Central Highlands Regional Council crews from Emerald are on their way to Springsure, after the town was hit by heavy rainfall overnight, causing flash flooding and power outages.
BOM duty forecaster, Lachlan Stoney said the official gauge listed Springsure as receiving 110mm in the last 24 hours to 9am, and nearby Roddas Lookout recorded 151mm.
Mayor Kerry Hayes said council has coordinated an emergency response to assist Springsure crews in assessing damage and clean-up of debris.
“Our priority is to ensure that people are safe and our local crews have all the manpower they need to clear debris and repair damage,” he said.
“We have deployed Emerald crews to assist with initial clean-up and repairs this morning and we will provide further resources as we assess the damage in and around town.
“Most importantly we have had no reports of people being injured and I would advise people to be aware of the dangers of flooded roads and delay any unnecessary travel in the area.”
Rainfall in total of up to 150mm has been recorded as the storm tracked from Rolleston to Springsure around 2am on Tuesday morning.
The Rolleston Transaction Centre will remain closed today.
On the Facebook page Who Got The Rain?, Philip Christian wrote “freak event in Central Highlands south East of Springsure. Two big storms sat over us last night for 3 hours. The result? 183mm!!”.
Similarly, Pat Kooyman wrote “144mm in a sprinkle in the early hours this morning east of Springsure”.
BOM have a flood warning current for the Fitzroy system, Dawson catchment:
Issued at 10:08 am EST on Tuesday 27 February 2018
- Minor flood levels are occurring on the Dawson River during Tuesday.
- Rainfall totals up to around 50 mm have been recorded in the Dawson catchment in the 24 hours to 9:00 am Tuesday. Further showers and storms are possible during the next few days. Renewed river level rises are likely during the next few days.
Dawson River to Theodore:
- Minor flooding is occurring along the Dawson River to Theodore.
- The Dawson River at Taroom is expected to remain above the minor flood level (4.50 m) during Tuesday.
- The Dawson River at Theodore is likely to exceed the minor flood level (8.00 m) overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
Dawson River downstream of Theodore:
- Minor flooding is occurring along the Dawson River downstream of Theodore.
- The Dawson River at Moura may exceed the minor flood level (6.00m) overnight Tuesday into Wednesday.
- There are no observations at Baralaba, however it is expected that the water level is currently around the minor flood level (4.0 metres) and rising. The Dawson River at Baralaba is expected to remain above the minor flood level (4.00 m) during Tuesday.
