Queensland authorities urge thousands to evacuate as heavy flooding claims one life

SYDNEY – One person died on Feb 2 in north Queensland amid heavy flooding, regional authorities said, urging thousands of people to move to higher ground due to torrential rains.

The Queensland authorities said major flooding was under way in coastal Hinchinbrook Shire, a locality of around 11,000 people located about 500km north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town of Giru, population 387, close to Townsville city, was also impacted, the authorities said.

Some parts of the north in Queensland state have had more than 600mm of rain in the past 24 hours, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Feb 2, with further heavy downpours predicted.

“Residents in low-lying areas should collect their evacuation kit and move to a safe place on higher ground. This situation may pose a threat to life and property,” regional emergency management authorities said in the morning.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said a woman died when an emergency services boat capsized in floodwaters in the rural town of Ingham, north of Townsville.

“There is more rain to come and there is the prospect of record rainfalls,” Mr Crisafulli said in televised comments. “Take the precautions, prepare for the worst, listen to the advice – please don’t discount this.”

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that Townsville Airport would be closed due to the “significant weather event”.

The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group said most residents in six areas that make up a “black zone” for flooding had evacuated as requested. Group chair Andrew Robinson warned those staying that they may be without power for days ahead, adding “there’s no way for you to get in or out”.

The death at Ingham occurred on the morning of Feb 2 when a State Emergency Services boat trying to assist the public struck a tree and flipped over, reported Bloomberg. There were six people on board and five were recovered safely.

The deceased woman was a member of the public and the accident is being investigated, officials said.

The affected region of north Queensland is a popular tourist destination and is close to the Great Barrier Reef. It also accounts for large swathes of the state’s area that grows sugar cane, most of which is exported. 

The federal and state governments said they had activated personal-hardship assistance to help residents pay for repairs and reconnect with essential services once the water starts to subside.

Wildlife in the area has also been forced to take refuge. An ABC reporter shared pictures of rock wallabies sheltering on the roof of a house in the south of Townsville. The animals are similar to kangaroos, though smaller, and the home owner said they jump up onto fence pillars and then on to roofs when there are heavy rains.

North Queensland has large zinc reserves as well as major deposits of silver, lead, copper and iron ore, with Townsville a major processing centre for the region’s base metals. In 2019, severe floods in the area disrupted lead and zinc concentrate rail shipments and damaged thousands of properties.

The flooding was triggered by heavy rain from a low-pressure system rich in tropical moisture, Australia’s weather forecaster said on its website.

“The potential for heavy, locally intense rainfall and damaging winds may continue into early next week, subject to the strength and position of the trough and low,” it said.

Frequent flooding has hit Australia’s east in recent years, including “once in a century” floods that inundated neighbouring Northern Territory in January 2023 during a multi-year La Nina weather event. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG