More rain for flooded Australia
Source: Agencies |
January 3, 2011, Monday
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LARGE parts of Australia's coastal northeast disappeared under floodwater yesterday in a growing disaster that has brought some of the highest floods on record and forced thousands from their homes.
Queensland State Treasurer Andrew Fraser described the floods as a "disaster of biblical proportions" and said the final cost would exceed A$1 billion (US$980 million).
As forecasters predicted months of more rain, hundreds of residents in the town of Rockhampton, 600 kilometers north of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, fled their homes amid rising waters which are expected to reach more than 9 meters deep in coming days.
Mayor Brad Carter said the town was "like an island." Across the state, the floods have affected around 200,000 people and inundated thousands of properties.
"You can look down a street for a kilometer and see nothing but water," said Carter, speaking by telephone from the town of 77,000 people. "You see people in boats moving their possessions."
One person was confirmed dead in the floods yesterday, while a search was under way for another missing person.
Floodwaters were receding in some areas, leaving a mammoth cleanup job, but other areas were still collecting runoff from the Christmas deluge brought by the La Nina weather pattern. "It is the Fitzroy River flowing through down to Rockhampton that is still rising and expected to get quite near to record levels," said Gordon Banks, a senior forecaster in Brisbane with Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
Across the state, thousands have been forced to camp out with friends or in makeshift emergency shelters over the New Year period.
Carter said Rockhampton's airport was closed, road, and rail links mostly cut off and that police had sent reinforcements to prevent looting.
Rockhampton sits near the mouth of the giant Fitzroy River system, one of Australia's largest, carrying the water from last week's rains down to the coast. Officials said its level had reached 8.85 meters yesterday.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said flood waters in the town could reach nine meters today and peak at 9.4 meters on Wednesday.
Although the rain has largely eased off, flood warnings remain for many rivers, some communities may be isolated for up to two weeks and further rain is expected.
Bureau of Meteorology hydrologist Jeff Perkins said normally the wet season would only be beginning now. "We have a couple of months more and a good chance of further rainfall," Perkins said.
Queensland State Treasurer Andrew Fraser described the floods as a "disaster of biblical proportions" and said the final cost would exceed A$1 billion (US$980 million).
As forecasters predicted months of more rain, hundreds of residents in the town of Rockhampton, 600 kilometers north of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, fled their homes amid rising waters which are expected to reach more than 9 meters deep in coming days.
Mayor Brad Carter said the town was "like an island." Across the state, the floods have affected around 200,000 people and inundated thousands of properties.
"You can look down a street for a kilometer and see nothing but water," said Carter, speaking by telephone from the town of 77,000 people. "You see people in boats moving their possessions."
One person was confirmed dead in the floods yesterday, while a search was under way for another missing person.
Floodwaters were receding in some areas, leaving a mammoth cleanup job, but other areas were still collecting runoff from the Christmas deluge brought by the La Nina weather pattern. "It is the Fitzroy River flowing through down to Rockhampton that is still rising and expected to get quite near to record levels," said Gordon Banks, a senior forecaster in Brisbane with Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.
Across the state, thousands have been forced to camp out with friends or in makeshift emergency shelters over the New Year period.
Carter said Rockhampton's airport was closed, road, and rail links mostly cut off and that police had sent reinforcements to prevent looting.
Rockhampton sits near the mouth of the giant Fitzroy River system, one of Australia's largest, carrying the water from last week's rains down to the coast. Officials said its level had reached 8.85 meters yesterday.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said flood waters in the town could reach nine meters today and peak at 9.4 meters on Wednesday.
Although the rain has largely eased off, flood warnings remain for many rivers, some communities may be isolated for up to two weeks and further rain is expected.
Bureau of Meteorology hydrologist Jeff Perkins said normally the wet season would only be beginning now. "We have a couple of months more and a good chance of further rainfall," Perkins said.
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