The Central Highlands’ region has escaped the worst of the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie as the severe weather system passed through overnight.
Mayor Cr Kerry Hayes said the majority of the rain fell in the east of the region.
‘The tropical low system moved very slowly south-east overnight and affected towns and properties from Blackwater through to Duaringa.
‘Mobile phone connection in some areas, including Blackwater, is still an issue and there are plenty of road closures, particularly the Capricorn Highway at Bluff and the Gregory Highway on the edge of Emerald.
‘The local disaster coordination centre remained active during the night, but I’m really pleased to say that there were very few requests for assistance.
‘I’d like to extend my thanks to all the members of our emergency service organisations that mobilised quickly and provided safety and surety to our community.
‘We should remember that most of these people are volunteers and leave their home and family to look after others in the most difficult of circumstances.
‘I’d also like to thank the people of the Central Highlands for taking heed of warnings and behaving sensibly to avoid any unnecessary incidents.
‘What has also been pleasing is that the monitoring, warning and disaster management systems that council has invested in have proved invaluable for us to manage this event. Our online disaster dashboard, for example, received more than 3500 visits.
‘We will continue to monitor what’s happening around the region as floodwaters from the north enter our waterways.