Topic: NSW and SE QLD Rain Event / Flash Flooding Coffs Harbour and Sunshine Coast :28 Mar - 7 Apr 2009

[Colin Maitland]

I dont know if this is the map you are after

http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/nsw/midnorth.shtml

North of Numbucca there is three red dots close together, run the mouse over them and you have Coffs Harbour, Red Hill and Perry Drive.
Red hill had 444 mm in 24 hours.

I hope that is what you were after, if not ignore this post, it will self destruct in 10 seconds.

[Richary]

Thanks Coltan. Shows the figures but unluckily doesn't click onto something that gives the coords of the weather station itself. I have no idea if that would change the results of the bureau graph or not.

enak - whereabouts is Red Hill located? I have all the topo maps for NSW but no luck finding it so far. If you have coords or where it is exactly in relation to Coffs I might be able to find it and re run the figures.

[Colin Maitland]

All I can find out, which is not really helping, is that Red Hill Station ID no 559016 is an Automatic station used only for rainfull. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cdo/about/sitedata.shtml   This site allows you to place the ID of station and takes you to where it is. But you have to drop the 1st 5 and replace it with  a  0 in this situation,  ( 059016) The problem is it says the station is closed , but I assume it is still operating to gather the rainfull amounts over the last few days. Coffs Harbour ID is 59040 so I had to add a 0 (059040) in this case to take you to C/H site. 

In Brisbane we are now getting the effects of the system that lashed NSW. It has been very windy and the rain is building. I dont think at this stage we will receive anywhere close to the rains as NSW. It is supposed to break some time today.   

[Colin Maitland]

I have been looking at the Wave bouys, the swell off this front is quite awesome. Brisbane has Hmax of over 8 M this morning while the Gold coast has had a Hmax of over 9 M. The doppler wind for Brisbane is showing some 70 - 80KM/h wind gusts.

[Colin Maitland]

At about 12.15pm EST time SEQ has been put on severe weather alert.
The warning from BOMS is as follows:

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
For dangerous surf, flash flooding and stream rises.
For the Southeast Coast district.
Issued at 12:15 pm on Thursday 2 April 2009

Synoptic Situation: A trough of low pressure lies across the Southeast Coast
district and is generating strong to gale force winds and heavy rain.

Wave heights have reached up to 5 metres on the Gold Coast and offshore from
Brisbane, a little smaller on the Sunshine Coast. These waves are creating very
dangerous conditions and causing erosion on exposed beaches between Double
Island Point and Point Danger.

Heavy rain areas are likely to cause flash flooding on the Sunshine Coast during
the day with recorded falls of up to 100mm in the last 6 hours. Rain is likely
to cause stream rises across the rest of the Southeast Coast district during the
day, especially in coastal parts.   
The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:

* if near the coastline, stay well away from the water's edge
* avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters



It has been very wet and windy all day, I would assume some of the floodways and creeks will have begun to rise and flood from when I saw them at about 10.00AM, at that stage some were close to breaking their levies.

[Colin Maitland]

Some pretty heavy falls today throughout the SEQ.

Noosa and sunshine coast received the heaviest of the rain.
Around Noosa:

Black Pinch Road    425mm in 9.7 hours
Cooren Point          194mm in 9.3 hours
Boreen Point          223mm in 10 hours
Mount Tinbeerwah  218mm in 9.7 hours
Cooroy                 207mm in 9.8 hours


Maroochy area averaged around 135 mm in 9.0 hours

Through out various locations in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, falls ranged from approx. 40mm - 100+ mm in the last 9 hours.

The Strong winds this morning caused power outages due to fallen power lines affecting up to 5000 consumers. There was a massive ocean swell resulting in a yacht (two time handicap winner of the Sydney to Hobart race) to capsize, loose its mast and it motors to fail. A search was organised and once located, the skipper was winched of the stricken yacht and flown to hospital by the rescue chopper. They then lost sight of the yacht for an hour or so because of the bad weather. After reaching them the second time , the yacht is now finally being towed back to Laguana Bay after the two remaining members were winched on to the rescue chopper.

There is flood warnings issued for the Sunshine Coast and as at 7.42 pm EST we still have a current weather warning. The low causing this system is expected to continue its track north and so the rain should ease through out the night.

Col.

[Michael Bath]

Some incredible damage at Kin Kin (NW of Noosa) on tonight's news. The power of a flash flood was very well illustrated seeing roads scoured and washed away and heavy vehicles rolled over and tangled up in debris.

Black Pinch Road Alert in the attached hourly rainfall figures is just south of Kin Kin.

See : 128km Radar Loop for Gympie, 00:00 02/04/2009 to 09:00 02/04/2009 UTC

[Colin Maitland]

We have had some pretty solid rain throughout SEQ yesterday afternoon and last night. Flood warnings are still issued for Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Mary River.
Nambour recieved 106 mm from 9am yesterday
Gold Coast Seaway 139 mm since 9 AM and Coolangatta 132 mm


There is more rain forecasted for SEQ on Sunday through to Tueday, therefore there could be a lot more flooding to continue.

The forecast for Norhtern NSW and Mid Coast NSW is showers and thunderstorms.
 

[Antonio (stormboy)]

NORTHERN NSW is in for some heavy rain heres a storm warning  4th april

NORTHERN RIVERS and northeast parts of the
NORTHERN TABLELANDS Forecast Districts.
Issued at 4:06 pm Saturday, 4 April 2009.
Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours. Locations which may be affected include Lismore, Ballina, Casino, Kyogle, Yamba and Maclean.
The State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
* Don't walk, ride your bike or drive through flood water.
* Unplug computers and appliances.
* Avoid using the phone during the storm.
* Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.
* For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the SES (NSW and ACT) on 132 500.
The next warning is due to be issued by 7:10 pm.
Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 218. The Bureau and State Emergency Service would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.

[Antonio (stormboy)]

danger for se QLD

For people in the GOLD COAST CITY and parts of the BRISBANE CITY, LOGAN CITY, SCENIC RIM and REDLAND Council Areas.
Issued at 8:17 pm Saturday, 4 April 2009.
The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 8:20 pm, very dangerous thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Tamborine, Logan Village and Numinbah Valley. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east. Very dangerous thunderstorms are forecast to affect Beenleigh, Logan City and Woodridge by 8:50 pm and Coomera, Mount Cotton and Tingalpa Reservoir by 9:20 pm.
Very heavy rainfall and severe flash flooding are likely.
Unofficial report of 200mm of rainfall in 2.5 hours and SEVERE flash flooding at Jimboomba at 8pm.
Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Avoid using the telephone during a thunderstorm.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
The next warning is due to be issued by 9:15 pm.
A more general severe thunderstorm warning is also current for the Southeast Coast and parts of the Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.
Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 219. The Bureau and Emergency Management Queensland would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.

[Colin Maitland]

In SEQ we have had several warnings of slow moving severe storms since about 2.00 pm.
As the latest warning posted by Stormboy, there is an unconfirmed report of rainfall at Jimboomba of 200mm in 2.5 hours. The storms are bringing very heavy rain and this will continue through out the next 2 days according to BOM

The news this evening had a full report of the flash flooding at Kin Kin as Michael Bath touched on previously, the locals were saying there was a wall of water that suddenly approached the town resulting in many scrambling for their lives onto the roof top of the local pub.

 

[Colin Maitland]

Last night I heard the locals talk about a 3M tsunami hit Kin Kin, so I googled the event and decided to post part of the news report from the Daily.com.au


Trickle to 3 metre tsunami in 20 Min's

12:00a.m. 4Th April 2009

 By Alan Lander
Trickle to 3 metre tsunami in 20 mins

The aftermath of the flood that hit the Country Life Hotel at Kin Kin. Photo:Kupa Ngaira
Photo Gallery: Flood hits Kin Kin

http://www.thedaily.com.au/photos/galleries/2009/apr/03/flood-hits-kin-kin/  ( hopefully these photos remain cached on their site)

The hinterland hamlet of Kin Kin was in shock yesterday after a three-metre wall of water crashed through its hotel on Thursday, sending staff and customers running for their lives and leaving furniture and heavy equipment strewn up to 200 metres away.

Witnesses said water started to creep across the bar floor during a torrential downpour, then in the space of only 20 minutes it rose rapidly, pouring through the open windows and eventually tearing the hotel's main doors off their hinges in what was described as a "tsunami".


Unfortunately one elderly women lost her life as the car she was driving, I believe trying to escape the floods, was washed away.

Some of the rainfalls through out the SEQ have been stagering over the last 48 hours. Today forecasters are predicting a further 100mm of rain to fall today.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Unfortunately one elderly women lost her life as the car she was driving, I believe trying to escape the floods, was washed away.

Ummm ... I would have thought that a person was probably in the car and was hit by the wall of water as she passed near a bridge since the car was found in a creek 500 metres from a bridge and her body 1.5km downstream.

This is not uncommon when high rainfall falls in mountains and other areas miss out from the majority of the deluge but the valley they are in rises to a torrent as that run off moves downstream.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Colin Maitland]

It seems not quite in this case, here is the article regarding the elderly women, I believe she may have  had the right intentions but under estimated the power of the water. I totally agree with your evaluation of what does happen in many cases. I have misunderstood an earlier suggestion from an article, that she was fleeing the floods, but it seems she was trying to avoid the floods in order to get " back home."

Story by Hannah Martin, from the Courier mail.

Tragically, an elderly local who lived next door to the hotel lost her life as she attempted to drive across a nearby swollen creek and get home during the downpour which hit the region on Thursday evening.

A body was found yesterday about 1.5km downstream from Paynes Creek Bridge, just outside Kin Kin. Police last night identified the dead woman as Margarida Jackson, 78, of Kin Kin.

Police said Mrs Jackson was on her way home from visiting her husband in the Cooroy Hospital when she attempted to cross the flooded Paynes Creek bridge.

It's believed she stopped to inspect the flooded bridge and waited some time before attempting to drive across.

Her car, a Subaru station wagon, was spotted about 150m from the bridge on Friday afternoon. It was partly submerged in the creek with the keys in the ignition.

The driver's seatbelt was disengaged and the driver-side window was wound down.

"It seems she tried to get out (of the car), but the current of the water was just too much," a local SES volunteer said yesterday. The tragedy shocked residents in the small community as they attempted to clean up their mud-coated town.

[Colin Maitland]

we have recieved a severe storm warning later this evening from Bom

For people in parts of the
LOCKYER VALLEY,
SOMERSET and
TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 8:07 pm Sunday, 5 April 2009.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 8:05 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near the area north of Gatton.

These thunderstorms are slow moving.

They are forecast to affect the area south of Esk and the area southwest of Esk by 8:35 pm and the area west of Esk and Lowood by 9:05 pm.

Very heavy rainfall and flash flooding are likely.

An unofficial rainfall report of 63mm in 1 hour was recorded just east of Toowoomba at around 7pm.
An unofficial rainfall report of 40mm in 15 minutes was recorded at Southbrook at around 6:30pm.

There has been a few rumbles through out the evening and late afternoon, but I think it more of that fact we are in for heavy rain once again, hey at least we are now on lower water restrictions.