Ex TC Sid crossed the Peninsula from the Gulf and intensified to a severe monsoon low near Townsville. Townsville recorded 549 mm of rain in the 24 hr period to 2300 UTC on the 10th. Included in this period was 120.6 mm in one hour and 205.2 mm in two hours. A man was drowned when his car was washed off a creek crossing in Townsville.

In Townsville around 100 residences had substantial over floor flooding with hundreds more sustaining property flooding. Numerous cars were damaged by flooding, and up to 50% of the houses in Townsville lost power at some stage. Damages to local Government infrastructure were high. On Magnetic Island a huge landslide caused major damage to a tourist complex.

The small communities of Black River and Bluewater suffered extensive damage from flash flooding. Flooding impacted on 48 houses with the majority rendered uninhabitable. 14 were totally destroyed with 8 washed away. One hundred houses experienced over floor flooding in Halifax and Ingham. There was also extensive damage to the rural sector.

Wave action and storm surge inflicted severe damage and erosion to coastal areas around Townsville with damage from these effects quoted as reaching $19 million. The sea reached a level just below HAT at 2221 UTC 10 January and the Townsville wave recording station recorded waves with Hsig of 2.93 metres and Hmax of 5.41 metres at 0500 UTC 10th Jan. Seven vessels sunk in Townsville Harbour. The total damage bill was well in excess of $100 million.

Rockhampton Regional Council in partnership with the Queensland a…