Synopsis
Heavy rain has diminished, but authorities caution that areas in northeastern Australia remain hazardous for evacuated residents due to serious flooding, particularly in towns like Ingham, Cardwell, and Halifax, as recovery efforts will take considerable time.Key Takeaways
- Evacuated residents are advised to stay away until it is safe.
- Over 8,000 properties remain without power.
- Flooding in Ingham is among the worst.
- Recovery will require significant time.
- A generator is being flown into Ingham to assist.
Sydney, February 4 (NationPress) Although the heavy downpour has subsided, residents who were evacuated from northeastern Australia have been warned that it is still unsafe to return to their homes due to extensive flooding.
On Tuesday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) lifted a severe weather warning that had been active since Friday for the North Tropical Coast region of Queensland.
Since Friday, some areas in the region have experienced nearly two meters of rainfall, leading to widespread and hazardous flooding, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli mentioned on Tuesday morning that rainfall in Townsville, the region's second-largest city, was less intense than anticipated overnight.
He highlighted that the coastal towns of Ingham, Cardwell, and Halifax — located between 95 and 140 kilometers northwest of Townsville — have suffered the most from flooding, with details still emerging about the significant “devastation” in these communities.
Crisafulli estimated that more than 100 properties in Ingham alone have been affected by rising floodwaters.
“This isn’t going to be a recovery process that lasts just a week or a month; it’s going to take considerable time,” he stated.
Residents in six low-lying suburbs of Townsville were ordered to evacuate on Saturday due to the threat of life-threatening flooding.
Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson cautioned that the floodwaters would pose significant dangers to those suburbs on Tuesday morning.
The acting mayor of Townsville, Ann-Maree Greaney, advised residents in those areas not to return until officials declare it safe.
As of Tuesday morning, over 8,000 properties in the region were still without power.
Electricity provider Ergon Energy confirmed that they had suspended power to certain customers in Townsville as a precautionary measure due to rising floodwaters, although the overall network remained in good condition.
However, they noted that restoring power to 4,500 properties in Ingham would prove challenging.
“Getting Ingham back to normalcy will be a marathon, not a sprint,” the company stated in a release.
“The scale of the disaster in and around the town cannot be overstated.”
A generator is scheduled to be transported to Ingham via helicopter on Tuesday after initial plans for this on Monday were postponed due to severe rain.
