Palaszczuk flies in to see floods

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has touched down in disaster-declared Townsville to see the devastating floods first hand.

Her first stop was to visit affected residents at the Heatley Evacuation Centre.

Townsville is in “uncharted territory” after a week of record-breaking rainfall as residents are warned to prepare for more flooding in the coming days.

Mayor Jenny Hill said the Townsville Disaster Management Group was taking the “best advice” to manage the Ross River Dam spillways to “reduce the risk to the bulk of the community”.

“We will continue to send out emergency alerts where we think there is going to be a risk. Please heed those alerts,” she said.

Cr Hill urged residents to prepare their homes with sandbags and other measures, and move to higher ground if necessary.

“If you haven’t got sandbags, if you haven’t put plastic around your doorways and areas like that with your sandbags now go out there and if you think your property is at risk, you’ve received an emergency alert, please do so,” she said.

“We don’t know how much rain is still likely to flow into the Ross River Dam catchment. We cannot give you any certainty about what we’re going to need to do in the future, but what we need from all of you is to be prepared just in case.

“I’d rather have 20,000 homes with sandbags and plastic in preparation, people ready, and only a small number affected.”

An estimated 400 to 500 homes have been inundated by floodwaters.

About 200 people were in evacuation centres with hun- dreds more estimated to have sought safety on higher ground with friends and family.

QFES Assistant Commissioner for the Northern Region David Hermann urged residents not to enter floodwaters or drive through flooded roads.

“If a road has been closed it’s been closed for a very good reason and that is for your safety,” he said. “Our priority is your safety but your priority is your safety.”

“Do not enter the floodwaters because not only do you place yourself at risk, you also place the emergency services at risk.”

Bureau of Meteorology State Manager Bruce Gunn said records have been broken, with Townsville’s seven-day rainfall total reaching 1012mm to 9am yesterday.

“Townsville Airport (has hit a) long-term record and has surpassed the Night of Noah event of 1998,” Mr Gunn said.