Dr Elizabeth Rushbrook, Chief Medical Officer and Executive Lead, Emergency and Disaster Response

As you would all be aware, we are being affected by further severe weather – and this is expected to continue over the coming days, at least into early next week. Whilst the thunderstorms and rain are heavy today, it is expected to ease in our area over the coming days. Having said that, there will be ongoing effects of water coming into local catchment areas with overflow and dam releases that add to the overall picture meaning that flash flooding may occur into the weekend.

There are some key bridges in our area already closed (Kilcoy Bridge, Mt Crosby Weir Bridge) and some more closures expected through today and this evening (Colleges Crossing and Kholo Bridge) which may cause access challenges for some of our sites.

Local, district and state emergency management organisations have stepped up their preparations. This includes things like opening sandbag distribution centres, providing alert messaging for low lying and flood risk areas, being prepared for flash flooding effects including road closures (and alternate route signage), suspending activities at low lying sites, and planning for the opening of evacuation centres in the event that communities become isolated. As always, we are working closely with QPS, QAS, Councils and our other local and district disaster management group partners to support the community.

Similarly, we at Metro North are well into ensuring we are prepared for the effects of the severe weather. Metro North is now at ALERT (Watching Brief). We have maximised the availability of clinical and non-clinical consumables (including gases), stocked our larders and fridges, filled our fuel and water tanks and reviewed our rostering for the period. We have additional rostered staff on call to support evacuation centres and provision of a co-ordinated response.

I urge you all to be alert to the risk of flash flooding and creek/river rises in your area. If you are rostered to work, please plan your trip – and if its flooded, forget it. Keep in contact with your line manager if you anticipate you are going to be affected. If you are rostered to work, and cannot get to your place of work, there may be options to work from home or work at an alternate Metro North site. Monitor your calls, emails and SMS messages for updates.

Similarly, if you are not rostered to work over the next few days but are willing to work a shift that may be ‘flood affected’, please let your line manager know so that we can do planning.

Please take care over the next few days. Stay dry.

Regards,

Elizabeth Rushbrook
Chief Medical Officer and Executive Lead, Emergency and Disaster Response

Useful sites
Bureau of Meteorology
Qld Traffic – road closures and alerts
Moreton Bay road conditions
Queensland Government disasters and alerts
ABC Emergency