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 Remains
of Beni flood central eastern QLD
Heavy rains of 100 to 200 mm were recorded in the 24 hours
to 9am on the 6th in the Rockhampton area extending southwest
to the Baralaba and Moura area. This resulted in rapid river
rises and moderate to major flooding in the lower Dawson River
downstream from Baralaba and the Don River. Local flash flooding
was reported in a number of small creeks and tributaries. Major
flooding continued in the Dawson River for several days with
only minor to moderate flooding occurring in the Fitzroy River.
The initial flood warning was issued on the 6th and warnings
were finalized on the 13th when the minor flood peak had passed
through Rockhampton.
An upper low interacted with the moisture remains of former Tropical
Cyclone Beni over the Central and Burnett Coasts of QLD today to
cause major flooding southwest of Rockhampton.
Homes were flooded, roads cut and
bridges washed away in Wowan, Mt Morgan,
Baralaba,
Moura and Agnes Water as between 200 and 350mm of rain fell in a
triangle from
north
of Rockhampton
to the west or Baralaba and south to Miriam Vale (see map below).
A man was drowned at Stanwell, west of Rockhampton, while trying
to
rescue a horse from a flooded creek. The horse was subsequently
rescued by emergency personnel.
There had been some heavy showers around Rockhampton yesterday
afternoon, but a band of torrential rain and thunderstorms swept
in from the
north just before midnight, giving the area between Rockhampton
and Baralaba and southeastwards toward Bundaburg falls of 150
to 225mm
between 9pm Wednesday and midday today. Baralaba had its wettest
day in 77 years' rainfall recording with 230.4mm in the gauge
at 9am. Walterhall, 30km SW of Rockhampton, broke a 104-year
February rainfall record with 247.0mm.
Some of the highest falls
during the 15 hours to midday were in the valleys to the east
of Wowan where Kingsborough recorded 226mm, Kembula 206 and
Wura
190.
Major flooding
developed rapidly in the Don River system and moved westward
to meet major flooding coming north down the Dawson from the
Baralaba
area, where 230mm was recorded in the 24 hours to 9am. Wowan
appears to have borne the brunt of the flooding, with much of
the town awash.
160 people were stranded in the town
and the school was completely flooded. A house at Kabra, west
of Rockhampton, was flooded with a metre of water, while in
the Banana Shire one person was rescued from a roof, a man
washed away from a car and a woman rescued. The flood damage
bill in the area was estimated at $10 million. The
Dawson at Baralaba peaked overnight into Friday at 12.25m,
while
the
Don at Rannes, downstream from Wowan, peaked
at 12.19m
at 2am
Friday. The towns of Many Peaks, Agnes Waters and Town of
1770 were all isolated, the last two until the 8th.
The heaviest rain, however, was recorded on northeastward facing
slopes behind the coast. Makowata, halfway between Bundaburg and
Gladstone,
recorded
330mm in the 24 hours to 9am followed by Byfield, 60km N of Rockhampton,
with 312mm. Samuel Hill Airport, close to Byfield, recorded 261mm
in 15 hours from midnight to 3pm today. The most intense period
of rain both north and southwest of Rockhampton was between 6 and
9am,
when
Samuel Hill recorded 92, Kembula 86, Wura 72 and Kingsborough
70mm.
The flooding is estimated to have caused at least $10m in damage,
and nine shires were declared disaster zones after the flooding:
Miriam Vale, Banana, Calliope, Fitzroy, Mt Morgan, Livingstone, Broadsound,
Rockhampton and Monto. The rain is a mixed blessing, with the economic
benefits to this drought-ravaged area expected to exceed the damage
bill. Ironically, at the same time on Friday that the nine shires
were declared flood disasters, a further six shires to the west of
the area were added to the drought declared list: Barcaldine, Blackall,
Ilfracombe, Isisford, Murweh and Tambo.
| Rainfall in SE QLD for the 24 hours
to 9am. BoM |
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NEWSBITS
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A southwest wind change that moved across
eastern Victoria late last night produces only one significant
lightning-caused fire to the north of Heyfield, to the
west of the current major fire. The fire was contained
to only 2 hectares. However, a fire that started yesterday
afternoon about 2km east of Carlisle River in the Otway
Ranges south of Colac burnt through about 100ha of State
and private forest before being contained today.
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