By AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Feb. 27, 2022 1:41 PM EST | Updated Feb. 28, 2022 11:55 AM EST
“It’s unrelenting. It’s just coming down in buckets."
That's how the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, described the rainfall that has pounded eastern portions of Australia in recent days. The persistent downpours have flooded thousands of properties, prompted evacuations and resulted in at least eight deaths, according to The Associated Press.
Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, has been particularly hard-hit, recording its wettest three-day period since weather data started being tracked in the city in 1840 -- an astonishing 24.1 inches (611.6 mm) of rain from Friday morning to Sunday evening, local time. The city's previous rain record for a three-day period was 23.6 inches (600.4 mm) in 1974.
The radar showing intense downpours near and just south of Brisbane, Australia, early Monday morning, local time. (AccuWeather)
The mind-boggling deluge left few areas untouched by floodwaters, with scenes of submerged vehicles common throughout the region. Reuters reported that more than 1,400 homes in Brisbane are at risk to experience flooding, while tens of thousands of power outages have been reported.
Images from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services showed homes submerged up to their roofs while others from the AP show people kayaking through the inundated streets or wading through waist-deep water. Emergency crews made over 130 swift-water rescues in 24 hours, officials said.
Schools throughout the region were closed on Monday, and officials advised residents to work from home to limit the number of people on the roads, which, in some cases, are completely cut off by high water.
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The Sydney Harbour Bridge is seen through the windscreen of a car as rain pours on the city, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The state of New South Wales has seen more than 500 flood rescues and more than 900 requests for assistance in the past 24 hours as record rain continues to fall across the eastern states of Australia. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Local authorities had a firm message for those who do venture out amid the severe weather.
"Our message is clear: do not cross flooded roadways – if it’s flooded, forget it. The smartest and bravest thing you can do, is back it up and turn around," the Queensland Police Service said on Twitter.
Flooded scenes at Rocklea on Brisbane's Southside, Queensland, Australia, February 27, 2022. AAP Image/Jason O'Brien via REUTERS
The torrent of water swamped local rivers, sending dozens into major flood stage. The Brisbane River was projected to crest around 13 feet (4 meters) Monday morning, local time, which would be the highest level seen on that waterway since 2011, according to the Brisbane Times. The raging water sent debris into boardwalks and eateries that line the river, the news agency said.
By Monday morning, local time, the major flood levels peaked on the Brisbane River during high tide at 12.63 feet (3.85 meters), according to the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).
Rainfall for the last week in excess of 18 inches over eastern Australia is shown by NASA's GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement) product on Feb. 28, 2022. (NASA/GPM)
A frightening scene emerged on the river as raging floodwaters carried a houseboat and crashed it into a ferry terminal, causing it to sink immediately. A 70-year-old man on board was rescued and sustained no significant injuries, according to The Guardian.
This event has evoked memories of and comparisons to the January 2011 floods that caused widespread damage in Brisbane and killed more than 30 people. During that event, heavy rain was spread out over more than a week and the flooding largely ensued due to rivers swelling after the precipitation had ended, The Guardian reported.
This latest incident has featured significant rainfall over a much shorter period of time. Murrumba Downs, a northern suburb of Brisbane, recorded 2 inches (52 mm) of rain in a mere 30 minutes, while nearby Kippa-Ring was pounded with 5 inches (135 mm) in 90 minutes, the Brisbane Times reported.
Dangers are far from over, AccuWeather meteorologists warn, as the flooding downpours expand southward this week.
"Torrential downpours shifted southward to start the week and placed northeastern New South Wales in the direct center of a dire flooding situation," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert explained.
On Monday, the city of Lismore in New South Wales experienced unprecedented flooding as extremely heavy rainfall caused a levee, in place to protect the city from disastrous flooding, to overflow. Monday's flood level in Lismore is now considered the worst of all time after exceeding readings from the previous record flooding event in February of 1954, according to the BoM.
In downtown Lismore, streets became raging rivers as harrowing video taken in the area captured water levels approaching the second floor of local businesses.
As of Monday afternoon, emergency personnel had made nearly 550 rescues as more than 1,500 calls for assistance were placed, according to The Guardian. As darkness fell on Monday evening, local time, 400 people remained unaccounted for in the Lismore area as military and emergency services raced against the clock to save lives, according to 9News.
At least two other levees in northeastern New South Wales overflowed on Monday and at least one additional levee is in danger of being breached early Tuesday, according to the BoM.
By the middle part of the week, torrential downpours could reach the Sydney metro area and heighten the risk of flooding there. Early last week, heavy rain caused a fast-moving current to sweep through Dee Why Lagoon, just north of Sydney, nearly carrying one man out-to-sea were it not for a brave group of surfers that came to the rescue.
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