The heavy rain of the past
week in northern Queensland, and of the past month in the state's
inland areas has generated floods in many river systems. For the
inland rivers in near level country, floodwaters take many weeks to travel
down the river systems and flooding at any one point can last for several
weeks to a month or more. The people in these outback areas tend to get
forgotten after the rain stops, but flooded towns, stranded cattle and the
isolation caused by inundated roads will continue well into January. As
peaks are reached at major flood gauging stations they are listed in the
Flood peaks section under Other extremes below.
This summary of the flood status this morning gives some idea of the extent
of the flooding.
- Coastal rivers
- The Don River peaked overnight
last night with moderate flooding at Bowen following Friday's torrential
downpours, and the river is now below flood level
- Gulf rivers (This map
from the BoM helps with the geography)
- Major flooding continues in the
lower Nicholson, Gregory, Albert and Leichhardt Rivers.
These rivers converge in the Burketown area before entering
the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Leichhardt at Floraville, about 70km
inland from Burketown, peaked at 8.2m this afternoon, the highest
flood peak since 1974 apart from the 9.7m peak in 1998. Burketown
itself has been isolated for nearly a month and is likely to be
cut off for most of January. Regular food drops are being made to
the community and other outlying areas.
- Moderate flooding continues in the
upper Flinders River at Richmond while closer to the Gulf
coastline around Walkers Bend, river levels are peaking just under
the major flood level. At least two further weeks of near-major
flooding are expected around Walkers Bend as upstream waters arrive.
Between Richmond and Julia Creek, the Flinders and other streams
have cut the Flinders Highway, isolating Mt Isa. The city was cut
off during Christmas with the Barkly Highway to the Northern Territory
and the highway to Longreach cut.
- Minor flooding has developed in
the Norman River around Normanton
- Western Queensland
- The Georgina River (map)
which parallels the NT/Qld border flows south to around Bedourie,
where it enters Eyre Creek which meanders SSW until, if water
levels are sufficiently high, it joins the Diamantina River on its
way to Lake Eyre in South Australia. Moderate to major flooding
continues along the system from Urandangie for 400km to Glenlyon,
with the main river now 15 to 30km wide.
- East of the Georgina, the Diamantina
River (map)
floodwaters are now approaching Monkira, although moderate flooding
continues for 150km upstream to Diamantina Lakes even though the
peak was reached there in the third week of December. Minor flooding
is expected to reach Birdsville in about a week.
- The Thomson and Barcoo Rivers
and Cooper Creek (map)
are the next system to the east. Several flood peaks are moving
through the system resulting in minor to moderate flooding from
north of Longreach to south of Windorah, a straight-line distance
of over 400km. The first peak passed Windorah on 27 December with
major flooding, and moderate flooding there is now easing. However,
further peaks now around Longreach are expected to bring the river
at Windorah back above major flood level early in January. Minor
flooding is easing in the Barcoo after being at major levels around
Christmas.
- Northwestern NSW
- The Darling River flood peak,
from heavy rain in Central Western NSW in November, passed Bourke
on 21/22 December with moderate to major flooding, and is expected
to reach Louth, about 100km downstream, on Monday with major flooding.
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