Mackay dodges bullet of savage storm surge
MACKAY has been battered by Cyclone Debbie’s rain and wind gusts but the North Queensland town appears to have escaped being inundated by a tidal storm surge.
More than 20,000 people were evacuated from the Mackay region on Monday amid fears the cyclone would flood low- lying areas with its storm surge set to come in on a predicted 3m high tide.
The storm’s landfall came almost three hours after high tide in Mackay and local councillor Laurence Bonaventura said it appeared the city had avoided any serious flooding.
“No inundation of houses, in that respect, that we know of,” Cr Bonaventura said.
“None that we know from tidal surge anyway.
“Drainage is swollen but coping in most areas.” Cr Bonaventura said rainfall in the of Mackay region had been heavy but not constant, coming in squalls which gave drains a chance to clear between falls.
Another Mackay councillor, former Queensland State of Origin rugby league player Martin Bella, said waiting for the storm to arrive had been difficult for residents.
“We’re pretty good at the moment, to be honest it’s just so bloody tedious because the damn thing is just so moving,” Cr Bella said.
Mackay resident Felicity Mackintosh said trees were her main concern.
“Trees are going to fall over because everything’s waterlogged,” she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast between 300- 400mm of rain to fall across the Mackay region yesterday with possibly another 400mm for Wednesday. slow