THE Wide Bay and Burnett regions were hit with the full storm affects of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie yesterday with roads ripped up and school buses stranded.
Between 50 to 100mm fell in some parts of the region yesterday with falls in excess of 100mm expected again today.
The small town of Apple Tree Creek became a swimming pool yesterday with flash flooding causing significant damage to the local park and rest area, ripping up the roadway and tearing apart fencing.
Resident Chrissy Robinson said there were rivers flowing down their backyards.
She said she had never seen such severe water damage in her life.
"The most damage seems to be out of town more McDonald's Road,”she said.
"The dirt road's completely destroyed, some parts of the road it's all rocky and bad to drive over even in a four wheel drive."
The Isis school bus was stuck on the other side of a raging Apple Tree Creek delaying students journey home.
All Queensland schools from Agnes Water to New South Wales have been closed today.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a severe weather warning for destructive winds and heavy rainfall for the region with more flash flooding expected.
"Heavy rainfall will move into the Darling Downs and Southeast Coast districts this morning,” the BOM alert said.
"Destructive wind gusts may develop about the coastal fringe and elevated terrain of the Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts from Thursday afternoon."
Ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie was located over inland central Queensland south of Emerald about 4am this morning and is continuing to move southeastwards.
Widespread daily rainfalls of 150 to 250mm are expected today and may affect Rockhampton, Gladstone, Kingaroy, Bundaberg, Miles and the Sunshine Coast.
Authorities are reminding people not to drive in flood waters after a man had to be rescued from the roof of his car when it was swept off a causeway by fast-moving water at Logging Creek in the Wide Bay.
Full list of road closures here
For those in the Fraser Coast region, sand is available for residents to fill sandbags from the Hervey Bay Aquatic Centre and Maryborough SES shed from 10.30am to 11.30am today and tomorrow.
Sand is also on standby at the Burrum Heads SES shed.
The Biggenden Meatworks and Store Sale scheduled for Monday April 3 has also been cancelled due to the wet weather.
The next sale will be on April 20.
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
