About 70 people are holding out in the stranded Queensland town of Burketown, as the swollen Albert River to the town’s east continues to rise, and authorities warn that flood waters are likely infested with crocodiles.
Ahead of the expected peak of flood waters, the ranger in charge of the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, Zachariah Sowden, said there had already been reported sightings of crocodiles swimming in flood waters.
“As the flood waters start to enter town from the surrounding river systems the local population of saltwater crocodiles will also move with these flood waters. A few crocodiles have already been sighted in different areas of the community.
“Please … stay out of the water where possible to limit a chance encounter with a crocodile.”
Burke shire mayor Ernie Camp, who was evacuated on Saturday, said crocodiles, and potentially even bull sharks, which usually inhabit estuaries, would pose a risk to residents who chose to stay behind.
About 30km from the Gulf of Carpentaria, Burketown’s water and sewage has been cut off, and most of the town of just over 150 people has been evacuated by helicopter to nearby Doomadgee or to Mt Isa, 300km away.
At least 37 properties have been inundated by flood waters, with water still rising in the town. Authorities say it will not be safe to return for days, and the community still there could be isolated for up to two weeks.
Water reserves and food supplies are good, and those cut off can be resupplied, police said on Sunday.
“Air assets are stationed nearby and are on standby for emergency rescues or personnel transport.”
Aerial footage shows water flooding in almost every street of Burketown, inundating many buildings to their rooflines. Vision from neighbouring farming properties shows cattle trying to swim through flood waters, seeking higher ground.
Queensland police superintendent Tom Armitt said if the waters continued to rise, rescues would be become more difficult.
“If we get to the stage where we are having to shift and move people to rooftops, that makes a whole different level of complexity.
“We don’t know when the peak is expected because it has passed any sort of flood modelling at this stage.”
Burketown resident Apryl Ford told News Ltd she had chosen to stay in the town with her three dogs. She lives in the highest part of Burketown – so far unaffected by flood waters – but water was beginning to seep into her back yard. She said she was prepared to climb on to her roof if the water kept rising.
“We have had people evacuate from the lower part of the township and slowly move their cars, furniture and animals up into people’s yards,” Ford said.
“We are expecting the water to get higher in waves; you get a surge that comes through and the water rises.”
With the water still yet to peak, the Albert River, which runs to the east of Burketown, has already surpassed its previous flood record of 6.78 metres, recorded in 2011.
Queensland’s Gulf country has been hit by massive downpours over the past week, after a wet season of near-constant rain since December. Burketown received 293mm of rain across Friday and Saturday alone.
The Albert, Nicholson and Leichhardt river catchments have all flooded. The Gregory River, further south, peaked at 12.3 metres.
More than 90 people were airlifted out of Burketown on Friday and Saturday, having been advised they could bring only a single bag each.
The Burke shire council urged residents to leave on Saturday, warning the floods were rapidly rising and unpredictable.
“Waters are continuing to rise in the Burketown community and surrounding shire,” the council said.
“At the moment the water movements are unpredictable and are rising at a rapid rate. The safety of our community members is paramount and we strongly encourage residents to evacuate.”
The council issued a statement saying: “The last chance to evacuate is today during daylight.”
Police warned those in Burketown: “It is not safe for people to remain.”
Fourth-generation Burketown local Shannon Moren was evacuated with her daughters to Mt Isa, carrying one backpack each.
“I’ve spoken to people who have lived there all their lives, so 80-odd years, and they have never encountered anything like this,” she told the ABC.
She said she had seen cattle floating in the flood waters, and that “two properties just down from me are just about to go underwater”.
