Five dead as deluge threatens 5000 homes
THOUSANDS of homes in Queensland’s southeast are still under threat of the state’s deadly deluge as a perfect storm of high tides and roaring floodwaters forge a new challenge.
Five people have died in the disaster, including an SES volunteer swept to her death going to the aid of stranded residents in the Lockyer Valley, while men also perished in floodwaters in the heart of Brisbane and outside Gympie.
On Saturday night there were fears for a man who fell from a boat in the Brisbane River at Bulimba.
More than 1000 roads have been cut with some 500 people taking refuge in evacuation centres as a slowmoving weather system wreaks havoc across a region the size of Tasmania.
Gympie and the Sunshine Coast are facing the worst flooding in 30 years while the community of Cherbourg is likely to be cut off for several days as rescue authorities plan supply drops.
Almost 2000 calls for help were made to rescue authorities with 132 swift water rescues performed in the 24 hours until late Saturday.
Officials are confident Wivenhoe Dam will stand firm against its greatest threat since the 2011 disaster, but after another night of torrential rain – Mt Glorious has copped more than a metre of water in less than two days – thousands of homes in almost 100 suburbs face the threat of inundation on Sunday.
There is a potentially catastrophic combination of an early morning high tide and millions of megalitres of rain hurtling down creeks and rivers towards the coast.
High tide is scheduled for soon after 7.30am at the mouth of the Brisbane River, with modelling from Brisbane City Council showing a threat of moderate flooding in 87 locales from north of Brisbane towards Ipswich and Logan.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner
said there were concerns for 5000 properties that could be affected by varying degrees of flooding.
“Residents in low-lying areas should make sure they’re prepared,” Mr Schrinner said. “Stock up on sandbags at our depots, ensure your house has essentials and know when it’s time to leave.”
The death toll rose by three on Saturday, with Lowood SES volunteer Merryl Dray killed when a vehicle carrying four SES personnel was swept into floodwaters while responding to an emergency at Coolana. The 62-year-old was praised as an “orange angel” who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Early on Saturday, the body of a 55-year-old Camp Hill man was found in waters at Stones Corner in Brisbane. The body of a 37-year-old Goomboorian man who disappeared after becoming stranded near Gympie on Friday night was found late on Saturday.