Residents in Queensland’s rural west are bracing for the peak of record flooding on Sunday as authorities warn any remaining residents, particularly the elderly and children, to leave immediately.
Police concerns centred on the outback town of Burketown, in the state’s north-west, where authorities were on Saturday “strongly urging all remaining residents to leave … as soon as possible”.
The Albert River at Burketown has already surpassed the record 6.78-metre flood of 2011, and the bureau of meteorology said waters in the Gulf of Carpentaria community will likely reach their highest by Sunday.
BURKETOWN FLOODING: Police are strongly urging all remaining residents to leave the community of Burketown as soon as possible.
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) March 11, 2023
This is particularly relevant to the elderly and people with young children.
Stay up to date with warnings: https://t.co/XBj08DX8c9. pic.twitter.com/CQJ8Bc4NFW
About 90 locals still in Burketown were told to pack a grab bag on Friday night after 25 elderly and sick people, along with 18 children accompanied by one of their parents, were airlifted out.
Authorities warned that sewerage to the town had been compromised and power cut-off on Saturday.
“The Burketown community has now lost sewerage services due to flooding,” the Burke shire council said on Saturday morning.
Queensland police said of Burketown: “It is not safe for people to remain.”
The council also 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.”
Emergency alert issued for Burketown in the Gulf as a major flood approaches.
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) March 11, 2023
All residents advised to leave now. pic.twitter.com/o58mdwLAzz
The bureau of meteorology was forecasting heavy rainfalls on Saturday, downgrading an earlier severe thunderstorm warning. The continued falls follow weeks of torrential rain which have swollen rivers and left communities stranded, including Doomadgee, Normanton and Karumba.
Those towns as well as more isolated settlements and outlying cattle stations are relying on food and other supplies being sent by air and on barges.
“Up to 65mm has been recorded across the Nicholson and Leichhardt River catchments in the 48 hours to 9am on Saturday. Further showers and thunderstorms are forecast for the remainder of Saturday, however widespread rainfall has generally eased in the area,” the bureau said.
“Significant river level rises have been observed in the upper parts of the Nicholson and Leichhardt catchment at Riversleigh, Gregory Downs and Doomadgee township where major flooding is occurring.”
The bureau said the Doomadgee township had already experienced a major record river level of 8.54m on Friday morning. The river near Doomadgee was continuing to rise more slowly, and was nearing a peak, the bureau said.
The danger of the late-season monsoon has moved south but is expected to weaken over the weekend.
It is expected to bring scattered to widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms to the central and southern districts, with a one-in-four chance Brisbane will receive 60mm.
A severe thunderstorm warning in the Capricornia district was cancelled on Saturday morning after Yeppoon copped 100mm in the hour to 4.11am, and 215mm across the night.
Gladstone also received 96mm over two hours.
Seqwater said releases from the Somerset Dam into the Wivenhoe Dam on the Upper Brisbane River were possible due to forecast rainfall.
“The Seqwater Flood Operations Centre has moved to the alert activation level due to the weather forecast,” the dam operator said.
“If you are downstream of the dam, stay away from fast-flowing or deep water near waterways and floodplains.”
Wappa Dam on the South Maroochy River was spilling on Saturday morning.
