Floods and severe weather Cyclone Oswald

tidal surge floods road in cleveland, queensland on 28 january 2013.



brisbane river close peak @ seventeen mile rocks, brisbane.

rainfall heaviest around tully approximately 1,000 mm (39 in) of rain fell, 632 mm (24.9 in) falling on 48 hours. town of ingham cut off due high waters. residents in town advised stock on emergency supplies herbert river rose rapidly after 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain fell in town in 3 hours. brief tornado or waterspout winds of 140 km/h (87 mph) touched down near hay point.

on afternoon of 26 january, 3 separate tornadoes tore through bundaberg region. @ approximately 1:00 pm, first tornado struck town of bargara, brought down power lines, tore off roofs , smashed windows. @ 3:30 pm, town of burnett heads battered second tornado, , after third tornado struck coonarr, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of bargara. tornadoes injured @ least 17 people , damaged 150 properties. weather conditions favoured tornadic activity because of strong low-level winds feeding low pressure system.

the burnett river reached new recorded height of 9.53 metres (31.3 ft) on 29 january. more 7,500 residents of bundaberg forced evacuate 2,000 homes river s waters rose. 130 patients evacuated bundaberg hospital hospitals in brisbane. staff , resources department of health, queensland ambulance service, australian defence force, careflight (now lifeflight) , royal flying doctor service, including several aircraft, used transport patients.

as of 29 january, floods had claimed lives of 4 people, including three-year-old boy died after being crushed falling tree @ gordon park. on 28 january, body of man swept away floodwaters day before pulled oxley creek, while bodies of 2 others – 27-year-old man , 81-year-old man – recovered in gympie , burnett heads respectively. @ gympie flood waters mary river swamped around 100 business , 25 residents. in maryborough 50 businesses , 150 homes inundated waters mary river rose.

in mundubbera burnett river peaked @ 22.9 m @ 1 on 28 january. 100 homes , businesses inundated in town same number flooded in surrounding area. in gayndah, 60 homes , 12 businesses flooded. landslide severed burnett highway between gayndah , mundubbera.

kumbarilla, kogan , tara west of dalby isolated after new a$4.6 million wilkie creek bridge on dalby-kogan road submerged rising creek levels moonie highway flooded. 40 houses flooded in darling downs town of warwick.

unlike flooding occurred in january 2011 @ ipswich , brisbane, flooding there caused natural flooding of creek system rather deliberate dam releases. waters in laidley in lockyer valley reached all-time high main street in town inundated. @ waterford in logan city, logan river reached peak of 9 m @ midnight on 28 january. flood waters slow recede along river. mudslide hit 3 houses in logan city.

during 29 january, brisbane s main water treatment plant @ mount crosby shut down after high levels of sediment , silt in brisbane river caused record turbidity levels, resulted in seqwater , queensland premier, campbell newman urging residents conserve water , use drinking, cooking , bathing . water supplies in suburbs of brisbane expected run out during 30 january, after increase in consumption. gold coast desalination plant engaged standby mode supplement supplies 90 megalitres (3.2×10^ cu ft) of water day.

new south wales

an estimated 41,000 people temporarily isolated flooding in new south wales. in tweed valley tweed river peaked @ 3.3 metres (11 ft) on 28 january, highest level recorded in 30 years. in grafton clarence river peaked new record height of 8.1 metres (27 ft). records river height in grafton go 1839. city s levee credited preventing more severe flooding. despite that, around 1,500 people lived closed clarence river asked evacuate on night of 28 january. maclean spared flooding clarence river due town s levee. clarence valley not fortunate, many properties cut off , without power. area officially declared disaster zone, tweed shire. minor flooding , road closures experienced in hunter valley.