A 57-year-old man found dead in floodwaters on Queensland's Fraser Coast has been identified as former councillor James Hansen. Emergency services were called to Smothering Creek at Boompa Road in Boompa, west of Maryborough, just after 11am on Monday, after heavy rain. Officers declared him dead on arrival. Police will prepare a report for the coroner while the cause of death is investigated. Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour paid tribute to Mr Hansen, one of the region's last dairy farmers, who served on Fraser Coast Regional Council from 2012 to 2024.
Severe storms with damaging winds, heavy rain and hail have hit several Australian states, with millions on alert. In South Australia, wind gusts near 100km/h damaged property around Port Augusta, and about 12,000 customers lost power. The Bureau of Meteorology warned of flash flooding and power outages across a large area, with severe thunderstorm warnings in place for Sydney and parts of New South Wales. In southern Queensland, eight flood warnings are active after days of torrential rain, and the Mary River is forecast to reach major flood levels.
Several flood warnings have been issued across Queensland as heavy rain continues. The Mary River at Tiaro is rising rapidly and could reach major flood level. The Gympie Regional Council said the Kidd Bridge into Gympie was likely to close at 5:30pm. The Bureau of Meteorology says the worst of the severe storms could hit south-east Queensland on Monday, bringing large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain. Near Clermont, an Emergency Warning for flash flooding has been lifted, though moderate flood warnings remain for the Warrego and Weir rivers.
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A major flood warning has been issued for Tiaro, where residents are preparing for a high and potentially damaging Mary River tonight and into Monday. The Bureau of Meteorology says the river at Tiaro is at 8.19 metres and rising, with moderate flooding, and may reach the major flood level of 12 metres overnight. The Mary River at Miva is near moderate flood levels, while Gympie is experiencing minor flooding. Further storms with heavy rain are forecast for the region, which could cause flash flooding.
Somerset Regional Council will test its flood early warning sirens in Fernvale and Lowood on Thursday, 29 October, between 12pm and 1pm. CleanCo will run a separate siren test on Wivenhoe Somerset Road, downstream of Splityard Creek Dam, during the same hour. Mayor Jason Wendt said residents need take no action during the tests and should not be alarmed. The sirens may sound several times within the hour. The test is intended to confirm the system is fully working before the storm season.
