Road closures, emergency rescues, treacherous roads and rising floodwaters marred the Australia Day long weekend throughout the region.
As the severe weather system from ex-tropical cyclone Oswald moved into New South Wales on Monday, emergency services remained extremely busy coordinating the response and providing assistance to residents.
SES crews spent Monday doorknocking residences and businesses which may be affected by the rising floodwaters in an effort to ensure that everyone could make appropriate preparations to leave if required. Sixteen evacuations were carried out in Fitzroy Street, so the crews were being kept very busy.
Floodwaters peaked in Warwick at about 8pm on Monday night. The reopening of schools for the 2013 year was delayed, with no schools in the area open on Tuesday and there was no mail on Tuesday, with Australia Post trucks unable to make it into Warwick.
Roads to Brisbane remain closed, with roads to Toowoomba opened on Tuesday afternoon and roads to Allora were still cut off at the time of going to press.
On Tuesday afternoon, a CareFlight QLD rescue helicopter performed a critical rescue mission at Maryvale, airlifting a seven-year-old boy suffering complications from a recent kidney transplant.
The family’s property was isolated by floodwaters.
Air Crewman Leigh Ainsley said the crew flew to the property at Maryvale and a Flight Paramedic treated the young boy on-scene.
“We then flew to Warwick to pick up his mother, who was stranded at another property, due to floodwaters.
“She wanted to travel with her son to the hospital, as they had been separated for around 48 hours.
“We airlifted both mother and son to the Toowoomba Base Hospital for specialist treatment,” he said.
