Australia Residents Warned of Ongoing Flood Threat
Although heavy rainfall has eased, residents evacuated from northeastern Australia have been told it is not yet safe to return home due to ongoing flooding.
Sydney: Although heavy rainfall has eased, residents evacuated from northeastern Australia have been told it is not yet safe to return home due to ongoing flooding.
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Flooding Continues Despite Weather Warning Cancellation
On Tuesday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) cancelled the severe weather warning that had been in effect since Friday for Queensland’s North Tropical Coast region. Parts of the region have experienced almost two meters of rainfall since Friday, resulting in widespread and dangerous flooding.
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Impact on Townsville and Surrounding Areas
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli reported that the rainfall in Townsville, the region’s second-largest city, was less severe than expected overnight. However, coastal towns such as Ingham, Cardwell, and Halifax—located between 95 and 140 km northwest of Townsville—have been hit the hardest by the floods. Crisafulli indicated that over 100 properties in Ingham alone were likely inundated with floodwaters.
“This isn’t going to be a recovery that goes for a week or a month, this is going to take some time,” Crisafulli said.
Evacuations and Ongoing Danger
On Saturday, residents of six low-lying suburbs in Townsville were ordered to evacuate due to the threat of life-threatening flooding. Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson warned that the floodwaters would remain particularly dangerous for those suburbs on Tuesday morning.
Townsville’s acting mayor, Ann-Maree Greaney, urged residents not to return until the area is officially declared safe.
Power Outages and Efforts to Restore Services
More than 8,000 properties in the region were still without power as of Tuesday morning. Ergon Energy, the electricity supplier, had cut power to some customers in Townsville as a precaution due to rising floodwaters. While the network remained in good condition, restoring power to 4,500 properties in Ingham would be challenging.
Ergon Energy stated, “Getting Ingham back on supply, and back on its feet, will be a marathon, not a sprint,” emphasizing the scale of the disaster in the town. A generator is expected to be flown into Ingham by helicopter on Tuesday, after initial plans were delayed due to heavy rain.
