Tornadoes strike Queensland

26 Jan 2013, 5:50 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Several mini-tornadoes have hit the Queensland coast. (AAP)

Several mini-tornadoes have hit the Queensland coast. (AAP)

Several 'mini-tornadoes' have hit the Queensland coast as the state is battered by severe weather and flooding caused by the remnants of cyclone Oswald.

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Ex-cyclone Oswald refused to budge from central Queensland and whipped up three mini-tornadoes that injured at least 17 people, damaged scores of homes and forced the evacuation of towns around Bundaberg on Australia Day.

To the north, floods in Gladstone led to the city being declared a disaster zone and was the biggest concern for authorities on Saturday evening.

Torrential rain topped a metre in 48 hours and has swollen the Boyne River to two metres higher than the previous record.

About five metres of water is pouring over the spillway of the Awoonga Dam into the Boyne, just south of Gladstone.

Tannum Sands and Boyne Island, at the mouth of the Boyne River, narrowly escaped inundation on Saturday.

But they may not be so lucky when an extraordinarily high tide hits on Sunday morning.

"We're now getting ready for the next time when we think we'll have the biggest problem and that's at the high tide on Sunday morning," Gladstone Mayor Gail Sellers told AAP.

About 2000 people have been asked to evacuate.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said a saddle dam off the Awoonga Dam is close to overflowing, which would put 500 homes in peril.

He said the government is considering mandatory evacuations.

"That's my main concern," he said.

Mini-tornadoes that tore through the costal townships of Bargara and Burnett Heads struck after 1pm AEST, damaging homes, shops, a bowling club and government buildings.

Both townships were declared disaster areas.

A man and woman in a parked car on the Esplanade at Bargara were critically injured when a huge pine tree toppled onto the car's roof.

At least 15 other people were treated for minor injuries after being hit by flying glass and other debris.

Queensland emergency services minister Jack Dempsey, who lives in Bundaberg, said 150 homes were damaged at Burnett Heads - and two completely destroyed - by one of three tornadoes to strike the Bundaberg district.

"There are a number of small towns and suburbs that were hit by the mini-tornadoes," Mr Dempsey said.

"We are still trying to assess the extent of the damage."

The third and final mini-tornado badly damaged a home when it hit the coastal town of Coonarr, about 20km south of Bundaberg, at about 4.30pm (AEST).

Mr Newman, who addressed a press conference shortly after the first of the mini-cyclones had struck Bargara, said the Callide and Kroombit Dams, west of Gladstone, were experiencing unprecedented outflows.

Residents at Jambin and Goovigen have been ordered to take refuge on higher ground.

Flood warnings have been issued for the Calliope, Boyne, Baffle and Kolan Rivers.

In Rockhampton, floodwaters have inundated barbecues and car parks along the Fitzroy River.

The river continues to rise as it absorbs about half a metre of rain dumped on the city this week.

Mr Dempsey said the SES has received more than 650 requests for assistance since Friday morning, including more than 130 for Rockhampton, and more than 35 jobs each for Gladstone and Yeppoon.

There were also six swift-water rescues.

"Thankfully they were all very successful outcomes," he told ABC Radio.

A 60-year-old fisherman was found on Balaclava Island on Saturday afternoon, surviving more than 40 hours lost at sea.

His 38-foot fishing vessel began taking on water off Port Alma on Thursday.

Authorities are still searching for the second fisherman on board.

The rain depression is expected to finally mobilise southward overnight to begin tormenting the southeast.

In the next few days about 300mm of rain is expected in Wivenhoe Dam catchment, upstream of Brisbane, and coastal areas could get as much as 500mm.

Mr Newman said controlled releases from the dam are continuing and there is no doubt it will be able to cope with the influx of rainwater in the coming days.

"We can absorb that flood," he said.

The biggest risk will come from suburban creeks in the Gold and Sunshine Coast and greater Brisbane area.

"With all that heavy rain, flash flooding is definitely expected," Ken Kato from the Bureau of Meteorology told AAP.

The Moreton Bay Regional council is warning residents to prepare for tidal surges expected to cause flooding in low lying areas on Saturday and Sunday.

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Your Comments

It's tornadoe not mini tornadoes ..

Scott - from Gladstone , 4 months ago

There is no such thing as a mini tornadoe , just a tornadoe ! Tell that too the people that lost houses today . The Australian media look stupid when they place the word mini in front of tornadoe .

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