Shocking before and after videos of the Barron Falls after record rain in Far North Queensland shows the sheer volume of floodwater hitting the region.
Two videos of the Barron River waterfall outside Cairns was shared to social media on Wednesday which showed the falls on December 10 and December 18.
Massive rainfall caused by ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper, which was classified as a category two system when it made landfall north of Port Douglas on December 13, has triggered major widespread floods across north Queensland.
One video showed the waterfall before the cyclone had hit the state with footage capturing a stream trickling down the rocky cliff, while a second video showed the devastating impact of the weather system with a torrent of water gushing down.
A final flood warning still remains in place for the Barron River as well as the Daintree and Mossman Rivers.
‘River levels across the Barron River catchment are continuing to ease following significant flooding over the last few days,’ the Bureau of Meteorology said.
‘River levels along the lower Barron River at Kamerunga Bridge and Cairns Airport are now expected to be below the minor flood level.
‘No significant rainfall has been recorded across the catchment since late Sunday and no further rainfall of significance is forecast across the catchment over the next few days.’
Minor flood warnings are also in place for the Tully, Herbert and Murray Rivers.
Fortunately, major weather warnings for the North Tropical Coast and parts of the Peninsula and Gulf Country were cancelled on Wednesday as the ex-cyclone moves upward towards the tip of the Cape.
However, the Bureau came under fire earlier this week for severely underestimating how much rain would hit the region.
On Saturday, the Bureau predicted Cairns would receive falls between 30 and 130mm but it copped 268mm on Sunday alone.
Up to 12 locations across far north Queensland received record rainfall totals with some areas receiving a year’s worth of rain in a single day.
Mossman South, an hour northwest of Cairns, received 1,935mm of rain in five days while Black Mountain near Cooktown recorded 2,189mm.
Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the Bureau ‘didn’t know the lay of the land’.
‘If this is so record-breaking, how did no one know this was going to happen… we need to have forecasts closer to what is going on.’
Cyclone Jasper is now forecast to have less than a five per cent chance of redeveloping as it moves through the Cape this week.
But the severe damage and weather it caused across the far north since last week has delayed clean-up and rescue operations.
Major roads, including parts of the Captain Cook Highway from Palm Cove to Craiglie and Smithfield to Stratford and the Palmerston Highway from Millaa Millaa to Innisfail, remain blocked.
Evacuations are still underway to rescue residents trapped in Wujal Wujal with one more emergency flight scheduled for Wednesday.
Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said crews evacuated 97 people from the small community to Cooktown on Tuesday.
‘We were also accessing all of the isolated communities right across the cape. There’s 36 of them,’ he told ABC News Breakfast.
‘We managed to get into 16 of those communities and we’ll continue that today.
‘It was pleasing that we didn’t see any serious injuries or any serious concerns in those communities.’
Nine residents, including a seven-year-old and several health workers, were rescued after becoming stranded on the roof of the Wujal Wujal health clinic.
‘It now appears likely we will need to evacuate the entire town of Wujal Wujal,’ Queensland Premier Steven Miles told reporters on Monday.
‘This rainfall is next level.’
Emergency services have conducted over 370 swift water rescues since the flooding began last week and have received over 1,000 calls for help.
At least nine people were forced to climb onto roofs in Bloomfield and Degarra, where an 85-year-old man was reported missing on Sunday.
Queensland Police said it is ‘extremely concerned’ for the welfare of the missing man and urged anyone with information to come forward.
‘We have not been able to locate that male. I am now extremely concerned for his welfare,’ Commissioner Chelepy said.
‘The vegetation had been snapped and ripped through and where that male person’s house was, it’s been washed away.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would provide ‘whatever is necessary’ to help residents.
‘A number of people are isolated and have needed rescuing from their terrible circumstances so our thoughts go to all people in those communities,’ he said.
The Royal Australian Navy, operating out of the HMAS Cairns naval base, are supporting evacuations with the Australian Defence Force deployed to the region.
Clean-up efforts have begun in Cairns where Regional Council Mayor Terry James said 1,400 homes have been damaged, some completely destroyed.
About 3,500 homes remain without power.
Applications for the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) and Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) will open at 2pm on Wednesday.
Residents in Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Douglas, Hope Vale, Mareeba, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah local government areas are eligible for financial assistance.
The AGDRP is a one-off payment of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children who were affected by the devastating floods.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
