‘One-in-100 year’ monsoon hits Townsville as soldiers are brought in, nearly 100 homes are evacuated and suburbs are deliberately flooded to a ease pressure on a river dam
- Ross Dam gates to be opened to drain overflowing river of water at Townsville
- Mayor Jenny Hill said the decision was made with careful consideration
- Residents in surrounding areas have been warned properties could be flooded
- Soldiers will be deployed to help with sandbagging in city to cope with disaster
- Townsville declared a disaster zone as heavy rain and flash flooding grips area
- Schools and childcare centres have been closed and emergency shelter set up
Soldiers have been deployed, homes evacuated and dam gates opened as Queensland wrestles with a one-in-100 year monsoon.
Townsville City Council announced it would open the dam doors of the town's Ross River in an attempt to drain out water from the overflowing dam.
Forecasters said at the beginning of the day another 200mm of rain could be dumped over the region on each of the next few days.
Ross River had already reached 140 per cent capacity by Friday morning in what the mayor has called a one-in-100 year event.
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Ross River had already reached 140 per cent capacity by Friday morning in what the mayor has called a one-in-100 year event
Soldiers have been deployed, homes evacuated and dam gates opened as Queensland wrestles with a one-in-100 year monsoon (pictured, Ross River at Townsville)
Townsville City Council announced it would open the dam doors of the town's Ross River in an attempt to drain out water from the overflowing dam
Forecasters said at the beginning of the day another 200mm of rain could be dumped over the region on each of the next few days
'We haven't taken this decision lightly, we're looking into what could happen over the next two to three days, we know that we're seeing really a record event, we know that the Ross River has hit a new milestone in terms of outflows out into the ocean with a one-in-a-100-year event,' Mayor Jenny Hill told ABC news.
Townsville Police District acting chief superintendent Steve Munro and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk have both said they are behind the decision.
'We’re very comfortable with the decision they have taken and of course by opening up the gates it’ll let a substantial amount of water out,' Ms Palaszczuk said at a conference this morning.
'Can I just urge all Townsville residents there just to make sure that they are following all those emergency alerts.'
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Residents in the Rosslea, Railway Estate, South Townsville, Idalia and Oonoonba areas have been warned their properties could be flooded as a result.
They are urged to sandbag their homes and move items to higher ground.
Council has already handed over 25,000 sandbags and sourced another 18,000.
About 100 Townsville soldiers will be deployed to assist in sandbagging around the city.
Heatley Secondary College has also been established as an evacuation centre.
Residents fearing for their safety have been encouraged to head to the site immediately.
All schools and childcare centres in the area have been closed.
Townsville Police District acting chief superintendent Steve Munro and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk have both said they are behind the decision
Residents in the Rosslea, Railway Estate, South Townsville, Idalia and Oonoonba areas have been warned their properties could be flooded as a result
Supermarkets have taken a hit amid the panic and stocks have slowly dwindled over the day.
Though Woolworths has assured residents it has 14 semitrailers waiting south of the Ross River for when roads opened again.
Though that may come as little relief for the residents who have already found themselves stranded in the flood waters.
QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said close to 30 rescues had already been made over the days.
'We have conducted some 28 rescues already and where we'd like to get in and start looking at what damage has been caused and conduct those assessments, our resources have been pulled away to rescue people,' she said.
'That's ranging from rescuing people caught in flash flooding, minor flooding and major flooding, caught on roofs, you name it.'
QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll said close to 30 rescues had already been made over the days
Meanwhile an emergency alert has been made for Bluewater, Black River, Beach Holm, Toolakea and Yabulu residents with more flash flooding expected to head their way
Burdekin LDMG has sent out a helicopter to assist council officers to assess potable water supplies and top up chemicals at the Giru Water Treatment Plant.
The chopper has also been used to deliver medicine to residents.
Meanwhile an emergency alert has been made for Bluewater, Black River, Beach Holm, Toolakea and Yabulu residents with more flash flooding expected to head their way.
BOM said Bluewater copped another deluge on Friday morning, after residents were just starting to mop up after Wednesday's flood.
More than 200mm of rain fell fell in the space of three hours and the banks of the town's nearby creek buckled under the total 365mm of rain.
BOM said Bluewater copped another deluge on Friday morning, after residents were just starting to mop up after Wednesday's flood
More than 200mm of rain fell fell in the space of three hours and the banks of the town's nearby creek buckled under the total 365mm of rain
Authorities have been doing the rounds in the small town to help any residents left stranded in their homes.
Now BOM has released major flood warnings on catchments in the town and surrounding area.
A landslip at Stanley Street in Townsville City on Thursday led to extensive damage to the foundations and retaining walls of an apartment complex.
Emergency services evacuated the complex and its 13 residents and two nearby houses amid growing fears the building could crater.
1,200 homes at Townsville South were left without power yesterday as gale force winds brought down a tree onto powerlines.
Haughton River has reached record flood levels and Majors Creek in the Catchment peaked at 12.75m at 8.40pm on Thursday.
River levels at Giru remained around the March 2018 flood level of 3.2m on Friday morning
Police spent Thursday night searching around Giru for a 32-year-old man last seen on foot near Black Gully about 5pm on Thursday
That smashed the previous record of 11.72m set back in March 1990.
River levels at Giru remained around the March 2018 flood level of 3.2m on Friday morning.
Police spent Thursday night searching around the town for a 32-year-old man last seen on foot near Black Gully about 5pm on Thursday.
They feared he tried to enter floodwaters in an attempt to get home.
The search continued until just before midnight but the atrocious weather forced a halt, with officers left to monitor the creek line during the night.
Much to their relief police announced the man had been found alive and well the next day.
The Bruce Highway remains cut south of Townsville and there are major disruptions to the city's transport services, with most urban and school bus services affected by the deluge
'Police have located safe and well the man who was thought to be in flood water in Giru,' police said.
'Fortunately he made a decision to stay with a friend for the night rather than enter the flood water.'
The Bruce Highway remains cut south of Townsville and there are major disruptions to the city's transport services, with most urban and school bus services affected by the deluge.
'Creek and river catchments are already saturated and will therefore respond very rapidly to any rainfall,' Bureau of Meteorology warned.
'The monsoon trough is expected to remain active into next week, with further heavy rainfall expected for already saturated catchments between about Cairns and Bowen.
'The potential for significant and dangerous flash flooding will likely continue into next week.'
Supermarkets have taken a hit amid the panic and stocks have slowly dwindled over the day
Burdekin LDMG has sent out a helicopter to assist council officers to assess potable water supplies and top up chemicals at the Giru Water Treatment Plant
