GlobalWarming & ClimateChange News Desk – In short: Major flooding is occurring across western Queensland, with some levels higher than the 1974 flood. The town of Adavale has been evacuated as well as multiple properties across the west.
What’s next?
There are fears of major stock losses, which will have a significant impact on the agricultural industry.
The biggest flood in living memory for many people across outback Queensland continues to unfold.
It is record-breaking flooding that has inundated vast areas of land, homes and stations.
Rainfall of up to 600 millimetres, nearly double the yearly average annual rainfall has caused flooding never experienced before.
Major flooding, higher than the 1974 flood, is occurring at Stonehenge, Jundah and Windorah.
The power has been switched off in Jundah and Stonehenge.
An entire township and properties scattered across outback Queensland have been deserted as residents evacuate amid the destructive flooding.
The rodeo grounds at Stonehenge, 155km from Longreach. (Supplied: Ray Steedman)normal
Floodwaters inundated Adavale as helicopters relocated the population of 27 to a town 100 kilometres away.
Residents have been taken to Quilpie, a community also cut off by road and experiencing power outages and connectivity issues.
Heidi Cowley and her family left everything behind.
“I had to make a choice between the cat and the girls’ bag of clothes,”
she said.
The Cowley girls and their cat, Tiggy, safe in Quilpie. (Supplied: Heidi Cowley)normal
“The chopper landed on the roof of our house to airlift the three girls out first … I’m going, my babies, you just have to do this, please.”
Her kids lost their other pets.
Floodwaters are flowing through Adavale in south-west Queensland. (Supplied: Heidi Cowley)normal
People in Quilpie have provided clothes, colouring in books and a doll house for Ms Cowley’s children.
Supplies needed
Quilpie shire Deputy Mayor Roger Volz said the township would be cut off by road for at least a week.
“We’ll be isolated for some while and that’ll be the next thing is supplying our township residents with the food and medical supplies … things which normally come via road,”
he said.
Roads in and out of Quilpie will be closed for at least a week, council estimates. (Supplied: Roger Volz)normal
Quilpie and its adjoining town Eromanga have missed their last two food trucks supplies.
Cr Volz said the water was currently 1.85 metres above the road bridge and expected to rise further.
He said council was working with the state government and local businesses to arrange for aerial drops.
“To make sure the people on properties who are going to be isolated for a long time [get] the stuff they need,” Cr Volz said.
Properties evacuated
People on properties from an area spanning hundreds of kilometres have left their homes.
This is what the Lloyd’s property looked like on Wednesday. (Supplied: Ann-Maree Lloyd )normal
Ann-Maree Lloyd and her husband Jeff live in a property south west of Yaraka, and made the call to leave home yesterday as water entered their home.
“It hit us pretty hard … it’s just unprecedented,”
she said.
“We flew over a lot of water. We were just amazed how much water is around our place where we have never seen water before.
“We saw quite a few sheep alive, which really astounded us.”
Stations upstream from Retreat have received 24 inches of rain in five days. (Supplied: Bob Speed)normal
Retreat Station between Jundah and Windorah is seeing flooding at higher levels than 1990 after 342mm of rain over the week.
“We haven’t even started to receive the water from upstream … there’s still so much coming,” property owner Andrea Speed said.
The Speed family evacuated their eight staff on Thursday, but the family remained at the house overnight to monitor the situation as water continued to rise.
With the Barcoo River a few kilometres from the house at Retreat and a lagoon close to the house, Ms Speed said both bodies of water had broken their banks and merged, surrounding their home.
Evacuations from Thylungra, near Eromanga due to the flood. (Supplied: Matthew Kaarsberg)normal
Premier landed
President of AgForce’s Sheep, Wool and Goat board Boyd Webb said it would be a while before the graziers had a full understanding of their livestock losses.
“Just from the sheer volume of water that’s running around out there now, you’d have to say that there’s been significant losses,” Mr Webb said.
“That high spot that you thought was pretty right might not have been high enough.
“I think there is going to be a fairly significant amount of stock lost, if not from the initial flood, just from bogging and from being in water for days.”
Floodwaters at Winton. (Supplied: Lydia Evert)normal
Queensland’s Premier David Crisafulli is in the western Queensland town of Winton.
“This isn’t going to ease quickly and the problems won’t just disappear, you’re dealing with a large part of the state and agriculture underpins it and so do the people that live in these communities,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“We will be there to respond in whatever way, shape, or form that takes.”
The Albanese and Crisafulli governments are activating disaster assistance to seven western Queensland councils.
Councils have reported significant damage to road networks that will require urgent repairs to keep communities connected.
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