A Queensland town has been ordered to evacuate the entire CBD immediately as walls of water surge towards it.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour issued the warning to all residents in Maryborough’s CBD in a post to Facebook on Sunday afternoon.
‘There has been a failure in the stormwater system under the barricade. People should evacuate from the CBD immediately,’ he wrote.
The storm water system has failed in the town, nearly 300km north of Brisbane, prompting the urgent evacuation order accompanied by flooding sirens.
It is understood the storm water system has failed in the town of Maryborough located nearly 300km north of Brisbane (pictured, stormwaters rising in a Woolworths in Maryborough)
The Fraser Coast Regional Council has issued an urgent warning for residents to evacuate ‘all premises’ inside Maryborough’s CBD (pictured, floodwaters in Maryborough Woolworths)
The Fraser Coast Regional Council told residents to evacuate ‘all premises’ inside Maryborough’s CBD .
‘The gates underneath the recently installed levee have been damaged, and as a result the CBD will now bear the full impact of the flood,’ the council said.
‘Police are providing assistance with the emergency evacuation and we urge people to stay out of the CBD.’
The council warned streets in the surrounding areas would be affected and predicted the rising floodwaters would reach 10.5m by 6pm on Sunday.
The walls of water prompted Queensland Police to make an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act.
Police have responded by establishing exclusion zone including parts of Adelaide Street Kent Street, Lennox Street, Alice Street and Richmond Street.
The map image reveals a Bunnings store, a KFC and McDonalds, a Chemist Warehouse and a Commonwealth Bank branch to be affected by floods.
‘Businesses and residents within the exclusion area have been door knocked and advised to leave for higher ground as soon as possible,’ police advised.
Dramatic photos of the local Woolworths show two escalators completely submerged in brown floodwater and the store completely devoid of light.
The evacuation comes after a man died and a teenage girl still unaccounted for as ex-tropical cyclone Seth delivers a final deadly deluge to Queensland.
The 22-year-old man from the Sunshine Coast died after his ute was swept into floodwaters at Kanigan in Gympie, north of Brisbane, on Friday night.
Crews recovered his body 16 hours later, but the whereabouts of a 14-year-old girl are unknown after a Toyota Camry was washed away at nearby Booubyjan.
A man has died and a teenage girl still missing as a deadly deluge triggered by a powerful new cyclone continues to batter large parts of Queensland (pictured, floodwaters near Goomeri)
While rescue crews recovered the body of a man, 22, 16 hours after his ute was swept into floodwaters later the whereabouts of a 14-year-old girl still remain unknown (pictured, floodwaters around Goomeri, northwest of Brisbane)
The girl and a 40-year-old man were able to escape from the vehicle, but the teenager was then washed away and a desperate search ensued.
The man, who was found by first responders desperately clinging to a tree, was taken to Bundaberg Hospital in a stable condition.
Rescuers were forced to suspend the rescue operation late on Saturday night after wild conditions hindered their efforts, the Courier Mail reports.
Residents were warned to brace themselves for more wild winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms to be delivered by a developing tropical low – to be named Tiffany if it develops into a category one cyclone, as predicted.
The Mary River in Maryborough broke its banks on Saturday and continues to rise, isolating thousands with the local Woolworths carpark largely underwater and to remain closed until Thursday.
The Lamington Bridge was completely submerged and cut off access to Tinana from Maryborough, as residents strip supermarket shelves across the region.
The Mary River at Maryborough (pictured) continues to rise isolating thousands of locals with the carpark of the local Woolworths almost completely submerged
A house is seen surrounded by floodwaters from the Mary River in the town of Tiaro, nearly 200km north of Brisbane, on Sunday morning
Areas in Queensland’s Wide Bay and Burnett, Fraser Coast and Gympie region have been lashed with rain after ex-Cyclon Seth crossed on Friday morning
Emergency crews were forced to provide first aid services from a makeshift station on a sporting field, as dramatic photos show cars totally submerged.
A manual reading by the Bureau of Meteorology recorded the Mary River at 8.8m at 4.50am on Sunday, in contrast to the average minor flood level of 5m.
Among the dramatic scenes, a bull shark was spotted by residents swimming in the flooded Queens Park in Maryborough with a small grey fin appearing in the debris.
The video, captured by local Judi Ellis, comes as children have been sighted playing in the floodwaters at the park as the QFES issuing a stark warning on Saturday.
‘We often talk about the dangers lurking in flood waters, well here is the proof! A small bull shark has been spotted in flood water at Queens Park, Maryborough,’ the tweet read.
‘With children on school holidays it is a timely reminder of how dangerous flood waters can be.’
Ex-cyclone Seth dumped a ‘surprise’ 673mm of rain in just 24 hours on Marodian, a community northwest of Gympie on the Fraser Coast.
Meteorologists were shocked to observe the thunderstorm cell bearing down on the area and delivering relentless rain from Friday night into Saturday morning.
Most parts of the state were battered with continuous rain over 12 hours from Friday into the early hours of Saturday morning.
Residents have been warned to brace themselves for wild winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms triggered by Cyclone Tiffany (pictured, damage to the Bruce Highway)
The weather system dumped a ‘surprise’ 673mm of rain in just 24 hours on Marodian, northwest of Gympie on the Fraser Coast (pictured, a Queensland rainfall chart)
Most parts of the state were battered with continuous rain over 12 hours from Friday into the early hours of Saturday morning (pictured, cars are submerged near Goomeri)
Mt Kanigan recorded 142mm of rain in just an hour to 11.30pm on Friday night while Mt Seaview was lashed with 51mm in the 45 minutes to 8.09pm on Saturday.
The deluge is expected to continue to thunder down on the Mary River region northwest of Gympie in a final blow from ex-tropical cyclone Seth.
The weather system landed on the Fraser Coast and moved inland triggering major flood warnings for the Mary River at Tiaro and Miva.
Clayton’s Towing continued operations early on Saturday morning and posted to social media the heavy rain had cut off multiple major roads.
‘The highway north of Gympie, between Curra and Tiaro is closed. Flooding, major road damage in Gootchie Creek Area, vehicles have been washed off roads, properties flooded. Avoid this area, Gympie north is copping massive rain falls,’ the post read.
‘Wide Bay Highway closed, Burnett Highway Tansy, Ban Ban Springs areas are also flooded and closed. Highway at Apple Tree Creek is also flooding now.’
Parts of the Bruce Highway at Curra and Booyal have been damaged and sunk underwater by the deluge forcing its closure at Tiaro at 7am on Sunday.
The Burnett, Carnarvon, Castlereagh and Leichhardt highways are also among the 80 roads closed due to devastating floodwaters.
The QFE has received more than 140 requests for SES assistance from residents in flood-affected areas near Gympie and Maryborough (pictured, Maryborough SES members)
Clayton’s Towing continued operations early on Saturday morning and posted to social media the heavy rain had cut multiple roads (pictured, damage to the Bruce Highway)
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said between 9am on Friday and 2:30pm on Saturday, 38 water rescues were performed (pictured, overflow at Gutchy Creek)
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said between 9am on Friday and 2.30pm on Saturday, 38 water rescues were performed across the state.
During the same period, the service received more than 140 requests for SES assistance from residents in flood-affected areas near Gympie and Maryborough.
At 6pm on Saturday, the QFE warned residents in Far North Queensland to prepare for potential heavy rain, strong winds and localised flooding.
‘Bring inside loose outdoor items and secure items that can’t be moved. Ensure your emergency kit is well stocked and you have prepared a Covid-Ready Kit,’ it said.
Wide Bay and Burnett residents were ordered to stay at home unless travel was absolutely necessary due to the dangerous weather.
The 670mm deluge in Marodian on Saturday night was the most severe downpour recorded in living memory.
The Gympie Regional Council on Saturday morning issued an emergency alert for all residents in its local government area warning of possible major flooding.
Major flood warnings are still in place for Maryborough, Miva and Tiaro this morning while a moderate flood peak is expected at Gympie.
At 6pm on Saturday, the QFE tweeted to residents in Far North Queensland to prepare for potential heavy rain, strong winds and localised flooding (pictured, Nambour SES members)
The Gympie Regional Council issued an emergency alert for all residents in its local government area warning of possible major flooding (pictured, damage on the Fraser Coast)
The 670mm deluge experienced by the community of Marodian on Saturday night, was the most severe recorded in living memory (pictured, a resident measures water on her property)
Showers were seen to subside on Saturday afternoon but not before they delivered 650mm at Mt Kanigan, 523mm at Glenwood and 464mm at Brooyar.
Meteorologist predict ex-tropical cyclone Seth will fade and move inland on Monday or Tuesday, however they warned the worst may not be over yet.
Modelling suggests a high chance of a cyclone forming in the Coral Sea by Tuesday, with a tropical low developing east of Cape York Peninsula early on Sunday.
The new threat is emerging over the Gulf of Carpentaria, with a monsoon stretching more than 1,000km.
A cyclone watch has been established for the weather system that will be named Tiffany and will likely to be labelled a category one cyclone.
While the cyclone may bring heavy winds and rain, it is expected to pass through Queensland away from densely-populated areas.
While residents in Cairns and the further south could be affected, the southeast will finally receive some reprieve from wild weather caused by ex-tropical cyclone Seth.
Source: DailyMail
