Pollyana

2 hours to get to work (usually 10 minutes) - the road outside work was knee deep in water, Gympie Road was flooded at Kedron Brook.
Still moving south through the Gold Coast thopugh pretty much cleared Brisbane now.
Lots of swift water rescues going on with SES and Fire floodboats. Nasty stories coming in of people needing rescue.......

Over 1300 calls for the SES in 24 hours

moneypenny20

Most of the roads flooded are to the west of the motorway. Daughter's just got home from Caba, Tweed Coast Road was flooded but not as badly as Clothiers Creek Road which floods at the drop of a bucket. Police were out helping/watching/advising everyone on getting through safely. Our road is apparently a minefield of fallen branches and overflowing drains.

Pollyana

Severe and dangerous storms have lashed an already drenched southern Queensland as an east coast low bears south towards northern New South Wales.

The wild weather soaked communities with up to 100 millimetres of rain in an hour, catching people off guard and causing dangerous traffic conditions.

There are grave fears for the occupants of a car that was washed away on Dances Road at Caboolture on Friday afternoon.

Roads cut, car washed away in Queensland super storm; New South Wales braces as east coast low tracks south - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

astera

This doesn't sound good. I skipped a trip to Robena today and headed straight from Southport to Surfers, with a mini-detour via Marina Mirage to pick up a loaf of bread and then through Main Beach along the esplanade before I got to Surfers. Rain was coming down big time then, some tree parts all over too (nothing major though), and getting very windy. Was happy to get into the underground garage and head upstairs for a well-deserved beer.

Hope it's not a case of same-ol'-same-ol' tomorrow. Otherwise that trip to Brisbane is getting moved to Sunday.

Pollyana

Very sad

==========================

Three people killed in car washed off flooded road in Queensland super storm - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Three people have died in a car that was washed off a flooded road at Caboolture, north of Brisbane, during the torrential downpour that has hit south-east Queensland.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed the fatalities in a hastily convened media briefing on Friday night.

She said a man, woman and a child were killed in the accident.

"This is a tragedy, and it's not an easy thing to talk about," she said.

Ms Palaszczuk declined to provide further details about the deaths, saying only "it is to do with flooded waters".

Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Alistair Dawson said it was both sad and frustrating that people found themselves in such a position.

Pollyana

You should be fine tomorrow, its abating already and whats left is moving south. Just be prepared for debris on roads and some minor roads may still be flooded tomorrow.

moneypenny20

Very sad. I don't understand why she had to convene a media briefing about it unless she was pointing out about 'if it's flooded forget it'.

Pollyana

She was here (Emergency Services) for a general briefing anyway on the whole situation. The news about the deaths was breaking as she arrived.

Pollyana

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for DAMAGING WINDS, HEAVY RAINFALL and DANGEROUS SURF
For people in parts of the
Wide Bay and Burnett,
Darling Downs and Granite Belt and
Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.
Issued at 11:26 pm Friday, 1 May 2015.
Synoptic Situation:
A low is moving southwards along Queensland's southeast coast is expected to move out of Queensland early Saturday morning.
Heavy rain leading to flash flooding is possible over the Scenic Rim and Southern Downs council areas for the next few hours. Rainfall heavy enough to lead to flash flooding has cleared from other parts of the warning area.
Damaging winds, with peak gusts of around 90km/h remain possible about the Gold Coast for the next few hours before the low moves out of Queensland.
The low is still generating large swells causing dangerous surf about the Fraser Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast beaches. The dangerous surf conditions are likely to produce significant beach erosion for these areas.
High water levels on the high tide have passed and are no longer expected for this event.
The Severe Weather Warning for heavy rain and damaging wind for the Wide Bay and Burnett district and Sunshine Coast have been cancelled, though Dangerous Surf and Abnormally High Tides are still possible for the Fraser Island east coast and Sunshine Coast.
Rainfall totals of 100 to 200mm with isolated falls of 350mm have been recorded over parts of the Southeast Coast district in the last 12 hours.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:
* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items.
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters.
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains.
* Surf Life Saving Australia recommends that you stay out of the water and stay well away from surf-exposed areas.
* Check your property regularly for erosion or inundation by sea water, and if necessary raise goods and electrical items.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.
The next warning is due to be issued by 5:30 am Saturday.
Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts, the Bureau's website at Australia's official weather forecasts & weather radar - Bureau of Meteorology or call 1300 659 219. The Bureau and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.

Pollyana

Flood Summary
Issued at 11:01 pm EST on Friday 1 May 2015.

The following Watches/Warnings are current:

MODERATE FLOOD WARNING FOR THE LOGAN AND ALBERT RIVERS

MODERATE FLOOD WARNING FOR THE UPPER BRISBANE AND STANLEY RIVERS

MINOR FLOOD WARNING FOR THE MARY RIVER

FLOOD WARNING FOR THE MAROOCHY AND MOOLOOLAH RIVERS AND COOCHIN CREEK

FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE WIDE BAY & BURNETT, SOUTHEAST COAST, DARLING DOWNS & GRANITE BELT FORECAST DISTRICTS

Pollyana

A fourth death confirmed this morning - 75 year old man found after a vehicle was washed off a road at Burpengary last night. 68 year old woman foundalive nearby clinging to a tree.

Pollyana

Five dead in Queensland, after another man was found at the first incident. And a six year old boy swept away today on the beach at Ballina in NSW

Queensland weather: Five people killed after three cars swept away by floodwaters; storm moves into northern NSW - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

astera

It's heartbreaking to see ordinary folk not making it back home safely (in their car) due to the weather. I mean in this day and age this should never be an issue - it should be completely avoidable.

moneypenny20

Generally speaking it is. People are constantly told if it's flooded forget it but never seem to think it applies to them. They don't think it's very deep, they want to get home, that car in front just went though etc etc etc.

Pollyana

Yeah, it hasn't come out yet exactly what happened in these cases, but having been out in Friday's rain at the height of the storm it was coming down very very heavily in that area, worst I've seen in all my years here. Traffic was gridlocked across the whole of north Brisbane, nothing moved for several hours really, and the water in many streets was rising around the gridlocked cars. So many motorists actually didn't drive into it, it came up around them and they had no way out because of the gridlock. Even outside work at Kedron the water was six inches deeps and still rising around the cars. Walking in it was truly scary, even though I was only in it to cross between two rows of stationery traffic. It was tearing down the gutters in a raging torrent.
There are a lot of photos of emergency services checking vehicles in deep water - many of those cars were caught as the water rose, or were already parked. They didn't all drive into the floods, but they had to be checked aanyway.