Cyclone adds to Australia's flooding woes
Pastor Dale Morgan
Cyclone adds to Australia's flooding woes*
By Andrew Fraser
February 07, 2007 12:38am
Article from: The Australian
AUSTRALIA - A CYCLONE due to tear across the Gulf of Carpentaria early
this morning is expected to ensure north Queensland communities remain
flooded for days to come.
Cyclone Nelson was classed as a category-one storm yesterday, but the
weather bureau was expecting to upgrade it by the time it crossed the
coast between Kowanyama and Kurumba.
Although damage was expected to be limited, authorities fear heavy rains
associated with Nelson will fall on the eastern side of the cape where
many communities are already struggling with floods.
Parts of north Queensland have been in flood since last weekend. While
waters have abated in the area between Townsville and Mackay, steady
rain has meant flooding remains around Innisfail and Ingham.
The Bruce Highway is cut at Seymour Creek, just north of Ingham, as well
as at Innisfail - where the devastating Cyclone Larry came ashore last
year - and Gordonvale, south of Cairns.
The main street of Ingham was still under water yesterday and several
small towns in the Upper Herbert Valley were cut off. SES controllers
reported some medical evacuations but no one had yet been forced from
their homes.
Northern area SES controller Bruce Payne said floods were taking longer
than normal to dissipate because of the rain.
"But our biggest concern is if the rains associated with that cyclone
dumps in the catchment area of some of these rivers, then that'll give
the floods a bit of a boost," he said.