Sunset at Chinaman Creek Dam, Cloncurry. Wikipedia.

EDIS Number: FL-20120128-33946-AUS

Date / time: 28/01/2012 11:56:10 [UTC]
Event: Flood
Area: Australia
Country: Australia
State/County: State of Queensland
Location: [Cloncurry Region]
Number of Deads: N/A
Number of Injured: N/A
Number of Infected: N/A
Number of Missing: N/A
Number of Affected: N/A
Number of Evacuated: N/A
Damage level: Moderate

Description:

Northwest Queensland is recovering after a night of torrential rain, with one family spending the night trapped between two rising creeks. Authorities were alerted to the family of six's predicament 100km south of Cloncurry off the Landsborough Highway at 1.30am (AEST) on Saturday, a Department of Community Safety spokeswoman said. Rescuers were hampered by floodwater and severe weather before a truck driver finally managed to get the family to safety later on Saturday morning. Four other cars became stuck in floodwater at Bargara, Moore Park, Banana and Julia Creek, but the occupants were able to get to safety before swift water rescuers arrived. Northwest Queensland received heavy downpours overnight, generated by a slow-moving monsoonal low which resulted in falls of up to 200mm in 24 hours. Cloncurry has recorded a whopping 196mm of rain since 9am (AEST) on Friday and Greta, north of Mt Isa, copped the heaviest falls with 200mm in the same period.

The weather system is forecast to move south over central western Queensland on Saturday, and down into southern Queensland on Sunday. The central towns of Winton, Longreach, Blackall, Charleville, Roma and Windorah are on alert for heavy rain and flash flooding, with falls in excess of 150mm over 24 hours likely. Residents of Roma who were on flood alert this morning are breathing a sigh of relief after expected overnight downpours did not materialise. Maranoa Mayor Robert Loughlin said the Bungil Creek peaked at 5.8m, well down on the bureau’s prediction. He said the district’s disaster management committee was monitoring the low pressure system which was expected to hit the town on Saturday night and Sunday morning. ‘If it comes through we need to be ready for possible high winds and very heavy rainfall up to 150mm,’ he said. Conditions in the sodden southeast have improved after the deluges that hammered the region for much of the week. The Bureau of Meteorology says light rain will continue on Sunday with a possible heavier fall in the evening.