Ex-cyclone dumps rain over north Qld

Rivers in north Queensland are expected to peak on Tuesday as rain from ex-tropical
cyclone Ellie begins to ease.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says the biggest worries for authorities are the
Herbert River near Ingham, the Norman River near Normanton and the town of Giru.
The weather bureau says flooding along the Herbert is expected to reach levels
similar to the floods of 1977, 1986 and 1991.
Flooding along the lower Herbert from the Nash's Crossing area to Ingham and Halifax
is forecast to be maintained on Tuesday as floodwaters arrive from the Gleneagle
area.
And the bureau says rivers will rise rapidly on Monday evening in the Abergowrie
Bridge area with a river level of 16 metres likely by 6pm (AEST) Monday with further
rises through the night.
The Herbert is expected to peak around the 12 metre mark at Gairloch but levels
downstream at Halifax are predicted to stabilise at around 5.5 metres over the next
two days.
The premier has pleaded with people in the region to be cautious around floodwaters
after the death of a teenager in a flooded drain in Mount Isa.
And about 4.30am (AEST) four people in two vehicles were rescued by fire officers
after they took their chances and drove into water at Helens Hill at Ingham.
Ms Bligh said rising rivers could become dangerous very quickly.
"Flooded waterways can be death traps and I encourage everybody to stay as far away
from them as possible," she told reporters in Townsville.
Wendy White from the Cardwell Hardware store said the town's streets were empty in
the wake of the cyclone warning and heavy rain.
"It's like a ghost town," she said.
Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said the SES were called to about 130 homes
on Monday night.
There are no reports of serious damage to homes but 19 schools in the region have
been closed.
Ellie crossed the coast at Mission Beach, near Cairns, in the early hours of Monday.