Sunshine State tag under threat as Queensland faces drenching from top to bottom
More rain is set to lash Queensland, prompting warnings of life threatening flash flooding in the southeast.
Roads are cut, more than 20 schools closed and a town flooded after heavy rainfall inundated the region, sparking multiple rescues.
Samford Valley was one of the worst hit, receiving 300mm in three hours, while 126mm fell in two hours at Upper Caboolture.
Swiftwater crews rescued 13 people as floodwaters rose across the Moreton Bay, Somerset, Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs regions overnight.
Eight of those rescues were in the Moreton Bay region alone, with the SES also receiving 28 calls for help in the area overnight.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles warned Moreton Bay residents that conditions may not improve soon.
“I’m told it’s raining right now and that flash flooding could get worse,” he said.
“So really, our message, particularly if you’re in Moreton Bay, is please take care and certainly if the road is flooded, forget it.”
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The town of Laidley, west of Brisbane, is already flooded after the creek broke its banks.
An evacuation centre is open at the Laidley State High School for those seeking shelter, Mr Miles said.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned more showers were to come for the southeast on Tuesday.
“We could expect to see these heavy rainfalls and the potentially intense rainfall that could lead to further dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding in the coming hours, through the remainder of today and into tomorrow,” a bureau spokesperson said.
Flood warnings are current for large parts of central Queensland as well as the southeast.
Flood watches have been issued for parts of western Queensland as well as much of the central and southeast areas of the state plus northeast NSW.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily is also ensuring more wet weather in Queensland’s northwest, days after crossing the coast.
The bureau said the system is set to move north on Tuesday, toward Cloncurry and Mount Isa.
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“We’re still expecting in coming days for it to stay over land, potentially even make its way back down, over a very similar area,” the bureau spokesperson said.
Further south at Winton, all rural roads are cut with some properties set to be isolated for six to eight weeks due to floodwaters.
West of Winton towards Boulia, the Middleton community has recorded about 450mm since the weekend.
“The Boulia road through to Alice Springs has currently got three metres of water over the crossings,” Winton Mayor Gavin Baskett told AAP.
“Some of the crossings are at the highest (flood levels) some graziers have ever seen them.”
Crews are still working to restore electricity for north Queenslanders left without power after Kirrily crossed the coast three days ago.
About 66,000 customers lost power at the peak of the wild weather.
The remaining 1000 homes still without electricity were expected to be restored by Tuesday night.
“I think they did an incredible job getting the power back on so quickly,” Mr Miles said.
The premier said Kirrily’s impact would be analysed to see if there are “opportunities to build back better”.
Kirrily struck Queensland barely a month after Tropical Cyclone Jasper caused record flooding that devastated the far north.
