ID :
44888
Tue, 02/10/2009 - 10:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/44888
The shortlink copeid
Man's body found in Qld floodwaters
(AAP) - The massive job of cleaning up the flood ravaged town of Ingham will begin in earnest on Tuesday, as river levels begin to drop in north Queensland.
The weather bureau says the Herbert River dropped to 11.1 metres at Gairloch on
Monday afternoon and is still falling.
The Herbert River peaked at 12.5 metres at 7pm (AEST) on Sunday.
The bureau's Jonty Hall says that while Ingham is slowly emerging from the muddy
water, river levels downstream at the coastal town of Halifax haven't started to
fall yet.
"There's been no heavy rain in the river catchment area today (on Monday), just some
showers and localised thunderstorms," Mr Hall said.
"But that hasn't been enough to cause the river to rise again.
"At this stage, the outlook for the next couple of days is pretty good, but there is
increased potential from Thursday into Friday for heavy rain to return with the
monsoon trough re-forming in the area."
Hinchinbrook Shire Council spokesman Dan Hogan says the Herbert River at Ingham is
expected to drop to eight metres by noon (AEST) on Tuesday.
He says that will allow the major clean-up operation to kick into gear.
Late on Monday afternoon, there were still 41 people in Ingham's emergency
accommodation centre including nine children and three babies.
Mr Hogan says crews are in the process of distributing the last of the 2,200 ration
packs flown in by the Army to outlying communities.
North of Ingham, the floods have claimed another victim who was swept away from his
car.
Locals found the body of a 34-year-old man near the Bruce Highway at Euramo on
Monday afternoon, but there's still no sign of his companion who was also lost in
the flood.
The men were in a vehicle with five others when it was swept away on the Bruce
Highway at 9.30pm (AEST) on Sunday at Silky Oak, south of Tully.
The five others were rescued.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Wayne Swan says Queenslanders are stoic folk who are helping
each other.
He and Kennedy MP Bob Katter toured Ingham at the weekend.
Mr Swan told parliament on Monday the social impacts of the floods would be
challenging but the people of Ingham were strong.
"After all, if you have been stuck in your house for a week and flooded in it begins
to have an impact on the nature of the community," he said.
"Fortunately, these are pretty stoic folk, they're north Queenslanders and they like
a joke, they like a beer and they like a good time.
"It's great to see ... the great sense of community. People are out there helping
each other."
With almost 3,000 homes in Ingham alone flood-affected, a senior federal minister
has been appointed to oversee the national response.
Small Business Minister Craig Emerson will arrive in Ingham on Tuesday morning and
will be in north Queensland for at least the next week.
The weather bureau says the Herbert River dropped to 11.1 metres at Gairloch on
Monday afternoon and is still falling.
The Herbert River peaked at 12.5 metres at 7pm (AEST) on Sunday.
The bureau's Jonty Hall says that while Ingham is slowly emerging from the muddy
water, river levels downstream at the coastal town of Halifax haven't started to
fall yet.
"There's been no heavy rain in the river catchment area today (on Monday), just some
showers and localised thunderstorms," Mr Hall said.
"But that hasn't been enough to cause the river to rise again.
"At this stage, the outlook for the next couple of days is pretty good, but there is
increased potential from Thursday into Friday for heavy rain to return with the
monsoon trough re-forming in the area."
Hinchinbrook Shire Council spokesman Dan Hogan says the Herbert River at Ingham is
expected to drop to eight metres by noon (AEST) on Tuesday.
He says that will allow the major clean-up operation to kick into gear.
Late on Monday afternoon, there were still 41 people in Ingham's emergency
accommodation centre including nine children and three babies.
Mr Hogan says crews are in the process of distributing the last of the 2,200 ration
packs flown in by the Army to outlying communities.
North of Ingham, the floods have claimed another victim who was swept away from his
car.
Locals found the body of a 34-year-old man near the Bruce Highway at Euramo on
Monday afternoon, but there's still no sign of his companion who was also lost in
the flood.
The men were in a vehicle with five others when it was swept away on the Bruce
Highway at 9.30pm (AEST) on Sunday at Silky Oak, south of Tully.
The five others were rescued.
Meanwhile, Treasurer Wayne Swan says Queenslanders are stoic folk who are helping
each other.
He and Kennedy MP Bob Katter toured Ingham at the weekend.
Mr Swan told parliament on Monday the social impacts of the floods would be
challenging but the people of Ingham were strong.
"After all, if you have been stuck in your house for a week and flooded in it begins
to have an impact on the nature of the community," he said.
"Fortunately, these are pretty stoic folk, they're north Queenslanders and they like
a joke, they like a beer and they like a good time.
"It's great to see ... the great sense of community. People are out there helping
each other."
With almost 3,000 homes in Ingham alone flood-affected, a senior federal minister
has been appointed to oversee the national response.
Small Business Minister Craig Emerson will arrive in Ingham on Tuesday morning and
will be in north Queensland for at least the next week.
