Thousands of people fled central Brisbane Tuesday as the panicked city braced for its worst flooding in 120 years, after terrifying flash floods left 10 dead and 78 missing nearby. Workers evacuated en masse after the Brisbane River burst its banks and officials said 6,500 properties and the downtown area would be hit in Australia's third largest city, which was facing its biggest floods since 1893.
"This water is on its way," said Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman. "Today is very significant, tomorrow is bad, and Thursday is going to be devastating for the residents and businesses concerned," he said. The exodus by bus, train and car came a day after flash floods devastated the hillside town of Toowoomba, 125 kilometres (80 miles) west in Australia's Great Dividing Range, sweeping away houses and uprooting trees.
In Brisbane, panic-buying took hold as flood alerts were issued for dozens of suburbs and rescuers air-lifted hundreds of residents from outlying towns. "At our local supermarket queues, all 12 tills were at least 50-60 people deep and all essentials were sold out - perishables and non-perishables," said Brisbane lawyer Paul Betros, who was sent home when his central office building was evacuated.
"There was no bread, milk, batteries, bottled water, candles. The bakery had sold out of bread and was closing." The sudden loss of life in Toowoomba dramatically escalated a rolling flood disaster that has inundated vast swathes of Australia's north-east and crippled economic life. The overall death toll now stands at 21 while three-quarters of Queensland state has been declared a disaster zone as a result of the relentless rains. An emotional Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said more deaths were expected from the flash floods as rescuers, battling heavy rains and washed-away roads, reach cut-off communities.
"We are now in a very frightening experience," she said. "Can I appeal to everybody that it's at times like this that we all need to make an effort to stay calm, to be patient and stick together." Prime Minister Julia Gillard, dressed in sombre black, called images of the disaster "simply shocking".