Queensland authorities in Australia have said the state’s north was entering “unprecedented territory” as monsoon rains battered the city of Townsville, setting record flood levels and destroying homes.
As the flooding entered its four day, the state emergency service yesterday confirmed that 80 people had been rescued. It was too early to quantify the damage to homes, although some media reports said at least 50 homes had been affected so far.
“We have not been in this scenario before,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “There has been a lot of rain that has been falling, especially over the Townsville catchment, and some of these levels are unprecedented.”
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“It is very important that you listen to the local authorities today,” Palaszczuk said.
On Friday, Palaszczuk described the incoming monsoon as a “once in a 100-year” event and Townsville was declared a disaster zone.
“From Mackay north and west, there is going to be flooding, so for the broader community, please, if it’s flooded, just forget it,” said Bob Gee, the state’s disaster coordinator.
“Townsville is currently seeing a record flood height of the Ackland Weir,” Gee said. “Earlier this morning it was a height of 2.36m, but we can expect that, with forecast rainfall, to reach up to 2.9m over the weekend at some stage.”
A spokesman for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the areas at risk included Herbert and Lower Burdekin.
“There’s several more days to go in this flood event,” he said.
An emergency alert flood message was in place for residents in areas adjacent to the Bohle River, Saunders Creek and Stoney Creek, and for the suburbs of Deeragun, Jensen and Burdell.
Schools and businesses in Townsville were to remain shut and thousands of residents had been evacuated to higher ground.
Homes and businesses have been destroyed as flash floods washed through streets, sweeping away cars, equipment and livestock.
Landslips destabilized an apartment complex, blocked roads and caused homes to be evacuated. As of yesterday morning, 100 homes were at risk from the bulging Ross River dam, which was at 185 percent of capacity late on Friday.
Soldiers were mobilized to help sand-bag vulnerable properties as authorities went door to door telling people they should leave at-risk homes.
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