Krazymitch
January 11th, 2011, 02:18 AM
Brisbane's inner-city workers are emptying the capital as floodwaters begin to break the banks of the Brisbane River, with over 6000 properties expected to go under when it peaks on Thursday.
The CBD has not been officially evacuated but workers are heading home as the city faces its worst flooding since 1974, when 6700 homes were flooded.
This follows flash flooding in Toowoomba and surrounding areas yesterday which has left at least nine people dead and 66 unaccounted for. (Read more: How the flood hit)
Premier Anna Bligh has warned the death toll could double and encouraged Brisbane residents to be "overly cautious", to prepare thoroughly and to stay off the roads.
"We continue to hold very grave fears for the people who are missing," Ms Bligh said.
"To everyone who has lost a loved one, you are in our thoughts and the thoughts of all Queenslanders and Australians."
She said most of those who remained unaccounted for were from the Murphys Creek, Grantham and Withcott areas, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.
PHOTOS: Flash floods ravage Queensland FLOODWATCH: Send us your pictures
BING MAP: Places/rivers flooding right now
FLOOD ALERT: Ipswich streets in danger
A number of other areas around Brisbane and Toowoomba are facing floods as storms continue across south-east Queensland.
The city's public transport system will continue this afternoon where possible but CityCat and CityFerry services on the Brisbane River have already stopped.
Office towers on Eagle Street are emptying out, along with businesses in Fortitude Valley, and car parks in Brisbane's CBD have opened their boom gates, telling people to get their cars out.
The Brisbane City Council has set up an evacuation centre at the RNA Showgrounds on Gregory Terrace at Bowen Hills next to the CBD.
Residents who wish to stay at the centre are being told to bring pillows, sheets, any medication, spare clothing and any important papers such as insurance papers but people cannot bring their pets.
CBD exodus as workers flee
Brisbane worker Colin Wright said car parks along the river had been sandbagged and that ferry terminals were almost completely underwater.
Businesses were also closing throughout the city, he said, with workers rushing to get home.
"Public transport is running ... but it's impossible, bus stops are like 150 people deep trying to get home," Mr Wright told ninemsn.
"I'd describe it as mild panic, I've heard of people going into shops and taking everything off the shelves and it is about a 2 hour wait to get onto public transport right now.
"I've never seen anything like it before in my life."
Locals brace for unstoppable tide
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said forecasts showed some 6500 properties would be flooded in Brisbane ahead of an expected peak in the Brisbane River on Thursday. (Read more: 'Very scary' time for Brisbane)
Mr Campbell said the situation had deteriorated significantly since Monday, when only a few hundred homes had been expected to flood.
"The situation has obviously demonstrably deteriorated," he said after a meeting of Brisbane's disaster management group.
"Today is very significant, tomorrow is bad, and Thursday is going to be devastating for the residents and businesses concerned."
The warning came as Premier Bligh said the Bremer River in Ipswich would peak at 21m on Wednesday.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said up to one third of the city would be flooded and that hundreds of streets would be closed. (Read more: Ipswich to go under)
"People have got to prepare for the worst," he said.
Earlier Mr Pisasale said the Bremer River was expected to peak between 11pm (AEST) tonight and 1am tomorrow and river heights were expected to remain high for one or two days.
Fears of more flash floods
Another flash flood warning has been issued for people in the Southeast Coast District and the Darling downs and Granite Belt District, southeast of Dalby to Goondiwindi.
The heaviest rain is expected to fall in areas from Moorchydore to Warwick, including the Brisbane and Lockyer Valleys which were badly affected yesterday, and the Ipswich area.
"Heavy falls will lead to flash flooding and will worse existing river flooding," the Bureau of Meteorology said.
There are also severe storm warnings for parts of the Northern Tropical Coast, Tablelands, and Herbert and Lower Burdekin Forecast Districts.
Flash flooding is also expected to hit areas including Cairns, Ingham, Innisfail, Cardwell, Tully and Babinda.
More deaths expected as floods move
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said urgent modelling was being carried out to determine how the floodwaters would affect the situation in the capital, and west at Ipswich where evacuation alerts are also in place. (Read more: Evacuations in Brisbane)
She said that floodwaters were moving into the catchment of the Wivenhoe dam, and from there it must be released at a controlled rate into the Brisbane River.
Ms Bligh said bad weather was hampering search efforts where people were still stranded in "dire and critical circumstances".
She said there were "whole families unaccounted for".
She said half of the eight deaths confirmed so far were children.
"It might be breaking our hearts at the moment, but it will not break our will," she said.
Hundreds plucked to safety
An air evacuation is underway for 300 people at Forest Hill, west of Brisbane.
At Laidley and Oakey, emergency services urged residents to climb onto their roofs or find other higher ground and wait for air rescue after as many as 60 homes were hit by flash flooding.
Residents of Caboolture, Strathpine and Dayboro have also been advised they should evacuate to higher ground immediately. (Read more here.)
Caboolture is now completely isolated and evacuation out of town by car is impossible.
Those in low lying areas who can do so should move to higher ground or prepare for rising water.
NSW towns also cut off
Meanwhile, about 4500 people have been cut off by floods in the northeastern NSW towns of Bonaldo, Ewingar, Darkwood, and Upper Thora.
The ABC reports people in rural properties in Tenterfield are being moved to safety. The city of Grafton is protected by a levee but officials are expecting roads outside of the "protection zone" to go under.
Drivers travelling through northern NSW are warned that several highways have been closed due to flooding
The CBD has not been officially evacuated but workers are heading home as the city faces its worst flooding since 1974, when 6700 homes were flooded.
This follows flash flooding in Toowoomba and surrounding areas yesterday which has left at least nine people dead and 66 unaccounted for. (Read more: How the flood hit)
Premier Anna Bligh has warned the death toll could double and encouraged Brisbane residents to be "overly cautious", to prepare thoroughly and to stay off the roads.
"We continue to hold very grave fears for the people who are missing," Ms Bligh said.
"To everyone who has lost a loved one, you are in our thoughts and the thoughts of all Queenslanders and Australians."
She said most of those who remained unaccounted for were from the Murphys Creek, Grantham and Withcott areas, in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.
PHOTOS: Flash floods ravage Queensland FLOODWATCH: Send us your pictures
BING MAP: Places/rivers flooding right now
FLOOD ALERT: Ipswich streets in danger
A number of other areas around Brisbane and Toowoomba are facing floods as storms continue across south-east Queensland.
The city's public transport system will continue this afternoon where possible but CityCat and CityFerry services on the Brisbane River have already stopped.
Office towers on Eagle Street are emptying out, along with businesses in Fortitude Valley, and car parks in Brisbane's CBD have opened their boom gates, telling people to get their cars out.
The Brisbane City Council has set up an evacuation centre at the RNA Showgrounds on Gregory Terrace at Bowen Hills next to the CBD.
Residents who wish to stay at the centre are being told to bring pillows, sheets, any medication, spare clothing and any important papers such as insurance papers but people cannot bring their pets.
CBD exodus as workers flee
Brisbane worker Colin Wright said car parks along the river had been sandbagged and that ferry terminals were almost completely underwater.
Businesses were also closing throughout the city, he said, with workers rushing to get home.
"Public transport is running ... but it's impossible, bus stops are like 150 people deep trying to get home," Mr Wright told ninemsn.
"I'd describe it as mild panic, I've heard of people going into shops and taking everything off the shelves and it is about a 2 hour wait to get onto public transport right now.
"I've never seen anything like it before in my life."
Locals brace for unstoppable tide
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said forecasts showed some 6500 properties would be flooded in Brisbane ahead of an expected peak in the Brisbane River on Thursday. (Read more: 'Very scary' time for Brisbane)
Mr Campbell said the situation had deteriorated significantly since Monday, when only a few hundred homes had been expected to flood.
"The situation has obviously demonstrably deteriorated," he said after a meeting of Brisbane's disaster management group.
"Today is very significant, tomorrow is bad, and Thursday is going to be devastating for the residents and businesses concerned."
The warning came as Premier Bligh said the Bremer River in Ipswich would peak at 21m on Wednesday.
Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale said up to one third of the city would be flooded and that hundreds of streets would be closed. (Read more: Ipswich to go under)
"People have got to prepare for the worst," he said.
Earlier Mr Pisasale said the Bremer River was expected to peak between 11pm (AEST) tonight and 1am tomorrow and river heights were expected to remain high for one or two days.
Fears of more flash floods
Another flash flood warning has been issued for people in the Southeast Coast District and the Darling downs and Granite Belt District, southeast of Dalby to Goondiwindi.
The heaviest rain is expected to fall in areas from Moorchydore to Warwick, including the Brisbane and Lockyer Valleys which were badly affected yesterday, and the Ipswich area.
"Heavy falls will lead to flash flooding and will worse existing river flooding," the Bureau of Meteorology said.
There are also severe storm warnings for parts of the Northern Tropical Coast, Tablelands, and Herbert and Lower Burdekin Forecast Districts.
Flash flooding is also expected to hit areas including Cairns, Ingham, Innisfail, Cardwell, Tully and Babinda.
More deaths expected as floods move
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said urgent modelling was being carried out to determine how the floodwaters would affect the situation in the capital, and west at Ipswich where evacuation alerts are also in place. (Read more: Evacuations in Brisbane)
She said that floodwaters were moving into the catchment of the Wivenhoe dam, and from there it must be released at a controlled rate into the Brisbane River.
Ms Bligh said bad weather was hampering search efforts where people were still stranded in "dire and critical circumstances".
She said there were "whole families unaccounted for".
She said half of the eight deaths confirmed so far were children.
"It might be breaking our hearts at the moment, but it will not break our will," she said.
Hundreds plucked to safety
An air evacuation is underway for 300 people at Forest Hill, west of Brisbane.
At Laidley and Oakey, emergency services urged residents to climb onto their roofs or find other higher ground and wait for air rescue after as many as 60 homes were hit by flash flooding.
Residents of Caboolture, Strathpine and Dayboro have also been advised they should evacuate to higher ground immediately. (Read more here.)
Caboolture is now completely isolated and evacuation out of town by car is impossible.
Those in low lying areas who can do so should move to higher ground or prepare for rising water.
NSW towns also cut off
Meanwhile, about 4500 people have been cut off by floods in the northeastern NSW towns of Bonaldo, Ewingar, Darkwood, and Upper Thora.
The ABC reports people in rural properties in Tenterfield are being moved to safety. The city of Grafton is protected by a levee but officials are expecting roads outside of the "protection zone" to go under.
Drivers travelling through northern NSW are warned that several highways have been closed due to flooding