Floods in Queensland

Queensland weather: Flash-flood warnings as widespread rains expected to hit Queensland

Bundaberg endured its biggest one-day downpour in more than half-a-century, causing flash flooding and leaving thousands without power.

Courier Mail, 
3 October, 2017

A Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman said the Wide Bay city had received more than 340mm of rain yesterday — including 75mm in a single hour — breaking a 64-year record by more than 60mm.

Residents described cyclonic-like winds which downed trees and powerlines and sent debris flying.

The tornado-like phenomenon left a trail of destruction stretching about 500m. As many as 10 homes had their roofs torn off.

One Bundaberg woman said the wind gusts looked like a “mini tornado” and caused significant damage to her home.

“It shook the whole house, there’s damage everywhere and I saw a trampoline in the middle of the road,” she said.

Jordan Walmsley told the Bundaberg News-Mail said she saw a “huge twister” outside her home when she went to the garage.

“Everything starts to be blown inside the house and through the garage, I narrowly miss the dryer from hitting me, I run back inside and grab my phone,” she said.

“I start to panic majorly as I had no idea what to do in that moment.”

Miss Walmsley said police told her family they needed to evacuate immediately.

She said she had been distraught all day and concerned for people in the street.

“Our back fence has been completely torn off, we’ve had trees fallen down everywhere — luckily they didn’t hit the house — and our garage doors are broken and torn through,” she said.

“Also our back gate has been broken off.”

Even getting out of the street was a feat for the Bundy family.

“We had to be careful getting out of our street as there was a fallen power line in the middle of the wet ride, luckily there was a way we could walk around it without getting into the water,” she said.

A home in Avenell Heights had part of its roof ripped off and the shed damaged after a mini tornado tore through the area.

Cedar St resident Cyndee Monro said the wind picked up again about 7pm.

It took out her fence and sent trampolines flying in scenes reminiscent of the mayhem that unfolded in an area centred Avenell Heights earlier in the day.

“I was getting the dogs inside and things were just flying everywhere,” Ms Monro said.

“The trampoline was actually in the powerlines. Ergon took it down,” she said.

“It came from 400m away.”

Another Innes Park resident said the tornado came over the reserve and through their place on Palm St.

“It tossed furniture around and lifted our pool pump cover which is heavy as,” he wrote.

“Almost blew the back sliding doors in.”

Thomas Hinterdorfer, an extreme weather chaser, shared a satellite image of the region to Facebook on Monday night, circling three couplets on the radar that he said exhibited characteristics of producing waterspouts or tornadoes.

He said one had made landfall over the northern beaches of Fraser Island, another was east of Poona and other was east of Fraser Island.

Mr Hinterdorfer told the Bundaberg News-Mail he had received countless reports of a waterspout or tornado destroying a house in River Heads.

Bowarrady Ct resident Clem Skerman said he saw the twister make its way along the waterline.

“I could hear something getting ripped up,” he said.

He said the twister moved fast, estimating it was travelling about 80kmh when he saw it.

“I heard noises to the left, like trees breaking,” he said.

“It had to have been pretty big.”

Mr Skerman said there had also been plenty of lightning.

“It was a good show,” he said.

The SES responded to about 177 calls in the Wide Bay area and more than 4000 homes lost power at the height of the wild weather, which sent debris flying and downed trees.

A Queensland Fire Service spokeswoman said crews worked through the night to help residents who had lost their roofs. She said they expect to hear from more residents today as the height of the storm’s damage comes to light.

The heavy rain caused flooding in low lying areas and left large amounts of surface water on the roads, creating havoc for motorists who quickly became stranded when streets were cut off.

At Woodgate, northwest of Hervey Bay, more than 214mm of rain fell in three hours.

Meteorologist Michelle Berry said the severe conditions were the result of two weather systems intersecting.

“An upper level trough over the interior of Queensland created a lot of deep moisture and instability.

“Combined with a coastal surface trough over the Wide Bay area (it was) an additional trigger for the storm,” she said.

The weather bureau has this morning cancelled a severe thunderstorm warning that was issued last night for locally destructive winds and flash flooding for the southeast coast.

Falls of 250mm or more were also recorded in communities between Bundaberg and Maryborough and the system also brought welcome, but far less impressive, falls to parts of southeast Queensland.

The inland town of Roma also saw minor flooding in the town’s streets.

The Bureau spokeswoman said conditions are expected to ease today. The system is now moving offshore and into NSW. Isolated showers are expected today with thunderstorms forecast for the area between Rockhampton and Stanthorpe.

The cool temperatures are expected to continue in Brisbane with a chance of storms and top of 23C predicted.