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The Guardian - AU
National
Stephanie Convery and Eden Gillespie (earlier)

Evacuations as more than 500 roads cut by south-east Qld flooding – as it happened

Queensland Flood Brisbane (Geopolitical Entity) Lockyer Valley Gympie
A driver chances their hand on a flooded section of Plainland-Laidley road on Friday. Queensland continues to be battered by wet weather, with emergency alerts issued and warnings of flash floods today. Follow Qld flooding live updates
A driver chances their hand on a flooded section of Plainland-Laidley road on Friday. Queensland continues to be battered by wet weather, with emergency alerts issued and warnings of flash floods today. Follow Qld flooding live updates Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian

That’s where we’ll leave this live blog today. Here’s what we know:

  • Heavy rainfall has lashed south-eastern Queensland, resulting in flash flooding across many parts of the state.
  • Low-lying areas of the Lockyer Valley, south-west of Brisbane, were particularly hard hit, with downpours of up to 260mm in the past 48 hours. The region’s mayor Tanya Milligan said Queensland police doorknocked and called at least 240 homes considered most at risk, advising them to leave.
  • Sandy Creek, in Grantham, has risen to 1.9m above Sandy Creek Road at the railway bridge, preventing residents from accessing the evacuation centre at the Butter Factory.
  • More than 550 roads across the state have been cut by flooding, according to the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland.
  • Beaches across the state were closed, including all the Gold Coast beaches, due to dangerous conditions, including strong winds and hazardous surf.
  • Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the rainfall was not like the weather we saw earlier this year that caused catastrophic damage across the state, saying this rainfall was “more sporadic, and not as heavy”.
  • As of midday, the SES had received 150 calls for help, with water teams performing nine rescues. Queensland Fire and Emergency services said they had to assist people, particularly in areas where the water had risen quickly.

More rain is forecast to fall over the weekend. Please keep an eye on conditions in your area and stay safe.

Severe Rain In Queensland Threatens CommunitiesLAIDLEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 13: A man walks through floodwater on May 13, 2022 in Laidley, Australia. Parts of southeast Queensland are on flood watch as the state continues to experience heavy rainfall. (Photo by Dan Peled/Getty Images)
A man walks through floodwater on May 13, 2022 in Laidley, Queensland. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

It’s not clear if the crash referred to in the below tweet is floods-related. Please be very careful on the roads, regardless, though.

Thanks so much Eden Gillespie for your work on the blog today. I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be taking you through the rest of the afternoon.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services says the Scenic Rim regional council has issued an emergency alert for the area.

They say multiple roads have been impacted by flooding and road closures.

Residents in the SRRC area are urged to plan ahead and prepare for conditions. If travel is essential, adhere to signage and drive to conditions.

Updated

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says heavy downpours have sparked dangerous flooding across the south of Queensland.

She says the constant rainfall has resulted in “a lot of inundation around the catchment areas”.

Here’s another photo of one of the pups that was rescued by Queensland police on Thursday in the Scenic Rim.

Two men and their pups are safe and well after they were pulled out of rising floodwaters by officers.

The men had gotten into trouble when their van became submerged in Morwincha.

Updated

Hats off to emergency crews across the state, who are battling severe weather conditions to get to those in need.

Updated

Queensland’s Department of Transport has warned of major flooding across several highways.

They say the Condamine River is still rising and releases from Leslie Dam have closed the Cunningham Highway at Sandy Creek, west of Warwick.

Emergency crews are finding it difficult to physically access all the roads, which means there may be fewer physical signs up advising motorists of road closures.

Because we’re at saturation point from the February and March rains, there’s likely to be more damage to the roads than we saw during the last floods.

Flood waters are raging right now in Warwick – a town 130km south-west of Brisbane.

Updated

An emergency alert has been issued for Gympie, with heavy to intense rainfall forecast for the area.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service say dangerous flash flooding could occur and residents are urged to keep off the roads.

RACQ says there are now 540 flooded roads across state

There are now 540 flooded roads across Queensland, according to the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland.

That number has increased by almost 100 – up from 450 roads that were cut by flooding earlier on Friday morning.

RACQ spokesperson Kate Leonard-Jones said the roadside assistance and insurance company has already received more than 120 insurance claims from the current severe weather event.

The majority of claims so far are from the Greater Brisbane and Ipswich areas, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast and Townsville, but we do expect the number of claims to rise in coming days as the weather system tracks further south.

Leonard-Jones said around 80% of the claims related to property damage, including leaking roofs, water entry through windows and ground floor flooding.

The motor claims have mainly been due to parked vehicles being swamped. However, we urge people to never drive through floodwaters, not only can it result in costly repairs to your vehicle, but it could also cost you your life.

Updated

Farmer Marilyn Hilan, 73, has lived in Grantham for 23 years. She was evacuated from her farm, on the creek flat between Grantham quarry and the township, by her grandson on Thursday and taken to Gatton.

Hilan said the frequency of floods in Grantham was a concern because insurance premium rises were making her farm costs too high to manage.

The February flood earlier this year destroyed her back and side fencing.

Hilan did not accept a land swap offer after the 2011 floods because, she says, she was offered a two-acre block in exchange for her eight-acre farm, which has a house and machinery sheds.

Hilan will not be able to return home for several days until roads reopen.

Updated

Here’s more on the severe weather situation from freelancer Amanda Gearing:

The Grantham flood siren was sounded at 3am on Friday morning and again at least eight times today, warning residents to move to higher ground.

The town is bracing for flooding later today and tonight and residents are watching nervously as rain continues to fall.

Sandy Creek has risen to 1.9 metres above Sandy Creek Road at the railway bridge in Grantham, preventing residents from accessing the evacuation centre at the Butter Factory.

A Lawler’s Road resident said some webcams have been faulty today, preventing locals from monitoring the rises in Sandy Creek and Lockyer Creek which meet in Grantham.

At 2pm on Friday, Lockyer Creek was below minor flood level upstream at Helidon, but rising.

Precautionary evacuations were undertaken on Thursday to move people from the main street of Grantham to higher ground.

Updated

Queensland police have just sent through a pretty incredible story (and it features dogs!)

Queensland police rescued two men and their dogs from a vehicle swept away by floodwaters at Morwincha in the Scenic Rim on Thursday.

Police received calls for help from Morwincha Road just after 4pm.

When they arrived, they saw a van had washed off a flooded bridge and was wedged against a tree, with a man clinging to the passenger door.

Inside the vehicle was an elderly male and three dogs.

Police waded more than 100 metres into floodwaters to rescue the first man and a puppy.

The officer later carried the elderly male on his back through the floodwaters to higher ground.

The remaining officers carried the dogs, a kelpie and a great dane, out of the submerged van.

Police say a senior constable is currently caring for the dogs, Ghost, Molly and the puppy (still to be named), until conditions ease in the Scenic Rim.

Updated

More on the situation in the Lockyer Valley from mayor Tanya Milligan:

She said that for those whose homes were inundated in February, the news to evacuate would be be “just soul destroying”.

You’ve also got that emotional trauma for people in my community, that stays with people. We have had 2011, we’ve had 2013 ... that stuff is quite difficult at times to try and file, to try and move on.

Milligan said residents were issued an emergency warning at 3am Friday, with Grantham’s flood siren sounding four times between 4am and 5am, and again at 8am. “It was probably a nasty way to wake people up,” she said.

The mayor said more people likely fled their homes and sought shelter with family and friends.

I guess for me I would like to think that it’s a real clear demonstration that people realise the evac centres and places of shelter aren’t a resort and they are definitely the last resort. And in times when difficult circumstances are upon us you’re always better to be around your family and friends.

As of about 1pm, Milligan said emergency services had executed six swift water rescues, four of which were for people in flood waters, and two of those were medical episodes.

When I last checked the SES, they had had 13 requests for assistance.

A road cut off by flood water in Laidley
A road cut off by rising water in Laidley. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

Updated

More than 200 Lockyer Valley residents urged to evacuate

Nine people in the Lockyer Valley have sought emergency shelter following downpours of 260mm in the past 48 hours, the region’s mayor said on Friday afternoon.

Tanya Milligan said Queensland police doorknocked and called at least 240 homes considered most at risk, advising them to leave.

The Lockyer Valley regional council has eight evacuation centres, with all nine evacuees to date seeking shelter at the Laidley state high school.

Milligan said the region was “in the midst” of the weather event, with another 150mm expected to fall in the next 24 hours.

She said forecast showers throughout the weekend and into next week also pose the danger of flash flooding.

I would say yes. It feels really volatile. The fact is, that none of us have a crystal ball to give precise locations and how much rainfall, we are actually going to get. But if we were to get a storm cell and have a large velocity, in a small amount of time, to fall on a particular areas, we will be in a whole heap of pain. We are absolutely saturated, this catchment.

Milligan said “even the talk of showers” would still be “very distressing” for some.

A rescue crew in flood water in Laidley on Friday
A rescue crew in flood water in Laidley on Friday. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

Updated

Flood watch issued for northern rivers and Lower Macquarie in NSW

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood watch for the Northern Rivers and Lower Macquarie River in NSW from late Friday.

There are flood warnings current for the Clarence, Macintyre, Severn, Bogan, Castlereagh, Culgoa and Paroo rivers.

The Bureau says:

River level rises have been observed from recent moderate rainfall in the Northern Rivers and Northern and Central Inland New South Wales. Further rainfall is forecast in the northeast during Friday, which may cause minor flooding in the Northern Rivers.

Minor flooding is also possible along the Lower Macquarie River from Saturday.

The weather system is expected to cause flooding for the catchments listed from late Friday into Saturday. Flood Classes (minor, moderate, major) are only defined for catchments where the Bureau provides a flood warning service.

Catchments likely to be affected include:

Tweed and Rouse Rivers - minor flooding
Brunswick River and Marshalls Creek - minor flooding
Wilsons River - minor flooding
Richmond River - minor flooding
Macquarie River d/s Burrendong Dam - minor flooding

The full warning is here.

Updated

The Lockyer Valley area has had more than 170mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours.

Seqwater says they’ve temporarily stopped releases from Wivenhoe dam to mitigate flooding downstream.

As heavy rainfall continues in parts of south-east Queensland, inflows from Lockyer Creek and the Bremer River are heading into the Brisbane River, downstream of Wivenhoe dam.

At the moment, we are utilising a relatively small amount of the flood storage compartment and have approximately 90% available to respond.

We will continue to respond to the weather conditions and adjust releases as necessary, to mitigate downstream flooding.

Updated

The Bruce Highway could be cut by flooding if the Mary River in Gympie continues to rise, Queensland’s Department of Transport says.

They’ve urged motorists to reconsider their need to travel through this area. If you’re already on the way, map out alternative stopping points north and south of Gympie.

Energex says 2,468 customers were without power on Friday morning in Brisbane’s Redland City area.

Thousands of people across south-east Queensland have experienced power outages this week, including in Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay and on the Sunshine Coast.

BoM issues alert for Wide Bay-Burnett region

The weather bureau has issued another alert.

They say severe storms forecast for the Wide Bay-Burnett region, north of Brisbane, are likely to exacerbate the risk of flash flooding in the area.

Queensland Police say numerous hazards on roads, brought on by persistent heavy rainfall, are making driving extremely dangerous.

Updated

As Queensland experiences its sixth deadly flood since December, there is understandably a lot of chatter about climate change playing out on social media.

Take this tweet for example:

As heavy rainfall breaks May records in some areas of the state, the Climate Council has dubbed the severe weather event “another wake up call” about the escalating risks of climate change.

They say between 2010 and 2019, Queenslanders suffered more than double the extreme weather disaster losses of any other state or territory.

Climate Council’s head of research, Dr Simon Bradshaw, said:

With climate change increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather disasters, there is greater chance of these devastating events happening in rapid succession, with little time for communities to recover.

Updated

And here’s a list of closed beaches throughout the state. All Gold Coast beaches have been shut due to dangerous conditions, including strong winds and hazardous surf.

More than 450 roads cut by flooding

More than 450 roads across Queensland have been cut by flooding, according to the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland.

That count was current as of an hour ago but things are evolving so quickly that the number is likely to change.

Updated

More extraordinary images have come out of Laidley in the Lockyer Valley where flood monitoring cameras have reportedly captured a rescue in progress.

The images show three men up to their knees in flood waters at around 7.30am Friday as they push a car in Patrick Street.

As authorities have indicated, it’s extremely dangerous to drive in floodwaters – so if it’s flooded, forget it.

Updated

This video shows the devastating scenes in Laidley in the Lockyer Valley, west of Brisbane. Earlier, the Queensland premier said 300 properties there had been hit by flood waters.

Updated

We have some more images, this time from Getty:

A road is cut by flood water in Ipswich on Friday.
A road is cut by flood water in Ipswich on Friday. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images
Recreational equipment is inundated by flood water in Ipswich.
Recreational equipment is inundated by flood water in Ipswich. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images
Recreational equipment is inundated by flood water in Ipswich

The weather bureau has just posted another update on the evolving situation.

They say heavy rainfall is clearing for most of Brisbane and Gladstone and shifting further north to the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay.

But it’ll still be a “wet weekend” for Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Earlier, Palaszczuk was asked what impacts dam releases are having at the moment. Here’s her answer:

I was just advised... that storages across the SEQ grid have gone from 89% to 94.7%. Wivenhoe is at 110.5%. In February it was 185%, so there’s still plenty of flood storage available.

They have been having some controlled releases and they’re actually going to stop that over the next short period of time, when we see those major river rises.

Horses standing in flood waters from the Laidley Creek near the town of Laidley, west of Brisbane.
Horses standing in flood waters from the Laidley Creek near the town of Laidley, west of Brisbane. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

Updated

Queensland minister for fire and emergency services, Mark Ryan, is answering a question about how people are receiving emergency alerts.

He says some councils – such as Brisbane City Council – issue their own alerts via an opt-in voluntary system, in addition to the national system administered by the state.

Can I assure all Queenslanders that the state-based broadcast system works well, it’s a national system administered by the state.

Updated

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services says it’s had to rescue people in low-lying areas where water has risen quickly.

QFES says most people rescued haven’t had “situational awareness” of the unfolding event or made the “decision to turn around.”

They say they’ve deployed crew in Toowoomba, Warwick and other areas.

Updated

Queensland police are urging people to stay safe and to stay away from flooded roads. They say there will be several road closures across the state today.

If it is flooded, forget it. We have lost far too many lives on the roads this year and in previous events.

A road cut by flood water in Ipswich on Friday.
A road cut by flood water in Ipswich on Friday. Photograph: Dan Peled/Getty Images

Updated

BOM says flood situation is 'evolving'

The Bureau of Meteorology Queensland is speaking. Their main message is that this is “an evolving situation” and they want people to stay across the weather updates.

They have five major warnings, six moderate and three minor current for the Brisbane area.

Updated

Palaszczuk said the SES has received 150 calls for help, with water teams performing nine rescues.

If you don’t need to be out on the roads, please don’t travel unless you absolutely must. And please remember, if it is flooded, forget it.

And more images of the flooding are coming in now from our photographer David Kelly:

Flood water cut the Warrego Highway.
Flood water cut the Warrego Highway at Plainland. Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian
A driver chances their hand on a flooded section of Plainland-Laidley road.
A driver attempts to cross a flooded section of the Plainland-Laidley road. Photograph: David Kelly/The Guardian
Flood waters cut the Warrego Highway at Plainland.

Updated

Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks about Queensland flooding

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is giving a weather briefing.

She said it’ll take another 24 hours for the heavy rainfall in south-east Queensland to move on.

Three hundred properties in Laidley in the Lockyer Valley have been affected by the flooding and eight evacuation centres have opened, Palaszczuk said.

This rainfall is not like we saw in the previous event. This rainfall is actually more sporadic, and not as heavy.

Updated

Queensland Fire and Rescue is again reminding motorists to not drive through flood waters. A large number of roads are cut due to flooding.

Updated

There are some wild photos coming in showing the extent of the flooding across south-east Queensland. These are really scary scenes to see months after the record-breaking and relentless deluge that flooded towns and cities in Queensland back in February.

Stay safe everyone!

Parts of the south-east have received more than 100mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of Queensland’s flood emergency. Heavy rainfall is lashing the south-east of the state this morning, resulting in flash flooding across many parts of the state. Here are the key developments:

  • Major flooding is forecast for Cape River, Laidley Creek, Cooper Creek, Warrill Creek, Bremer River and the Logan and Condamine rivers.
  • Moderate flood warnings have been issued for the Brisbane rivers, Eyre Creek, Baffle Creek and Kolan River and Mary River at Gympie.
  • An evacuation siren has sounded in the Lockyer Valley, south-west of Brisbane, with residents in low-lying areas urged to move to higher ground.
  • In Brisbane, ferry services have been cancelled and sand-bagging stations have opened.
  • Flash flooding has cut many roads throughout the state, and almost 70 schools have closed.
  • Gold Coast beaches have also shut, with hazardous surf pounding the coastline.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will hold a weather briefing at 11am AEST. We’ll be live-blogging that press conference and bringing you all the latest weather updates and emergency warnings throughout the day.

Updated

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