Valley
* Related Story: Thousands of homes without power
* Related Story: Clean-up kits provided for flood victims

There has been no respite for flood-stricken Queensland, with drenching rains hitting the state's south-east and Darling Downs.

Heavy rain is expected to continue over the next two days in regions already facing major flooding.

The downpour is creating a new threat for some communities that had begun mopping up, including Dalby on the Darling Downs.

In the south-east, almost 4,500 homes are without power in Gympie, the Mary Valley and the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

And not even the capital can escape the flood crisis, with Brisbane residents warned to prepare for flash flooding.

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

About 100 homes were evacuated about midnight as the town's Myall Creek rose rapidly as heavy rain fell.

Mayor Ray Brown said the creek was expected to peak sometime today at 3.5 metres, inundating up to 100 homes.

Councillor Brown said the flooding could devastate the town.

"We're still expecting a significant rise in water levels up to about 3.5 metres, which will cause inundation of homes throughout Dalby, roughly in the vicinity at this stage of 30 to 50 houses at 3.5 metres," he said.

"Anything above that [and it] will be in the vicinity of 100 [houses]."

Locals have been advised to move to higher ground and an evacuation centre has been set up at the local showgrounds.

The SES and police have knocked on doors warning residents to head to the centre and bring their bedding and medication.

"If you hear a rattle on the door please open it because the information may be crucial," Cr Brown said.

Roads into Dalby have been cut to the north and east.

Going under

More than 300 millimetres of rain has fallen in the Mary River catchment, and residents at Gympie are bracing for a flood peak of more than 20 metres this afternoon.

The south side of Gympie is cut off and the town's main street is starting to flood.

"Some of those businesses are now under water, but there are a number of other businesses that are now shifting their stock and goods," Acting Mayor Tony Perrett said.

Emergency crews have begun doorknocking some homes to prepare for evacuation and SES volunteers are sandbagging houses.

Gympie's disaster coordination centre has been activated and dozens of businesses are affected by the floodwaters, including the Royal Hotel.

Manager Jessica Philpot said staff and volunteers worked through the night to save as much as they could.

But she said fast-rising water started streaming into the pub about 5.45am.

"We've almost got a metre of water in the back bar," she said.

"They're guaranteeing another three metres and the owners from Sydney, they've just got on the phone now and say they've changed it to 20 metres tonight, which means our roof would be just touching."

All roads to the south and west of Gympie have been cut, including the Bruce Highway and Mary Valley Road, as a result of the flooding and motorists are urged to avoid the area.

Crisis reaches capital

In Brisbane, residents are being offered sandbags and warned to prepare for flash flooding as the capital gets a taste of Queensland's flood emergency.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts heavy rain across the city this morning, with localised flooding possible in low-lying areas where the ground is already saturated from weeks of steady falls.

Brisbane City Council has advised residents in flood-prone areas that sandbags are available at depots around the city.

Several roads are already cut off by water, including the major road to Bribie Island, off Brisbane's coast.

Flash flooding

Flash flooding in the Lockyer Creek, west of Brisbane, has inundated homes and businesses for the third time in the past two weeks.

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones said about 12 Grantham residents were forced to leave their homes overnight.

"The people in the businesses there, it's badly affected the homes, and people are just worried about when it's going to stop," he said.

"We could expect that providing the rain stops, it (the creek) will be down sometime this morning. When I left Grantham I think it was about 3am and it was still very high at that stage."

In the Brisbane Valley, the towns of Kilcoy and Toogoolawah have been cut off by floodwaters.

And in the southern inland the Balonne River at St George peaked on the weekend at 13.2m but authorities believe floodwaters will not recede until later this week.

Sunshine coast

On the Sunshine Coast, the hinterland town of Maleny has recorded more than 330 millimetres in the past 24 hours.

And the Weather Bureau's Michelle Berry says the district can expect more big falls today.

"We're looking at likely 100mm to 200mm falls through these areas in the next 24 hours or so, but there might be isolated falls in excess of 200mm through these parts as well," she said.

The hinterland, like Gympie and the Mary Valley, has been hit by blackouts caused by the wild weather and Energex spokeswoman Kerrin McMahon says power is unlikely to be restored any time soon.

"Crews are doing everything they can and they're working in some pretty tough conditions, but it is just too unsafe to access a lot of these areas at the moment," she said.

"Energex just thanks everyone in those areas for their patience. It's just a very difficult time for south-east Queensland at the moment."

Clean-up

In central Queensland, Rockhampton residents will be given clean-up kits to assist their return home.

Hundreds of houses were evacuated before the Fitzroy River peaked last week and major flood levels are expected to remain for another seven days.

Mayor Brad Carter said people would be provided with kits that include disinfectants, gloves and information leaflets.

He said authorities were trying to contact those affected by the floods to discuss plans to get them home safely.

"We will be using information in our rates notices, electricity notices, Department of Communities, Centrelink, those that have registered for assistance through the disaster coordination centre or through the recovery centre out at the showgrounds" he said.

"It's not that easy in some cases to identify each and every person, but we're going to make every attempt."

The damage bill to roads and rail from the state's big wet is already estimated at $1.5 billion.

Almost $30 million has now been raised through the State Government's flood appeal.

- ABC/AAP

[MO]

Originally Posted by Scott

I've got a mate and his family up here from Central NSW, checking QLD out to move here.... tough sell with the volume of water we have falling from the sky.

Hopefully it eases up for all affected and they can get on with their lives, really hope insurance companies payup where they should without dragging people through the wringer too.

Apparently insurance companies have stopped issuing new policies that have flood cover.

[MO]

Well I'm cut off from Gympie,Coondoo Creek is over the bridge and that is on the Tin Can Bay to Gympie Rd.
Gympie is cut off both north and south on the Bruce hghwy with the Mary River expected to peak at 20+mtrs.
Quite a few shops in the cbd have already got a metre+going through them and the rest of the cbd shops are trying to get their stock out of harms way.
This is going to hurt a lot of business's in Gympie I wouldn't be surprised if some just close their doors and walk away.

[buggerlugs]

I,m getting concerned. It hasn't rained here for over 30 minutes now. And now there is this funny bright thing behind the clouds...

[Jason[98.EL]]

taken from ninemsn

Lives are under threat as an extraordinary drama unfolds in the Queensland city of Toowoomba where streets have become raging torrents.

Flash flooding has sent up to two metres of water coursing down streets in the city, west of Brisbane.

Video footage shows vehicles, some with drivers still trapped inside, being swept away and thrown into the sides of other cars and caught up in trees.

One pedestrian could be seen trying to dodge cars charging along what was once a street.

Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said lives were under threat.

"We've had multiple 000 calls requesting urgent assistance from people caught in vehicles, caught on the street, caught in floodways," he told reporters.

"This has just evolved. There has been no warning of this event."

At least nine swiftwater rescues are under way to get to people trapped across the city, the Department of Community Safety said.

There are unconfirmed reports a child may have been killed, and that others are among those trapped.

At least six people are stuck in buildings on Ruthven Street, in the heart of the city, the department said.

The flooding has caused severe damage to homes around Murphys Creek at the bottom of the Toowoomba range.

A bridge has also been swept away in the city's south and a building has collapsed on Schofield Street in the city's heart.

Witnesses have told police up to two metres of water swept through parts of the city after about three hours of extreme rainfall from about midday (AEST).

The town of Withcott, at the foot of the Toowoomba Range, looks like it was hit by "an atomic bomb" or a Cyclone Tracy, Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones said.

Mr Jones and his son were near casualties after an unprecedented deluge hit the town on Monday morning.

"I was just coming back from Withcott when it started ... I was driving across about 10 inches (25cm) of water and a wall of water came down, picked my ute up, pushed it sidewards.

"If it had been a little car it would have killed everyone in it."

Mr Jones said cars had been swept from a local service station into shops.

"There's petrol pumps taken out and taken half a kilometre down the road.

"It's like Cyclone Tracy hit it."

Mr Jones said about 1,000 people, including stranded motorists, are involved.

"There's houses come off the stumps at Postman's Ridge and taken down the creek, possibly two or three."

The town has no power and communications are limited to mobile phones, he said.


Premier Anna Bligh said a "massive deluge" had hit the city.

"The city has been split through the main centre of town," she said.

Toowoomba councillor Joe Ramia said he'd never seen anything like Monday's downpour in all his life living in the city.

"I've lived here all my life and I've seen streets and football fields and ovals and school ovals that are just oceans of water," he told AAP.

"All the water ran down onto roads, into homes - just incredible."

He said cars were floating down a street in the CBD.

"Cars were floating, they've got streets barricaded off, there were wheelie bins floating around," Mr Ramia said.

"I've seen streets in Toowoomba that I never, never thought would carry that much water. It was just horrendous."

Toowoomba Regional Council spokesman Darren Burton said there had been no warning.

"There are a lot of shoppers down the main street, cars trapped and all the rest, we obviously didn't expect it," he told the ABC.

He said locals must stay indoors.

"Stay in the safety of your homes."

[TC200six]

There's never been such bad weather here in my lifetime. How much worse can it possibly get? There's actually been landslides at Wellington point.

I went to have a look but they closed the road off, but I got a picture of the road block