Australian authorities are scrambling to help isolated communities in Queensland after a flooding emergency forced thousands of evacuations, cut power to homes and washed away sections of a vital highway.
The flooding has claimed a woman’s life and caused havoc across the state’s north, with residents in Townsville, Ingham, and Cardwell among the hardest hit.
“Record” downpours are set to continue, authorities say, with parts of the region already experiencing almost 1.3m (4.2ft) of rain since Saturday, causing rivers and reservoirs to overflow.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who was briefed about the response efforts on Monday – said that the disaster had brought out “the best of Australians”.
“I’ve seen Australians helping one another in their time of need,” he wrote on X, adding that the “threat from floodwaters” would persist in affected areas for days.
Efforts to assist the hardest-hit areas have been hindered by flood damage to parts of the Bruce Highway – the main thoroughfare stretching 1,673km (1039 miles) from the state’s south.
This included the partial collapse of a bridge that could add an extra 700km to driving routes and slow down the delivery of critical supplies, the Queensland Trucking Association told the ABC.
Queensland’s Premier David Crisafulli offered his condolences to the “tight-knit” town of Ingham, after a 63-year-old woman died when a State Emergency Service (SES) dinghy capsized during a rescue attempt on Sunday.
“We are deeply sorry for their loss,” he told reporters on Monday.
Crisafulli also urged all residents located in the so-called “black-zone” of the floods – which includes six Townsville suburbs – to not return home, due to the ongoing threat posed by the nearby Ross River.
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said the area had received six months of rainfall in three days.
About 2,000 homes could be inundated as water levels rise before their expected peak on Tuesday, the Townsville Local Disaster Management Group warned.
Many homes have already been flooded. One Ingham resident who lives with her elderly mother told the Townsville Bulletin that she had waited seven hours for emergency services to help them evacuate after their property was affected.
“I was crying, I was hysterical. Someone even hung up on me when I called [emergency number] triple-0, saying: ‘We’re busy,'” she said.
Though rainfall is now easing, major flood warnings remain in place for communities along several rivers.
Crisafulli has warned that Ingham could be on track to experience its worst flooding in 60 years if the Herbert river surpasses a peak of 15.2m.
Emergency responders have continued working around the clock, with the SES receiving 480 calls for help on Sunday night and performing 11 “swift water” rescues. Widespread power outages continue to be reported, making it impossible for some communities to call for assistance.
SES Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy urged people to stay vigilant and check on their neighbours when possible. He added that some 400 people were now being housed in evacuation centres across Townsville, Ingham, and Cardwell.
Authorities have also asked locals to be on the lookout for crocodiles, saying that they could be lurking in streams away from their usual habitats.
Located in the tropics, north Queensland is vulnerable to destructive cyclones, storms, and flooding.
But climate scientists have warned that warmer oceans and a hotter planet are creating the conditions for more intense and frequent extreme rainfall events.
