The community of Urandangi in rural Queensland has had 21 residents evacuated in anticipation of what is expected to be the worst floods the area has seen in more than ten years.
After water levels climbed throughout the day and the neighborhood’s water supply was jeopardized, Queensland police flew evacuees to Mount Isa, a nearby town, 200 kilometers away on Friday.
Elliott Dunn, the emergency management coordinator for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) Mount Isa district, stated that while flooding is common in this area, it is seldom at this level.
He claimed it was the most significant flooding incident to affect the area since 2009.
According to Mr. Dunn, the flooding is the result of ex-tropical storm Ellie’s heavy rainfall over the Barkly region further north moving into the channel country.
The bulk of Urandangi residents were evacuated, but a small number of town council officials and company owners stayed behind.
As they wait for the water to recede, which would likely take about 10 days, he said, “they will have supplies flown in for them.”
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts damaging winds and significant rainfall for the remainder of the weekend as a monsoon moves across Far North Queensland and affects the Cape York Peninsula, Gulf of Carpentaria, and north-west Queensland.
Next week, Mr. Dunn predicted, “we may expect that floodwater to travel further down to areas like Boulia.”
