Community
7 February, 2025
Floods wreak havoc
WITH rainfall reaching over 1697mm in the Cardwell Range in the last seven days, Cardwell continues to take the brunt of the monsoonal rains that are currently ravaging North Queensland with hundreds of residents affected.
Between Saturday and Tuesday over 1m of rain fell over the Cassowary Coast town of Cardwell which has found itself – alongside Ingham, Hinchinbrook and Townsville – at the centre of an ongoing tragedy due to the monsoonal low pressure system which has taken over NQ dumping over 100mm of rain daily since last weekend.
It’s estimated that 70 houses in Cardwell were inundated and hundreds of residents have been affected. The town has also suffered major supply shortages due to roads being flooded or damaged.
More rain is forecasted to fall – although easing up – into the weekend.
One impacted resident is Russell John Whittaker, a 50-year-old coal miner, who, like many other Cardwell residents, lost his house on Roma St after it flooded on Sunday night.
“It started raining on Friday and it just never stopped,” he said.
“A metre of water came into our house on Sunday around 9pm, the water rose very quickly, we’ve lost everything, everything is gone.
“We have nowhere to go, we’ve reached out to council for support but haven’t heard back yet. Our insurance is trying to find accommodation for me, my partner and our two dogs but there’s just no availability.
“I heard of the community hub but honestly, I haven’t even had time to check it out.
“We’re almost done clearing out the mud and a friend is coming with a bed, so we have somewhere to sleep.”
Mr Whittaker said that the local government hadn’t learned from past tragedies and the management was deficient.
“It’s 2025, we surely can do better,” he said.
“My house started flooding at 9pm on Sunday and I received a text message from the council with a flooding warning at 3.51am, that’s six hours too late.
“It’s shit, your whole life is in front of you underwater and you don’t realise it until you put it all in a pile in front of your house.
“This happens every time and I think communication is the worst part of it, once the power goes out, there’s no internet, you can’t call anyone, there’s nothing you can do.
“It’s been the same problem every time. I was in Cairns for Cyclone Larry and in Cardwell for Cyclone Yasi and we had the same problems, we haven’t learned at all.
“In my opinion this was worse than Jasper, there’s a lot more water damage and even now it’s pouring down and my garage is flooding again.”
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli visited Cardwell on Tuesday to set up the Cardwell community hub with Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood.
On the day, staff assisted more than 200 locals with personal hardship claims. The hub will remain open until Tuesday, February 11 to help the community with grants, relief and wellbeing support.
“(The) council is working closely with emergency services and government agencies to ensure impacted residents receive the support they need,” Cr Millwood said.
“The scale of this event has been devastating for many in our community, and our hearts go out to those who have lost homes, vehicles and livelihoods.
“To those struggling right now, please know you are not alone. We encourage residents in need to reach out for assistance. Recovery takes time, but together, as a community, we will get through this.”
Power is being progressively restored to Cardwell residents where it is safe to do so with arrangements for resupply to local retail food stores throughout the region.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the rain should ease into the weekend, however, thunderstorms and heavy rain are still expected, making the region susceptible to even more flash flooding.
The Australian and Queensland governments have extended Emergency Hardship Assistance Grants to eligible residents in the Cassowary Coast and Burdekin Local Government Areas. The Emergency Hardship Assistance grant is $180 per person, up to $900 for a family of five or more to help with immediate essentials such as food, clothing, and medicine. Other financial assistance is available but conditions and eligibility apply.
Residents can check their eligibility and apply via the Queensland Government’s Disaster Recovery website or by calling 1800 173 349.
Currently, the council is assessing the state of public assets and the road network.
“Significant damage has already been identified to the road network and public assets such as bridges, streets, parks but the total damage is unknown at this stage as the most affected areas are still experiencing heavy rainfall and flooded roads,” said deputy mayor Nicholas Pervan.
“A key area of concern and priority is Foxtail Avenue, Cardwell, where One Mile Creek has severely eroded the road, cutting off access to residences. Restoration efforts are complex due to exposed essential services, including water, wastewater, and power infrastructure.
“Additionally, significant resources have been deployed to restore access to the power station on Tully Gorge Road.”
To stay up to date with official updates or to report damages or safety concerns, visit
