<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>337925</docID> <postdate>2025-02-10 15:56:36</postdate> <headline>Long wait ahead for isolated towns with more rain coming</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-337451" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20250202186975730043-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>More heavy rain and flash flooding are expected to hit Queensland's Gulf Country on Monday. (Scott Radford-Chisholm/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Fraser Barton</strong> and <strong>Savannah Meacham</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Flood-hit communities may be isolated for more than a week in northern Australia after more rain was forecast for an already sodden region.</strong></p> <p>Heavy rainfall that has lashed the north Queensland coast for days has spread west, cutting off towns near the Gulf of Carpentaria.</p> <p>At least six communities have been isolated by floodwaters after northwest areas between Georgetown and Normanton received more than 300mm of rainfall overnight.</p> <p>Some areas are relying on supply drops from helicopters and planes as they brace for what may be a long wait for inundated roads to clear.</p> <p>"Given the amount of water in those systems, it could be three-to-four days, it could be eight-to-10 days," Etheridge Shire Mayor Barry Hughes said of how long communities could be isolated.</p> <p>Heavy rain and flash flooding is expected to hit Queensland's Gulf Country on Monday with falls up to 250mm over the next day.</p> <p>A severe weather warning stretches from the Gulf Country across the tropical coast and down to the Burdekin region.</p> <p>Rainfall has spread west but continues to hit the north Queensland coast which has been lashed for more than a week, claiming two lives and forcing hundreds to evacuate.</p> <p>Rainfall is expected to ramp up until Wednesday between Tully and Ayr, including flood-hit regions like Ingham.</p> <p>Ingham was one of the worst hit, with the army stepping in to help rebuild a bridge crossing after it was completely isolated by floodwaters.</p> <p>Ingham residents lost power and food supplies were dwindling with locals at one stage told there was no running water.</p> <p>Floodwaters claimed the lives of two women in the region after the nearby Herbert River, in the Hinchinbrook Shire, broke a record level set back in 1967.</p> <p>"The flooding and isolation being felt in the Hinchinbrook Shire is something I've never seen before," local MP Nick Dametto told AAP.</p> <p>"Most of us are just running on fumes."</p> <p>Power is set to be restored to every Ingham household by Monday night, more than a week after the substation was inundated.</p> <p>Around 1600 residents remain without power across north Queensland, after about 30,000 were at one stage in the dark.</p> <p>Landslides, floodwaters and fallen trees have kept Ergon Energy crews busy as they tried to restore power.</p> <p>"This has been a huge event, very, very challenging from an access perspective," Ergon Energy's Kev Lavender told reporters.</p> <p>Some north Queensland coastal regions have already set February rainfall records just 10 days into the month after recording more than 1500mm.</p> <p>Queensland's main arterial link, the Bruce Highway, is among the many roads cut off by floodwaters.</p> <p>Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg on Monday said crews were focused on opening up routes to help get "trucks moving" and ensure supplies for rain-hit communities.</p> <p>There were more than 60 requests for help in flood-affected regions in the past 24 hours.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Western Australia is bracing for a possible tropical cyclone that could form by Tuesday.</p> <p>The warning zone stretches across 350km between Cockatoo Island and Bidyadanga, including Broome.</p> <p>The tropical low is currently near the northwest coastline of Western Australia and if it strengthens over the next 24 hours it will be named Tropical Cyclone Zelia.</p> <p>A cyclone watch has been issued between Cape Levesque and Degray, including Broome.</p> <p>This area may be battered by rain and thunderstorm activity from Monday afternoon before the weather conditions escalate with large waves and high tides on Tuesday.</p> <p>Daily rainfall totals could reach up to 60mm over the next few days with even higher totals possible, leading to flash flooding.</p> <p>A flood watch is in place for the West Kimberley region.</p> </body>