Last night, a power outage affected 7,000 residences and businesses throughout the state, with Mount Isa being the hardest hit area.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli reassured the public that the state is well-prepared to handle such situations.
“I want to assure everyone that we’ve put considerable effort into preparing for the disaster season,” Crisafulli stated.
“This preparation positions us strongly, and I am very confident in our ability to manage this event and those we may face in the future.”
He noted that the full extent of the weather’s impact on agriculture remains uncertain.
“Certain regions have experienced significant rainfall, and the consequences for cattle will become clearer in the coming days,” he added.
“It appears that the stock go into the event in a much better condition than they did in 2019.
“Many people will remember those images from 2019. They were harrowing.
“At this stage, it appears that the impact on stock will be far less than 2019.
“Obviously, there will be individuals that are impacted massively.”
Residents in north-western Queensland, including Julia Creek and Cloncurry, are being warned the potential for flash flooding is so severe, it could be deadly.
Meteorologist Shane Kennedy said the worst of the rainfall was about to hit the state.
“We expect the bulk of the rainfall to be over the next two days… with heavy to intense rainfall across a broad area of northern Queensland.
“Around the Mount Isa region, the annual rainfall is typically around the 400mm to 500mm mark, and we’re quite likely to be seeing that over just a week or two.”
The massive downpour is being caused by a monsoon trough that is set to linger over northern Queensland for several days, with strong coastal winds also contributing to heavy localised rainfall in areas such as Bowen and Cooktown.
There is the chance this flood could be record breaking, with Mission Beach already recording its biggest downpour after 360mm fell in just 24 hours.
The weather is already causing roads to be closed, with authorities urging people not to drive in floodwaters.
“At the moment, there are 37 roads across the state that are out of action in different sections, and that shows you the impact across a large area of north and northwest Queensland,” Crisafulli said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said five areas in particular would be heavily hit, and that Minister for Regional Australia Kristy McBain would meet members of the Queensland government today.
“Cloncurry, Carpenteria, Flinders, Mckinley and Richmond, are currently suffering,” he said.
“There is a major flood watch on the Flinders River,” he added.
