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 Qld towns brace for major flooding 

Qld towns brace for major flooding

08 Mar, 2010 09:09 AM
ANOTHER southwest Queensland town is bracing for record flooding, as those already affected wait for waters to recede to begin the daunting clean-up.

Dirranbandi, downstream from St George, could be inundated, with the Bureau of Meteorology expecting the nearby Ballon Minor River to peak this morning.

During the past week, the worst flooding in 120 years swept across the region, inundating homes and businesses, closing roads and schools and flooding entire towns.

The damage bill is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

There are concerns today for Cunnamulla and Theodore.

The BoM Flood Warning Centre expects the Warrego River at Cunnamulla and the Dawson River at Theodore to peak sometime today.

However, the centre's Ian Rocca said levy banks could limit flooding to rural land, saving townships.

Six houses in Theodore are surrounded by water this morning, according to the Department of Community Safety.

The occupants had evacuated and were staying with family and friends, the department said.

Wallom Creek continues to rise and cause further flooding for the town of Ballon, which was devastated at the weekend.

Evacuation plans are in place for 2800 residents of Dirranbandi, where flooding is expected to last several days.

Five SES volunteers will be flown in by helicopter today to assist with preparations and fill sandbags.

The BoM says more rain is expected for the flood-ravaged southwest Queensland today.

Isolated showers and thunderstorms are forecast for areas around Charleville, although BoM forecaster Ben Annells said rainfall would not be particularly high.

The surface trough generating the wet conditions would move east tomorrow, Mr Annells said.

''It should be mostly fine through those flooded areas, with just a chance of showers around the Roma area and eastern Darling Downs but fine around Charleville and St George,'' Mr Annells said.

''It's a similar story for Wednesday.

''Thursday, we'll see that trough push back west again ... to about Charleville. [It] will generate some further afternoon showers and possible storms anywhere between Charleville and Roma.

''At this stage we're not expecting particularly high falls so there probably won't be a lot to it at this stage. [The torrential rains have] plateaued for the most part.''

Residents of St George, one of the hardest hit areas, still can't begin cleaning up after the Balonne River peaked at 13.39m on Sunday, maintaining flood waters.

On Saturday night, the township at the centre of one of the state's major cotton-growing regions was spared a potentially ruinous river level peak of 14 metres, which would have inundated 80 per cent of the town.

The river crested at 13.39 metres about 6am yesterday and then began to slowly recede.

This morning, the Department of Community Safety says water is slowly receding and the airstrip remains open.

Twenty houses are confirmed inundated and about ten people are staying at an evacuation centre.

Basic food and medical supplies will be flown in to isolated properties today.

St George Mayor Donna Stewart said it would be at least mid-week before the town's residents could tackle a major clean-up.

"There's still 25 houses still inundated,'' Ms Stewart told ABC radio on Sunday.

"The river only peaked early [Sunday] morning - the river will continue to hold for about three days and from there on it will be clean-up mode.''

But Ms Stewart said once the clean-up was done and life returned to normal, the locals would be thankful the floods came like they did.

"It will be an enormous benefit for the shire,'' she said.

"It's going to be invaluable. The employment it will create ... extra cash it will generate. It's something we have been waiting for for many years.''

Supplies also will be sent into Bollon, including an outboard motor for a boat.

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