Residents in Australia’s northeast yesterday took stock of flood damages from Tropical Cyclone Jasper and authorities accelerated efforts to rescue people stranded in remote towns as rivers stayed above dangerous levels.
Jasper made landfall last week as a category 2 storm, three rungs below the most dangerous wind speed level, in the far north of Queensland state, home to several resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.
It was soon downgraded to a tropical low but the system moved slowly, dumping months worth of rain over four days, cutting off entire towns, and inundating homes, roads and farms.
Conditions have since eased with military personnel joining the state’s emergency crews on evacuations and relief efforts. Search continued for an 85-year-old man missing in flood waters.
Flights from Cairns Airport, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, was set to resume, officials said.
“Today, we will really see the beginning of the recovery effort across much of Far North Queensland. So, there’ll be a big focus on recovery work,” Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“We’re going to see a very large amount of property damage ... so, I think we’re up for a pretty expensive repair bill,” Watt said.
A 2.8m long crocodile was captured in a storm drain in Ingham, a town of about 5,000.
Crocodile sightings in north Queensland are more common in rivers, lagoons and swamps in rural areas.