Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=343530

Residents of the southern Queensland town of Charleville are waiting nervously for the nearby Warrego River to peak, as the damage bill from the state's floods topped $25 million.

Murweh Shire mayor Mark O'Brien said many of the town's residents feared a repeat of the 1990 and 1997 floods.

"We are very watchful because if the rain falls as the bureau says it might, that will create a real problem for us," Mr O'Brien said.


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"I was here in 1990 and in 1997, when we had the two big floods of recent times, and we all get nervous."


Overnight, a stream known as Bradleys Gully, which runs through the middle of the town, sent floodwaters through nearby homes and businesses.

Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) spokesman Jon Hall said 15 homes were forcibly evacuated and more residents had voluntarily left their homes.

They were now sheltering with friends and family in the town or at the Charleville Neighbourhood Centre and local showgrounds.

But winds of up to 90km/h and heavy rain on Thursday night were making conditions difficult.

Extra flood boats had been transported by road from Clifton and Goondiwindi and another four boats had been taken to Roma and could be brought to Charleville, if necessary, Mr Hall said.

Queensland Health was making preparations to evacuate Charleville Hospital patients to Roma or Toowoomba hospitals by plane should the need arise.

Further north at Longreach, the Thomson River was expected to peak on Friday afternoon below levels that would cause the town to be inundated.

In the meantime, a helicopter had been called in to drop medical supplies to a flood-bound property near Aramac, north-west of Longreach, Mr Hall said.

At Emerald, in central Queensland, many roads were cut and one home was flooded.

A car was swept off a causeway on the Gregory Highway into Gordonstone Creek, but the driver managed to free himself from his vehicle and get out of the creek.

All sections of the Carnarvon National Park in central Queensland have been closed by flood waters, with road and track damage likely to block access for some weeks or even months.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service District Manager James Newman said it could take staff some time after floodwaters subside to assess the damage.

Acting Emergency Services Minister Andrew Fraser said half the state, or 40 shires, was now eligible for joint federal and state disaster relief assistance.

"Early estimates of damage to public infrastructure in north and western Queensland as a result of the monsoonal low now exceed $25 million," Mr Fraser said.

Assistance was available for sporting and not-for-profit community organisations to restore assets to a pre-disaster standard, with loans of $100,000 and grants of $5000.

Personal hardship grants were $160 per person and up to $740 per family.




God, not again. My bro and dad have been called out to help. Dean's normally thinking he's brave. Poor kid's shitting himself.

I was here for the last flood (in in my mother's belly the second last one) but you don't really get used to it.

Update: The road's cut off. My dad and my bro will have to stay at my gran's tonight. I live on a farm, so we're pretty safe where I am.

I'm from Australia but most of the people here are from America and have no idea where Queensland is!

Possibly true but yeah now and then there are disaster threads...

The fuck? Most smart foreigners know your state is in Australia.
I bet there'll be someone who'll post, "lol there is a queensland? is it in europe? i never knew this! is there a queen in queensland rofl?"

Wait, Korangutang, you're back?!

Excuse me, I am not american and I bloody know where Queensland bloody is!

don't take us people of the internetz as some bunch of ignorant people.

Isn't Queensland somewhere in Europe?
Mehh I don't know where Holland is either.

Topography has always been my weakest point. I am just smart enough to be able to locate my laptop.

And i do hope that there won't be a repitition of the 1990 and 1997 floods. I dread it for you people.

THE QUEEN LIVES IN QUEENSLAND RIGHT?
lololololollololololollolollo

emiloy, i just noticed your sig! milo is the sex god, deffinetely.

Dad and Dean went in half an hour back, it's 6:11 here. The water's still rising and in a small town, it gets covered pretty quick. Last time we checked, the waters were less than a block away from my grandmother's house so we're going to either raise all the furniture up or take it all out to my family's property. I expect to lose power, so I'm charging my phone up although it's got no credit. My mother still expects me to go to work. Hah. She still expects the banks to be open? Tell her she's dreaming.

Uncare

Dude I could fucking lose my house if it gets too much worse.

wtf? I HAVE MORE PRESSING ISSUES ON MY MIND, LIKE WHERE THE FCK IS MY ECONOMICS BOOK?

Good for swimming practice.

There's people who'll be asking where's a fuckload of other things.

My lasagne tastes like it has wine in it

well all i can say is, why the fuck are you on the computer when this is happening? get out there and do shit. also, i hope you have flood insurance!

You can swim, right?

The area is too high a risk for flood insurance, that's all anyone was asking for at work yesterday. We did everything we needed to protect the house last night.

Booboo: I can swim, not well, but I can.

Gina, in regards to why I'm on the computer, there's nothing to do but sit and wait.

GUISE, LETS HELP GINA FIND HER ECONOMICS BOOK

Gina, can I borrow your economics book?! I lost mine and I have an exam.
:sadsmileythingie.Butnotreally.:

But seriously, I agree with vamp.

First, Newcastle in June 07

Now, Charlesville in Jan 08

This time, it's safe to say the drought's over.

AND, Sydney is particularly cold for summer. Never gone above 30*

I'm from Australia as well


* = degrees Celcius

OK, so I posted a video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3WX2wlm-w

If it flooded here I would like.. Do fun stuff with my friends.
Wait, I did that once.
Got a fever from that though.

That's nothing compared to what we're expecting for tomorrow.

BULL SHIT THE DROUGHT IS OVER!!! im in ballarat and from being known as such a wet place, now all we have is dry grass from our massive tourist attraction (the lake) to the point where it covers our roads so we cant drive because theres that much of it!!

Drought's over in my neck of the woods at least.

haha well fair enough. just sucks for us though

heres a fun fact, im the graphic designer of the guy who makes the music for smosh videos!

bhaha

i know of things you will never belive! bhaha

Do you know Anthony's peeny size? If not, I'm not interested.
kthxbi.