More wild weather forecast for Queensland raises questions about how Brisbane drains handle intense rainfall
Queensland is no stranger to wild and extreme weather events but, with intense rainfall causing sporadic flash flooding more often, locals are concerned stormwater infrastructure isn't up to scratch.
For Brisbane business owner Billerwell Daye severe rainfall over south-east Queensland last weekend created a lapping river at his front door.
Loading..."The water came up so fast, within about eight minutes it went from the path gutter to the front door," he said.
Mr Daye said it was evident the flooding on his street was the result of a stormwater surge.
Billerwell Daye owns Come To Daddy bar in West End, which experienced minor flooding after the heavy rain. (ABC News: Arianna Levy)
"It was a matter of the drains not being able to handle the amount of water that was being dumped at that time," he said.
"It's worrying — if we get a deluge there will be damage or impact to the business, and we just can't predict when it's going to happen."
While the clean-up effort for Mr Daye was quick this time, he said the prospect of more wild weather was concerning.
A view of the recent rain, as seen from a boat off the Queensland coast. (Supplied: Sarah Thomas)
Wet summer ahead
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is forecasting "wetter periods" this summer, with an increased risk of flash flooding across Queensland's south-east.
BOM senior meteorologist Steve Hadley said it will be difficult to predict where exactly the intense localised rain will fall.
Senior meteorologist Steve Hadley says Queenslanders are in for a wet summer. (ABC News: Arianna Levy)
"We're already seeing the evolution of this wet season, including particular wet spells of weather which has increased the likelihood of flooding to so much of the south-east," he said.
"Some of the catchments in southern Queensland are already seeing minor to moderate flooding, so the concern is — with heavy rainfall — they will become exposed to high risk of creek and river flooding."
A moist onshore airflow is driving this week's unpredictable weather, which means showers and thunderstorms could pop up just about anywhere in Queensland.
Streets in Woolloongabba were also impacted by the flash flooding on Sunday. (ABC News: Emma Pollard)
"We're looking at a broad area through inland parts of south-eastern Queensland, up to the Capricornia south of Rockhampton to Roma, Goondiwindi and St George," Mr Hadley said.
"Those areas could see more than 50mm of rainfall in around an hour."
The bureau has indicated the cyclone season in Queensland will be average.
Loading...Be 'storm-resilient' not 'flood-resilient'
After the 2011 floods, Brisbane City Council installed back-flow prevention devices across the city to prevent river water flowing back up stormwater drains during flooding events.
Max Winders was one of the environmental engineers involved in the initial modelling of the devices. He said the latest weather events Brisbane and south-east Queensland experienced was due to local flooding — not river flooding.
Environmental engineer Max Winders is warning Queenslanders should be more storm-resilient, as more frequent flash flooding becomes a reality. (ABC News: Arianna Levy)
"With the bureau forecasting more frequent events, the storm drains across the city simply aren't designed to take in flows of run-off and intense rain," Mr Winders said.
"We've got a huge amount of run-off and we saw that cause intense local flooding in the city over the weekend."
Rural Queensland hasn't escaped the recent wet weather either, with this Longreach cattle station copping some rain earlier this week, but Brisbane faces the unique problem of being a river city. (Supplied: Jenny Gordon)
Rather than being flood-resilient, Mr Winders suggests residents need to become "storm-resilient".
"The local council can't do anything about the network, the drains are already in place and there's too much existing development," he said.
"All these things impede the ability of the council to provide any relief from local flooding."
Mr Winders' firm was involved in the initial modelling of backflow prevention devices to help mitigate river flooding in Brisbane. (ABC News: Arianna Levy)
The ABC has contacted Brisbane City Council for comment.
The Brisbane City Council's website states stormwater run-off can be a common problem due to the city's climate and topography, recommending residents still make preparations in the event of flooding.
"We're fully aware we're in a low lying area and a flood zone, but if the river's up and the rain is falling, there's really no option for the rain to go," Mr Daye said.
"It is part of the landscape of owning a business in an area that's flood-prone and we've got to make the most of that and be prepared.
"And it's just the reality of living in a river city."