One Confirmed Dead by Drowning as Deadly Floodwaters Ravage Community, Location Announced

• Deadly floodwaters triggered by record rainfall in northeast Australia continued to rise, prompting warnings for further destruction
• Thousands of residents in low-lying coastal areas faced immediate evacuation orders, with one person reported drowned and severe weather warnings extending along the Queensland coast
• Authorities highlighted the extensive damage and urged residents to prepare for more severe weather

Queensland, Australia – Deadly floodwaters triggered by record rainfall in Australia’s northeast continued to rise for a third day on Monday, as authorities warned flood-stricken communities to brace themselves for further destruction.

One person drowned in the flooding on Sunday, and thousands of residents in low-lying coastal suburbs and towns were under immediate evacuation orders after nearly a summer’s worth of rain fell on large parts of North Queensland in just a few days.

Impact on North Queensland

The impacted areas stretched along a 735-kilometer (456 mile) section of the Queensland coast from Cairns, a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, to Mackay.

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The city of Townsville, Ingham town, and Cardwell were among the worst hit by flash floods and overflowing rivers.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli described the devastation in Ingham as severe, stating, “To see the level of devastation in that community is very difficult. That is a very strong and resilient community, but this is a flood the likes of which is only seen a handful of times.”

Severe weather warnings

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology extended a severe weather warning on Monday for large parts of the coast, indicating that “severe thunderstorms with heavy to intense rainfall are possible today.”

Some areas had seen up to a meter of rainfall in the past week, prompting major flood warnings along six rivers running well above flood levels.

State Disaster Coordinator Shane Chelepy confirmed that a woman in her 60s died in Ingham after a rescue boat she was travelling in capsized. He added that there had been no further fatalities or people reported missing since Sunday.

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Government response

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the death “heartbreaking news,” and assured the community that the federal government “will supply whatever resources are required to deal with this event.”

Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation warned residents to be cautious of crocodiles that could be lurking in the floodwaters. The department advised, “During flooding crocodiles can turn up in places they haven’t been seen before as they move about in search of calmer waters.”

Calls for help and evacuations

Chelepy reported that officials had received 480 calls for assistance overnight, the most in recent days, along with multiple emergency alerts and reports of flash flooding.

Response teams made 11 swift water rescues of people stranded in their homes or trapped in vehicles by the rising waters.

In Townsville, six low-lying suburbs were designated as a “black zone,” and residents evacuated to six evacuation centres.

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The city, hit by devastating flooding in 2019, faced similar conditions this weekend, prompting Crisafulli to urge residents to “take precautions, prepare for the worst, listen to the advice. This is a serious event.”

FG predicts flooding in 94 towns

Legit.ng reported that the Federal Government has issued a flood alert, predicting that 94 towns across the country are at risk of experiencing flooding from Tuesday, July 16 to July 20, 2024.

Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH, listing the affected states and towns. According to Salako, heavy rainfall is expected in the identified locations, which may lead to flooding.

Source: Legit.ng