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More than 40 people rescued from flooding around Cairns More than 40 people rescued from flooding around Cairns
(35 minutes later)
More than 40 people have been rescued from flooding in the Cairns area following heavy rains in the aftermath of former cyclone Nora. More than 40 people have been rescued from floodwaters at two Cairns caravan parks after deluges from ex-cyclone Nora overwhelmed emergency services.
Cairns council warned residents of dangerous flood levels on the Barron river at Caravonica, Kamerunga and Lake Placid. “Properties in this area may experience flooding as a result of heavy rainfall overnight combined with a high tide this morning,” the warning said. Desperate residents and visitors called state emergency services workers for help on Monday night as flash flooding swamped the parks on the city’s outskirts.
Lance Duncan from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) said authorities had been expecting the rain, but the strength of the downpour had been unexpected. “We weren’t prepared for 100mm of rain in a minute,” Duncan said.
Emergency crews are working to rescue a person trapped by floodwaters on the Captain Cook highway, north of Cairns.
Cairns caravan park devastated after it was hit by flood waters last night. 42 rescued after a river broke its banks. pic.twitter.com/tbr7hhHXoMCairns caravan park devastated after it was hit by flood waters last night. 42 rescued after a river broke its banks. pic.twitter.com/tbr7hhHXoM
The council urged residents to get ready for flooding, and again warned motorists not to drive through roads covered by water. The region is bracing for major flooding with the Barron River expected to reach its highest level in a decade, while Townsville has also been told to prepare for heavy falls as the weather system moves south.
The State Emergency Service rescued 42 people from two caravan parks inundated overnight. Cairns remains cut off by flooding to the north and south, with both the Bruce Highway and Captain Cook Highway closed in parts.
“We’re flooding up to the van, the water is absolutely raging, we are seriously in trouble,” a caller from the Big4 Caravan park said in a video played on the Nine Network. All up, 42 people had to be rescued from the Big4 Crystal Cascades and the Cool Waters holiday park on Monday night, with three people taken to hospital with minor injuries.
An SES spokesman, Sean McGuinness, told Nine on Tuesday that emergency crews had received numerous triple zero calls. “They’ve gone through a devastating ordeal,” Duncan said. “They’ve lost a lot of their caravans, their vehicles ... All of their livelihood, their clothing, all their personal belongings would be damaged.”
“Swift-water people were sent in first and flood-boat crews were tasked to assist for that situation, just because of the number of people that were reported,” he said. A Big4 Caravan Park Crystal Cascades spokeswoman said they were assessing the damage and cleaning up after cars and campervans smashed into buildings. “Everyone is safe,” she said.
He said the water had gone down quickly but several people lost property. Two people were also rescued from their vehicle near the Captain Cook Highway.
“Some people did have the opportunity to get their belongings up and safe, but a lot of reports are from the people that had come to our SES headquarters was in regards to the fact that their belongings were still in the caravans,” McGuinness said. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said the far north has received extraordinary rainfalls, with potential for further downpours and thunderstorms throughout Tuesday.
A March record of 593mm of rain fell at Port Douglas after Nora crossed the western coast of Cape York as a category-three storm early on Sunday. More than 260mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Cairns. Port Douglas was hit with nearly 600mm of rain in the 24 hours to Monday morning, while Kuranda, just north of Cairns, had more than 400mm with nearby Barron Falls raging with water.
Townsville faces storms, heavy rain and potential flash floods on Tuesday as the weather system from ex-cyclone Nora moves south. A severe weather warning will likely remain in place until the rain stops, which the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts will happen on Wednesday. Cairns council has warned residents that major flood levels are being reached on the Barron River at Caravonica, Kamerunga and Lake Placid. “Properties in this area may experience flooding as a result of heavy rainfall overnight combined with a high tide this morning,” the warning said.
Nora is forecast to hang around the Gulf of Carpentaria before heading back towards the Northern Territory later in the week. The bureau is predicting 50mm to 100mm of rain around the gulf on Tuesday. The council has urged residents to prepare, and again warned motorists not to drive through roads covered by water.
Ten schools and 10 childcare centres will be closed while damage is assessed and repairs undertaken. At Pormpuraaw, which was hit hard as Nora made landfall, Ergon Energy is trying to reconnect power to 230 homes. Authorities have been forced to close 15 schools and nine childcare centres in gulf communities affected by Nora, and in and around Cairns.
Port Douglas residents have also been told the town’s water supply is at critical levels because the local water treatment plan is struggling to cope with the continued rain.
CairnsCairns
Natural disasters and extreme weatherNatural disasters and extreme weather
QueenslandQueensland
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