QLD:Central Qld ready for flooding

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2010
QLD:Central Qld ready for flooding

BRISBANE, Dec 10 AAP - The central Queensland city of Rockhampton is braced for flooding
this weekend, as more rain falls on the saturated state.

Queensland's floods will be prolonged by another two weeks at least, with rainfall
of 25 to 50 millimetres expected over the 72 hours from Friday.

The Weather Channel's senior meteorologist Dick Whitaker said the band of rain and
thunderstorms that had been producing heavy falls across Victoria and New South Wales
would concentrate over Queensland during the weekend.

"This will generate further flood peaks along the Fitzroy River basin, and the Balonne
and Barcoo rivers," he said on Friday.

"These peaks will gradually make their way downstream and produce further flooding
across the surrounding countryside over the next two weeks.

"This will mean a wet, rather than white, Christmas for many in outback Queensland."

Rockhampton City Council has been asking residents to prepare for inundation of low-lying
areas around the Fitzroy for days.

A similar flood in 2008 started to drop within 24 hours, but this time due to the volume
of water coming down the Fitzroy, a "longer and flatter" peak is expected.

Meanwhile, the town of Theodore, southwest of Rockhampton, is expecting the Dawson
River to peak on Friday night.

Banana Shire Council's Colin Head said it was the second time this year the town of
500 people, on the junction of the Dawson and Castle Creek, had flooded.

In March, the river peaked at 13.49 metres, but the peak on Friday was expected to
be under 13 metres, he said.

"There has been minimal impact on the community so far, with some inundation of low-lying
properties, but no buildings or people affected," Mr Head told AAP.

Floods were a one in ten year event for the shire, so it was unusual to have two in
one year, he said.

The Leichhardt Highway was closed north of Theodore on Friday, due to water over the road.

AAP gd/jh

KEYWORD: FLOODS QLD

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