Australia: Severe weather in eastern regions continues to cause evacuations, transport, and business disruptions as of late March 3 /update 8

Event

Severe flooding and related disruptions are ongoing across parts of eastern Australia as of late March 3. Flooding has killed at least nine people in Queensland and five people in New South Wales. Numerous evacuation orders and flood warnings are in place across southeast Queensland and eastern NSW and further adverse weather is forecast in the coming days.

Evacuations
Authorities have issued evacuation orders and warnings across much of eastern New South Wales, affecting over 500,000 people in the Geater Sydney area. Authorities have issued dozens of evacuation orders across the Sydney area and coastal areas north of Syndey More details about the evacuation orders and warnings can be found by clicking here. Officials have established 31 evacuation shelters across the affected areas. More information about the location of the shelters can be found by clicking here. Councils in Queensland have established 17 evacuation centers across Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Lockyer Valley, Ipswich, Logan, and Fraser Valley.

Authorities have declared Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Glenn Innes Severn, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Port Macquarie/Hastings, Richmond, Tenterfield, The Hills, and Tweed local government areas in New South Wales as disaster zones. The Warragamba Dam in New South Wales reached capacity March 1 and has started to spill, threatening thousands of homes in the Hawkesbury and Nepean area. Authorities warn that the dam spillage might continue for up to two weeks.

Disruptions
Authorities in Queensland have urged all Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Lockyer Valley, and Moreton Bay residents to conserve water. The Mount Crosby and North Pine water treatment plants went offline early Feb. 27 due to soil and debris increasing the cloudiness of the water. The North Pine Water Treatment Plant has since resumed, and the Gold Coast Desalination Plant is supplementing the water supply. Mullumbimby Town in northern New South Wales is running out of water due to the offline water treatment plant.

As of late March 3, over 19,000 people in Queensland and 15,000 in NSW are without power. Over 33,000 people in southeast Queensland have also been affected by internet service disruption. Hundreds of schools across both states remain closed due to the adverse weather.

Dozens of roads in both states have been made impassable by floodwaters. Information on the latest road closures in Queensland can be found by clicking here, and for NSW can be found by clicking here.

Government Advisories
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued hazardous surf warnings for the southeast Queensland coast and much of the NSW coast.

The following flood watches and warnings are also in place:

Major flood warning: Balonne, Condamine, Moonie, and Weir rivers and Eyre Creek in Queensland; Richmond and Weir rivers in NSW.
Moderate to major flood warning: Hawkesbury and Neapan Valley and Clarence and Colo rivers in NSW.
Moderate flood warning: Bremer River and Warrill Creek in Queensland; Hunter, Paterson, Orara, and Williams rivers and Tuggerah Lake in NSW.
Minor to moderate flood warning: Brisbane River and Laidley and Lockyer creeks in Queensland.
Flood warning: Albert, lower Burnett, Dumaresq, Mooloolah rivers and Barker, Barambah, Charleys, Coochin, and Myall creeks in Queensland.
Minor flood warning: Upper Brisbane, Dawson, lower Georgina, Logan, lower Macintyre, Maroochy, Mary, Noosa, lower Paroo, and Stanley rivers and Macintyre Brook in Queensland; Bega, Bellinger, Deua, Hastings, Lachlan, lower Macintyre, Manning, Paroo, Shoalhaven, Snowy, Tweed, and Wilsons rivers, St. George's Basin and Macintyre Brook in NSW; Snowy River in Victoria.
Flood watch: Southeast Queensland; parts of Hunter, Central Coast, and Greater Sydney in NSW.

Authorities warn that the heavy rain might result in floods and flash floods, as well as landslides and debris across roads. Officials could update and possibly extend the coverage of the relevant weather alerts over the coming days.

Hazardous Conditions
Sustained heavy rainfall could trigger flooding in low-lying communities near rivers, streams, and creeks. Urban flooding is also possible in developed areas with easily overwhelmed or a lack of stormwater drainage systems. Sites located downstream from large reservoirs or rivers may be subject to flash flooding after relatively short periods of intense rainfall.

Transport
Flooding and debris have blocked hundreds of roads across Queensland and NSW. Authorities are working to clear some main routes; however, with further adverse weather forecast the status of roads is likely to change at short notice. Authorities have advised those in the worst affected areas to avoid all unnecessary travel.

Floodwaters and debris flows may render some bridges, rail networks, or roadways impassable, impacting overland travel in and around affected areas. Ponding on road surfaces could cause hazardous driving conditions on regional highways. Authorities could temporarily close some low-lying routes that become inundated by floodwaters. Flooding could further block regional rail lines; freight and passenger train delays and cancellations are likely in areas that see heavy rainfall and potential track inundation. Severe weather could also trigger flight delays and cancellations at airports in the region. Authorities may temporarily suspend port operations if strong winds and large waves trigger hazardous sea conditions.

Localized business disruptions will likely occur in low-lying areas; some businesses might not operate at full capacity because of flood damage to facilities, possible evacuations, and employees' inability to reach work sites. Electricity and telecommunications service disruptions are possible where significant flooding, strong winds, or landslides impact utility networks.

Advice

Monitor local media for weather updates and related advisories. Confirm all transport reservations and business appointments before travel. Make allowances for localized travel delays and potential supply chain disruptions where flooding has been forecast. Do not drive on flooded roads. Charge battery-powered devices in the case of prolonged electricity outages.