Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au

Aaron Bunch
North Qld begins assessing flood damage

The flooded community of Bluewater may be in for another drenching, after the Bureau of Meteorology says another 200mm of rain could fall in the area.

January 31, 2019

Residents in far north Queensland are assessing the damage after flash floods submerged homes and swept away cars.

Properties were inundated by more than a metre of water and residents were forced from their homes after 300mm of rain fell in four hours at Bluewater, near Townsville, on Wednesday.

The worst may not be over, however, with the Bureau of Meteorology saying another 200mm of rain may fall in the same area on Thursday.

“Pretty extreme numbers, you can’t rule it out, the conditions are still there in the area and in the broader Ingham to Bowen area tomorrow,” meteorologist David Crock told AAP on Wednesday.

“We could see a similar thing in the same place or nearby.”

Late on Wednesday, rescuers were going house to house in the fast-flowing floodwaters that washed through streets, sweeping away cars, swing sets, fridges, livestock and a tractor.

It followed a massive emergency service operation earlier in the day to rescue residents stranded after the Bluewater Creek burst its banks and became a raging torrent.

The community remains cordoned off under a safety and preservation declaration, with residents urged to avoid the area until the water levels drop.

The area has also experienced landslips, that closed roads, and the Bruce Highway remains partially closed in both directions.

Inland, a floodgate at Ross River Dam was opened after water levels reached 100 per cent.

The weather bureau has warned the wet weather will hang around for at least another week.

It is expected to swing around to the north late on Thursday or Friday, back toward catchments that have already been inundated.

A major flood warning is in force for the Haughton, Ross, Bohle and Black Rivers.

The weather bureau has re-issued a flood watch for numerous catchments north of Townsville, including the Daintree River which had a record-breaking flood over the weekend.

The state government announced disaster assistance would be made available to far north Queensland communities affected by the deluge.

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