Updated on
Summary
Flood waters in Australia's third-biggest city peaked below feared catastrophic levels on Thursday but Brisbane and other devastated regions faced years of rebuilding and even the threat of fresh floods in the weeks ahead. The capital of Queensland state resembled a muddy lake, with an entire waterfront cafe among the debris washing down the Brisbane River, a torrent that has flooded 12,000 homes in the city of 2 million and left 118,000 buildings without power. Officials warned of the real risk of further severe flooding in the coming weeks. At Grantham, in the flood-devastated Lokyer Valley, rescue personnel were pulling people from roof tops as searches got underway for missing people. A flash-flood hit the town of Grantham on Monday, smashing homes to pieces and sweeping people away. Military helicopters were deployed to bring people stuck in their homes to temporary shelters. The floods have killed at least 18 people and 78 are missing, according to revised figures. Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley region, west of Brisbane, have been completely devastated, with whole towns unrecognisable. The water has peaked at almost a metre below the level of deadly 1974 floods in Brisbane, with authorities saying a protective dam built after that tragedy had helped spare the city from the expected worst-case scenario. But many of the city's factories and homes had only rooflines visible as residents, many evacuated to safety, woke to bright sunshine. The swollen Brisbane River was choked with debris after bursting its banks and engulfing large districts of the city the previous day. Power has been cut to many areas in and around the city because of worry the waters could cause electrocutions. Boats and river pontoons torn adrift by the deluge lay piled on river banks as the roiling brown water raced past.
