A man and his dogs are dead, another driver is missing and an entire town has been put on alert as wild weather kicks off another major flood emergency across southern Queensland and northern NSW.
The arrival of intense rainfall on the east coast on Monday has ignited fresh fears for flash flooding across communities still in ruins from the deadly floods four weeks ago.
The Bureau of Meteorology on Monday issued severe weather warnings for heavy rainfall for the Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands, parts of the Mid North Coast in NSW as well as southeast Queensland, where more than 160mm fell in parts of the Darling Downs over the past day.
Early on Monday a man and his dogs were found dead inside a flooded ute in Kingsthorpe, just outside of Toowoomba, making him the first victim of the latest weather crisis.
Queensland Police water rescue crews arrived at the scene after members of the public reported the ute floating in floodwaters about 8am.
A woman was found alive inside the ute and was taken to hospital in a stable condition for treatment.
Meanwhile, police, swift water rescue crews and a rescue helicopter are trying to locate a missing man who is believed to have been swept away in floodwaters near Pittsworth, south of Toowoomba, at 6am.
Police say the man, believed to be aged in his 40s, was washed into the water after getting out of his vehicle at a Spring Creek crossing near Stirling Rd.
Elsewhere, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner warned Brisbane residents in low-lying areas to prepare for more flooding.
“With the ground still saturated from Brisbane’s biggest rainfall event, the rain forecast over the coming days could lead to flooding in low-lying areas of our city,” Cr Schrinner wrote on Twitter.
Residents are advised to warn neighbours, secure property and belongings and prepare to move to higher ground.
Mr Schrinner said free sandbags were available at council depots in Darra, Lota, Morningside, Newmarket and Zillmere.
Western Downs Regional Council issued an alert for Dalby at 5.10am, with Myall Creek expected to reach above minor levels early on Monday morning and further rises expected throughout the day.
People in low-lying areas should warn neighbours, secure property and belongings and prepare to move to higher ground.
Another five rescues have been carried out by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) water crews as people became trapped on the roofs of their cars in Darling Downs.
Eleven schools have been forced to close across the west and south of Toowoomba.
The highest falls have been recorded just west of Dalby at Bowenville, where 106mm fell, at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast with 121mm, and south at Black Mountain with 106mm.
Parts of Brisbane have recorded just over 30mm, with the heaviest falls coming just after midnight. The bureau has forecast six-hourly rainfall totals of more than 180mm for some areas, with the potential for landslides and flooding.
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns said response crews were in position and doorknocking homes ahead of severe weather warnings in northern NSW.
Mr Kearns told Today that residents were being warned areas untouched in the recent floods were potentially at risk in the coming days.
“Just because you weren’t impacted last time, doesn’t mean you won’t be impacted this time,” he said.
“People are pretty nervous, to be honest with you,” Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told Sunrise on Monday morning.
“Four weeks of cleaning up after the record flood that we‘ve just experienced and then to get the news of the weather event that’s coming for us.
“We don’t need to go through this again.”
Lismore faces at least another three weeks of clean-up.
“Unfortunately, with this latest weather that’s coming through, some of our rubbish transfer stations are right in the firing line of potential flooding, so we’ve got to evacuate those facilities today and tomorrow.”
Mr Krieg said tradies were desperately needed to begin rebuilding homes that had been stripped down to foundations, but further flooding had put works on hold.
Thunderstorms were expected for Monday and Tuesday, with warnings heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding on Monday afternoon.
A flood warning has been issued for several parts of northern NSW, including Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Byron Bay, Lismore, Yamba, Grafton, Coffs Harbour and Dorrigo.
“Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast to develop over northern parts of northeast NSW later today and into early Tuesday,” the northern NSW warning says.
“Locally, intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible, with thunderstorms with six-hourly rainfall totals in excess of 180mm.”
The rain over the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast is expected to continue over the first half of the week.
Catchments in the region are already saturated after being smashed by recent floods.
“We have seen flash flooding and fatalities occur (during the recent floods) with only moderate falls,” BOM meteorologist Jackson Browne said.
“And with heavy-to-intense falls, this risk is very significant for flash flooding.”
There have been massive falls over parts of NSW over the past few days, including 180mm at Wauchope (near Port Macquarie) on Friday, while Alstonville, east of Lismore, copped 200mm on Saturday.
Up to 70mm is predicted for Lismore on Monday, with falls of 40mm to 100mm expected on Tuesday.
