Australian flood rescuers busy as storms and downpours batter Queensland

A fallen tree lies across a camping trailer near the Gold Coast last Wednesday. At least nine people have died in wild weather in the Australian eastern states of Queensland and Victoria, officials said on Wednesday. Photo / AP

Crews have attended dozens of flood rescue incidents as heavy rain continues in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Rescuers have responded to at least 115 incidents in 24 hours triggered by storms and flooding in northern NSW as Queensland’s saturated southeast braces for yet more rain.

Crews had completed 27 rescues in the Northern Rivers region alone since Monday, although no significant injuries had been reported, the NSW State Emergency Service said.

More than 300mm of rain had fallen at Limpinwood in the Tweed Valley, while falls exceeding 200mm had caused flash flooding at other locations.

Minor-to-moderate riverine flooding has occurred on the Tweed, Wilsons and Richmond rivers, with the most significant impact at Tumbulgum.

The SES said water levels were expected to rise across various catchments, and inundation warnings were possible throughout Tuesday as the flow along the Richmond River moved towards Coraki to Lismore’s south.

SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said while the intense rain experienced on Monday wasn’t expected to recur, the risk was not over.

“Catchments in and around the Northern Rivers continue to see the impacts of significant rainfall over the past 24 to 48 hours, and we’re expecting flood warnings to continue across the region,” he said.

“People in the Northern Rivers should heed the direction of emergency services on the ground, never drive through floodwaters and avoid unnecessary travel today.”

Financial assistance had been made available for some of those affected by the storms, and the federal government had received a request for defence force support from its Queensland counterpart, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

“What we’re now looking at is providing more boots on the ground to do some of the clearance of debris so that energy workers and others can get towards essential infrastructure to help reconnect,” he told ABC News on Tuesday.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Miriam Bradbury warned on Monday the situation for the border region shared with Queensland continued to be “dangerous and dynamic”.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are forecast for most of Queensland, with the possibility of moderate-to-heavy falls in parts of the state’s southeast.

On Monday evening, 44 people were rescued from a campground that had been inundated with floodwater in the Gold Coast hinterland. One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Heavy rain affecting much of southeast Queensland is likely to continue into Tuesday. The state’s Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and SES staff and volunteers have been working around the clock to respond to storm and flooding incidents across the southeast.

“With these bursts of intense rainfall, the rivers and creeks are rising extremely quickly and catching people unaware,” QFES Deputy Commissioner Kevin Walsh told ABC News.

Gold Coast theme parks Movie World, Wet n Wild, Dreamworld and Whitewater World closed on Tuesday due to the downpour.

Nindooinbah Dam west of the Gold Coast, and Leslie Harrison Dam in Brisbane’s southeast started spilling excess water due to the heavy rain on Monday.

Queensland water supply authority Seqwater cautioned residents downstream of the dams to avoid potential hazards such as fast-flowing or deep water near waterways and flood plains.

Queensland authorities say forecast rainfall indicates releases may be required from the North Pine and Somerset dams within the next 24 to 48 hours.

A flood watch was issued for Queensland’s Capricornia and South East Coast regions on Monday evening. Flood warnings also applied to the Logan, Albert, Nerang, Coomera and Paroo rivers.