Floods affect vast areas of Queensland

14 Dec 2010, 6:58 pm   -   Source: AAP
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There is concern for the central Queensland city of Rockhampton in coming days. (ABC)

There is concern for the central Queensland city of Rockhampton in coming days. (ABC)

Floodwaters are affecting vast areas of Queensland, prompting rescues, warnings of rising waters, and damaging crops.

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Floodwaters are affecting vast areas of Queensland, prompting rescues, damaging crops, and leading to warnings of rising waters.

Senior hydrologist with the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland, James Stuart, said the area impacted by unseasonal wet weather and storms was huge.

"It's virtually every catchment, except the Gold Coast, in a line from Rockhampton to Winton," Mr Stuart said.

While the inundation of communities has not been widespread, there is concern for the central Queensland city of Rockhampton in coming days.

The Fitzroy has reached 7.4 metres and is expected to peak at 7.8 metres on Thursday. The flood is not expected to exceed the 2008 event, the local council said.

The Fitzroy will remain above the minor flooding mark of seven metres into next week.

Another community of concern, Charleville, is safe thanks to its new levee, completed after a temporary fix in 2008.

Mayor of Murweh Shire Mark O'Brien said that at six metres the Warrego River was at the base of the two-metre-high levee, and he did not expect a repeat of the 1990 catastrophic flood.

A helicopter will drop emergency food and medical supplies to isolated properties in southwest Queensland.

Large tracts of cotton crops around Theodore have been inundated and lost for the second time this year, robbing growers of two years' income.

The Dawson River near Theodore is expected to peak again later in the week, again flooding farms.

At Moura, flood levels have peaked and are falling. But a further rise was expected later in the week, Banana Shire said in a statement.

It is not expected to reach previous levels.

Major flood levels will continue in the Baralaba area with a preliminary peak of around 12.2 metres expected this week.

Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin and federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig toured flood-affected central Queensland on Tuesday to assess damage and emergency relief needs.

Motorists continue to ignore warnings to stay out of floodwaters.

Two people were helped from the roof of a submerged vehicle on Tuesday afternoon near Rockhampton while a man was rescued from the roof of his car on a flooded road northwest of Rockhampton.

Flood warnings remain in place for 13 Queensland rivers, creeks and catchments.

More than 80 roads are either closed or passable only by four-wheel drive.

Rain and storm activity on Tuesday mainly has been confined to the east coast, but a weather system expected by this weekend is likely to bring further falls throughout the state.

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