QLD residents warned of wilder weather after being ravaged by Tropical Cyclone Seth - one man drowned, one girl still missing
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Strong winds and heavy rains brought by Tropical Cyclone Seth have caused major destruction and flooding from Bundaberg to Kilcoy in Queensland.
The Queensland town of Maryborough has been advised to completely evacuate the CBD due to rising floodwaters approaching.
Credit: AAPImage (left) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (right).
Among the recent storm’s casualties is a 22-year-old man from Sunshine Coast, whose body was discovered 16 hours after his vehicle was found submerged under floodwaters at Kanigan in Gympie, north of Brisbane, on Friday night.
Furthermore, rescuers are still searching for the 14-year-old girl who was washed away by the raging floodwaters. The girl and a 40-year-old man were able to escape from a Toyota Camry, which was swept away by the flood.
Police reported that the man was found clinging to a tree, but the girl was nowhere in sight.
Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said authorities are doing all that they can to search for the missing girl.
“We have deployed PolAir, and we have specialist water police and dive squad members on the ground, as well as SES and other emergency services,” said the officer.
“This is a very, very difficult environment. We are unable to get in there easily and conduct the search appropriately at the moment. It’s going to take some time for us to do that.”
The inclement weather continued to persist on Saturday night, hindering rescue operation efforts.
The Bureau of Meteorology has also warned residents to brace for more wild winds and heavy rains, as Tropical Cyclone Tiffany just strengthened to a category 2 storm and is mere hours away from making landfall in far north Queensland.
“People between Cape Tribulation and Coen, including Cooktown, should complete preparations quickly and be prepared to shelter in a safe place,” said the bureau.
On Sunday night, Tropical Cyclone Tiffany was pinpointed to be approximately 190km northeast of Cooktown.
Several communities in far north QLD were warned of possible thunderstorms and wind gusts of up to 130km/h.
Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist, advised: “People in far north Queensland communities will start seeing and feeling the effects of Tropical Cyclone Tiffany as it comes closer to the coast, which means an increased risk of flooding and some localised damage in these regions.”
Coastal impact in the Northern Territory is to be expected on Wednesday or Thursday, according to the bureau.
On Sunday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spoke with Prime Minister Scott Morrison regarding emergency services and disaster relief for flooded communities.
“He is prepared to activate any disaster relief that is needed for those communities, and we’ll be putting in place those measures to make sure that communities can recover as quickly as possible,” said Ms Palaszczuk.
She also added that disaster agencies were all “well-prepared” for the incoming cyclone.
“So to all the residents in those areas please be on the lookout, I know that they know how to deal with these events,” said the premier.
“They’re very well prepared, and we’ll be keeping a very close eye on that.”
To all of those affected, we at the SDC are thinking of you and hope that you are safe and well through this extremely terrifying and difficult time.
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