Intense rainfall has caused chaos in Far North Queensland, leaving some motorists in need of rescue as floodwaters rise.

Early this morning, emergency responders became heroes for a 65-year-old woman who found herself stranded atop her vehicle in Mossman, located northwest of Cairns. The incident occurred around 6 a.m., amidst the heavy downpour.

Just an hour later in Cairns’ suburb of Redlynch, two individuals in their fifties narrowly escaped after being caught in sudden flash flooding. The deluge had unleashed over 200 millimeters of rain in a mere six-hour period.

By 9 a.m., the river level surged to 6.12 meters, with expectations of it peaking at 6.5 meters later in the day.

Recalling the devastation of the February 2000 floods, residents, including the owner of Longreach Caravan Park, took proactive measures. Many opted to sandbag their properties and move belongings to higher ground in anticipation of rising waters.

As the floodwaters continue to threaten the area, those affected face the grim possibility of power and water services being disrupted.

The Landsborough Highway to Winton was cut off.

“A lot of food comes up and down that highway a lot of livestock so any closure has an impact,” Rayner said

But while the river’s rise has been slow it’s fall is expected to be relatively fast as it feeds down into Lake Eyre.

“That means there’s still water going through to Bedourie and to think a community impacted by really large rain over a fortnight ago are still waiting for floodwaters to reach its peak is equally incredibly frustrating,” Crisafulli said.