Halifax: North Queensland communities warned of flooding as Lower Herbert River breaks banks
A community is on alert for more flooding as a river breaks its banks after a days-long deluge.
Triple-digit rainfall totals have battered North Queensland for days just a month after it experienced a flood emergency that killed two people and left 30,000 without power.
The Lower Herbert River near Halifax rose past the major flood level of 5.5 metres on Thursday morning.
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For days, persistent showers and storms have been occurring across the Lower Herbert and Tropical Coast, with up to 200mm of rain recorded between Townsville and Innisfail each day.
Ingham, Cardwell and Townsville saw more than 200mm in the last 24 hours while 450mm was recorded at Cardwell Gap, leading to flash flooding.
Other towns like Trebonne recorded 348mm and flood-weary Ingham saw 267mm.
Ingham was one of the worst hit areas in the February floods, with two lives lost in floodwaters that also damaged roads and shut down power for days after the nearby Herbert River broke a 1967 record level.
Thursday will be another rainy day for northeast Queensland with the risk of higher falls during the morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned the intense downpours could continue into Friday wherever thunderstorms arrive from the ocean.
The bureau admitted the heavy rainfall has been more persistent than previously forecast.
“This wet period has continued for longer than expected,” meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.
Flood warnings are in place for the Herbert, Bohle and Ross Rivers.
The latest rainfall event has north Queenslanders on edge a month after they experienced a significant disaster.
February 2025 was the wettest month in history for some north Queensland towns with Paluma near Townsville recording more than two metres of rain - double what Sydney receives in a year.
Meanwhile, southeast Queensland is also recovering after ex-tropical cyclone Alfred swept across the coast with $80 million in disaster relief payments being made for damage.
