Threat not over as ex-cyclone wreaks havoc on far north
Repairs are underway after a tropical cyclone slammed the far north coast, but forecasters warn the threat is not over as Queensland braces for more devastating floods.
After days of heavy accumulation, former Tropical Cyclone Koji ran out of strength and weakened to a tropical low as it crossed the Queensland coast.
Cyclone warnings have been canceled but residents in the far north still face major flooding as heavy rain continues to lash the region.
Thousands of people were left without electricity while authorities worked any time of the day To restore electricity to affected areas.
As the economic costs of the twin disasters continued to mount, Premier David Crisafulli was confident Queenslanders could overcome whatever came their way.
“There are stages to an event like this; first there’s wind, then there’s rain, then there’s flooding,” he said Sunday.
“We have seen the wind starting to decrease… we have seen a lot of rain and there will be more to come, there is also the possibility of flooding.
“The Queen’s Landings will handle this. They always, always do.”
A heavy rainfall warning has been issued along Queensland’s central coast and falls are expected to continue until Monday.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, isolated totals can reach up to 340mm in 24 hours in saturated catchments in some areas.
Flood watches remain in place for the Channel Country after monsoon rain devastated the state’s north-west, isolating towns and properties.
The massive cleanup has yet to begin, with conservative estimates that more than 45,000 livestock are missing or dead.
“We will continue to monitor and see the impact the system can have; the last thing we want to see is more rainfall in areas that can meet more than a year’s supply in less than a week,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Feed cuts continue and authorities are stockpiling antibiotics and veterinary supplies to treat surviving animals and combat infection.
“The economic impact to Western Queensland will be huge because of how important agriculture is to supporting these communities,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“We are doing everything we can to protect as many cattle as possible and help these primary producers.”
Flood warnings are in place for catchments including Herbert, Upper Burdekin, Lower Burdekin, Haughton, Ross, Bohle, Don, Proserpine, Pioneer, Lower Flinders, Norman, Gilbert, Georgina and Eyre, Diamantina and Thomson.
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