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Residents are on high alert for ongoing flooding in a huge area of Queensland as the state mops up following the impact of ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for much of the central coast and Capricornia districts, extending inland into the central highlands and the coal fields of the Bowen Basin.
There were huge falls on Sunday night into Monday, with over 200mm in Clermont and 150mm in Moranbah, meteorologist Dean Narramore said.
Meteorologists have predicted an additional deluge, with forecasts indicating rainfall between 50mm and 150mm overnight in the designated warning areas. This is expected to exacerbate flash flooding and cause swift rises in river levels, particularly impacting regions already affected by previous floods.
The small highland community of Eungella, west of Mackay, was expected to be cut off for up to three months.
Aerial footage posted to social media showed the steep mountain road blocked by huge landslips, with the bitumen buckled and large sections having fallen away.
And while rain was extending into southeast Queensland, it was the northwest that was again most under threat.
Narramore said widespread rain and storms would return to the area on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Unfortunately we’re going to see another rain event through there, in the middle and latter part of this week,” he said.
“This development is concerning for locals and communities still in the recovery phase from the significant flooding experienced around the New Year period,” an official stated.
Close to 50,000 stock are missing or presumed dead in the floods that have consumed the Gulf Country.
Premier David Crisafulli thanked local communities for their preparation and resilience in the face of the event.
He said the government was continuing to drop fodder and medical supplies for stricken animals, but warned that losses would increase.
“Those communities are so reliant on those grazing industries, and this is going to be a massive blow,” he said.
“There will be individuals who are impacted on a really large scale, and the prospect of more rain in the days and weeks ahead will send a shiver down their spine.”
