Now for the clean up after massive weather event batters southeast Queensland
Southeast Queenslanders are cleaning up after heavy rainfall, damaging winds and abnormally high tides hit the region this week.
Some areas on the Gold Coast hinterland receiving nearly a metre of rain.
While the immediate threat has eased, Acting Premier Steven Miles encouraged people to pay attention to forecasts and alerts.
“Obviously, we’ve been monitoring the weather event very closely,” Miles said.
“The tidal surges appear to be having the greatest impact.”
Parts of the Gold Coast hinterland received almost one metre of rain in a week, with the Hinze Dam rising from 85 per cent of capacity to nearly 95 per cent in 10 days, and three other dams in the southeast currently spilling.
The regional water grid has made valuable gains, now running at 57 per cent capacity, with a decision on whether to recommission recycled water assets deferred until after summer.
The Bureau of Meteorology said Morayfield recorded today’s highest rainfall at 25 millimetres, with up to 15 millimetres falling around parts of the Sunshine Coast.
Hundreds of insurance claims were made over the past few days — including one from Brisbane resident Barbara McGuire for the damage to her Sherwood home caused by a fallen 30-metre tree yesterday.
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Ms McGuire said she heard a “considerable noise” around 10:30am, before seeing the 70-year-old tree sprawled across three properties, including hers.
“When I looked out, I saw that my verandah had pretty much disappeared and there was a huge hoop pine in my yard,” she said.
“It hit the verandah, and has caused very considerable damage, but fortunately the house seems to be pretty much in tact.
“It also hit my neighbour’s house down the hill. I believe they’re not quite so fortunate, but thank goodness nobody was even scratched.”
She said the conditions at the time didn’t feel particularly dangerous.
“I didn’t think there was much of a wind [but] an arborist I spoke to yesterday said [the tree] would have soaked up a great deal of water and become very heavy.
“And apparently the roots have signs of phytophthora, so I guess it just rotted off and fell down the hill
“I couldn’t work out what had happened for a while… I suppose I felt a little bit shaky.”
Natalia Veldman — one of Ms McGuire’s neighbours whose home was spared from any damage — said it felt like an ordinary morning.
“And there was some very loud noises, I thought it was fireworks going off in the backyard,” she said.
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“By the time I got to the back door and looked out the tree was already down.
“I know now that it must’ve been the tree pulling itself apart at the roots as it failed.
“Unfortunately, the second house down had the tree crown spear through its roof.”
Te RACQ said it had received 423 claims, including for 375 homes, since the heavy rain began over the weekend.
Emergency services responded to more than 14,000 call-outs across the region.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Mark Roche said the majority were for leaking roofs or fallen trees.
“On the coastline there’s been significant damage but most of our SES tasks have been in Ipswich city, in Brisbane, Logan and also the Gold Coast,” he said.
“We’re saying to people just be wary of the flood waters, be wary of any damaged creeks or flooded roadways.
“There will still be significant erosion on beaches and high tides, but our crews will be out and about today and over the coming days to support the community.”
On Bribie Island’s Woorim Beach, the Bowater family spent the morning saving hundreds of green turtle eggs that were washed away after major swells eroded the sand dunes.
Marine biologist, Rachel Bowater said they noticed the eggs were exposed while visiting the area.
“The turtles lay their eggs high up in the sand dunes way above the high tide mark,” she said.
“But due to the current big king tides and huge storm surge and big waves, the nests are being eroded away.
“My kids and I just relocated hundreds of turtle eggs from an eroded green turtle nest.”
The wild weather left thousands without power, and insurance assessors facing hundreds of claims. On Tamborine Mountain Road, in the Gold Coast hinterland, a landslide led to 3m rocks blocking local traffic.
– ABC / Melanie Vujkovic and staff
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