North Queensland Homes under water, people stranded as Far North Queensland smashed by record flooding
Homes under water, people stranded as Far North Queensland smashed by record flooding
Far North Queensland is experiencing a potentially fatal weather crisis; for the most recent information, see our blog.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, some parts of flood-ravaged Far North Queensland received a third of their yearly rainfall in a single day.
Ex-tropical cyclone Jasper’s aftermath is still being felt in some parts of the North Tropical Coast, where flash flooding has descended due to persistently high rainfall.
According to BOM, the Daintree, Mossman, and Barron catchments received around 500mm of rain in the 24 hours leading up to Monday morning due to a trough linked to Jasper.
In comparison, the Barron catchment receives 1442 mm of rain on average annually; 500 mm is equivalent to over four months’ worth of rain in a single day.
Data from the Queensland government indicates that the Mossman catchment receives 2109mm in the same period.
Some areas of far north Queensland have been hit by more than 500mm of rain in 24 hours. Picture: Zoom Earth
Authorities praise ‘extraordinary effort’ in floods
Queensland Premier Steven Miles has praised the heroic efforts of first responders and “Good Samaritans” across the state’s Far North to keep one another safe during the flooding crisis.
“We have seen incredible acts of bravery continuing today, with families saved from roof tops and locals lending a hand to look after their neighbours,” Mr Miles told reporters at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“Many rescues have continued throughout today as they did last night.
“We’ve had reports of people using mustering choppers and fishing boats to rescue strangers or people they know around town. Everyone’s working incredibly hard.”
Even so, he said, significant rainfall has hampered efforts to get aircraft into some areas, including the remote Indigenous community of Wujal Wujal.
“Unfortunately the rain and cloud is still too strong. Another attempt is now planned for 8am tomorrow (Tuesday),” Mr Miles said. Residents will be transported to Cooktown when they are evacuated.
In the meantime, the Bureau of Meteorology has cancelled its severe weather warning, as rainfall eased and water levels dropped for most catchments. But the Premier said it was critical the public continues to listen for alerts.
BOM meteorologist Laura Boekel told reporters although the “very intense, very widespread rainfall” had eased, a thunderstorm warning is now likely.
“So while that widespread, very intense rainfall is moving on, there is still shower and storm activity in the area, which can still drop significant amount of rainfall, just not what we have been seeing in the past 24 hours,” she said.
There are major flood warnings for the Daintree and the Bloomfield River, and there are moderate warnings for the Barron and Tully rivers and minor for the Mulgrave.
Queensland Police Service Commissioner Katarina Carroll also praised the “extraordinary effort” of emergency services and members of the public to prevent any fatalities during the natural disaster.
Ms Carroll confirmed at a press conference on Monday the death of a 71-year-old man in Holloway’s Beach in Cairns on Sunday, but said he died due to a “medical episode”, not the flooding.
That said, she urged the public to remain vigilant, as concerns remain people will be “caught in flash flooding” – “As always, remember: if it’s flooded, forget it,” she said.
Authorities are planning to supply isolated communities with food, water and medical supplies – if weather allows – by first light on Tuesday.
Despite the lack of injuries or fatalities, there has been significant damage to property and power.
Queensland Energy Minister Mark de Brenni says power has been returned to about 90 per cent of the households and businesses impacted by Cyclone Jasper.
“Power has now gone out in 45 communities because of the heavy inundation. So that sees 13,190 new households and businesses without power because of the heavy rainfall,” Mr de Brenni said.
“We did plan to have power restored to all communities before the rain event started by the evening of Tuesday night. That expectation can no longer be met.”
Mr de Brenni said that could take “several additional days” and it was “difficult to put a time frame” on when power will be restored.
A clean-up is currently underway at Cairns Airport, with hopes it will be inspected and open by Tuesday morning, which would allow resources to be transported from Townsville.
Mr Miles also applauded technicians for getting the Cairns water treatment plant operating again, saying safe, clean water is now flowing to the Cairns CBD and hospital.
PM urges flood-affected people to get support
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued words of support to Queenslanders affected by the natural disaster unfolding in the Far North, and says the mass flooding and rainfall is “a reminder of the power of nature”.
Mr Albanese told ABC radio his “heart goes out” to locals inundated by waters, and says the disaster will undoubtedly leave people “traumatised” for some time.
“Many people will require support for some time,” he said.
“I’d encourage them to reach out for support, not just in terms of financial support, but this will have an impact on people’s mental health.”
Mr Albanese praised Queensland emergency authorities and the federal National Emergency Management Agency, as well as defence and local government workers.
First attempt to evacuate remote community suspended
Authorities are working to evacuate the entire town of Wujal Wujal, a remote Indigenous community located between the Daintree and Cooktown.
The first attempt to evacuate people from the flooded community was abandoned this afternoon due to a “big wall of water” that prevented helicopters’ access.
The Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council told residents at about 3pm on Monday to “hang in there”.
“Unfortunately the helicopters couldn’t get through, as there was a big wall of water and it was too dangerous,” the council told residents, according to The Guardian.
In an update on Monday afternoon, Queensland Premier Steven Miles said another attempt was planned for 8am on Tuesday.
Wujal Wujal Deputy Mayor Regan Kulka told the ABC that people walked to higher ground in the early hours of Monday morning after their homes went under overnight.
Cr Kulka said he swam from his home through crocodile-infested waters with his dog at midnight.
He said despite Wujal Wujal being “a pretty strong community” they needed “outside help”.
“There’s no on up here, we’re pretty much on our own. There’s no emergency department up here. The power’s off,” he said.
“We lost everything; photos, TV, electricity, white goods, clothes, food — all gone.”
Police find man deceased as floods cause chaos
A person’s body has been found in a coastal suburb of Cairns as the region is lashed with severe flooding.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman confirmed to The Cairns Post that police located the body of a 71-year-old man deceased at Holloway’s Beach, a northern suburb of Cairns, on Sunday night.
Details are unclear at this stage and police are in early stages of an investigation into the death, though, the spokeswoman said “it appears it is not flood related”.
It’s understood the person may have suffered a medical episode. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Entire town prepares to evacuate
An entire town is set to be evacuated as the flooding crisis in Far North Queensland worsens.
Wujal Wujal, a remote Indigenous community north of Port Douglas, has been completely cut off by rising flood waters caused by ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Nine locals, including a seven-year-old child, spent the night stranded on a hospital roof before being able to self-evacuate as floodwaters temporarily eased.
Authorities plan to evacuate the town, which has about 50 trapped residents, by air to nearby Cooktown before a dangerous looming high tide on Monday afternoon.
It comes as Cairns continues to battle devastating floods after being smashed by more than 600mm of rain in the past 40 hours, with a further 300mm tipped for Monday afternoon.
The popular holiday hotspot, considered the gateway to Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef, has turned into an “island” with 14,000 residents without electricity or drinking water.
Saltwater croc captured in floodwaters
A 2.8-metre saltwater crocodile has been captured in a flooded creek in Ingham, as residents watched on The Courier Mail reports.
Residents in the town watched on as a team of wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Science arrived from Townsville on Monday morning to remove the animal from the flooded Palm Creek.
The team, led by seasoned croc catcher Tony Frisby, secured the croc in five minutes, The Courier Mail reports, by looping a noose over its top jaw.
After a few death rolls along the creek bank, Mr Frisby, two wildlife officers and two QPS officers secured the croc and placed it into a holding cage – where it will be transported to a holding facility and, later, a farm.
The croc performed a few death rolls after Tony Frisby latched a noose to its jaw. Picture: Handout / Courtesy of Jonty Fratus / AFP.
The 2.8m-saltwater crocodile was washed into Ingham’s Palm Creek in the floods. Picture: Handout / Courtesy of Jonty Fratus / AFP.
Emergency services working ‘around the clock’
The Queensland State Emergency Services are responding to around 40 requests for assistance each hour in the state’s ongoing flood crisis, the state’s Fire and Emergency Services have said.
“Our SES and FRS crews are working around the clock as ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper continues to dump huge amounts of rain over the far north,” QFES wrote on X.
It also shared a video of volunteers wading through flooded streets, pulling loaded boats through the waters, and of fast-flowing floodwaters. QFES said it was “just a sample of what crews are facing”.
Our SES and FRS crews are working around the clock as ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper continues to dump huge amounts of rain over the far north.
The SES has responded to an average of more than 40 requests for assistance per hour over the past 24 hours.
This vision is just a sample… pic.twitter.com/ULXgs5dzcF
— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) December 18, 2023
Entire town to be evacuated
The Wujal Wujal Aboriginal shire council CEO, Kiley Hanslow, revealed the town’s only petrol station and council building were underwater.
“People are really scared. We work together though … So there’s about 50 people sheltering at my place across on the other side of the community,” she said.
“We got stuck on this side because we’re helping people to evacuate.”
Ms Hanslow also revealed the brown, dirty water in the town was crocodile-infested.
“There’s also crocodiles swimming around in the water now, because the crocs want to find the nice calm water rather than the rushing river water.”
Police confirmed they were waiting for a break in the weather to evacuate that entire community to Cooktown.
“We are expecting to see considerable rainfall in that area again today, so we’ll be looking at evacuating those people from Wujal Wujal up to Cooktown,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said.
Cook Shore mayor Peter Scott warned things were not much better in his community.
“We can cater for them in Cooktown if they come in, we’ll open up our cyclone shelter,” he told ABC News.
“It can take up to 1000 people but having said that, we do not have bedding. We are on water restrictions and there are probably only about two or three days of food left in Cooktown.”
Mr Scott said Cooktown was relatively well positioned above the river and although it received a lot of rain, there was no real damage, but their water is restricted.
Crocs have also been spotted in the water in Ingham, 110 kilometres north of Townsville.
ABC reporter Chloe Chomicki shared footage of a huge croc lurking in a flooded drain in the middle of town.
