Weathering the storm to keep south-east roads open
Christmas Day 2023 in south-east Queensland was, unsurprisingly, hot and humid.
It’s practically a given.
Maximum temperatures in the region ranged from the low-to-mid-30s and relative humidity hovered around 70 per cent, providing the perfect conditions for summer storm activity.
Indeed, severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology were current for Queensland for most of the day.
Late in the afternoon, as people reflected on their day or considered which leftovers to have for dinner, storm activity intensified dramatically.
By 8.00pm severe storm warnings for the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim were escalated to include giant hailstones.
A mere 40 minutes later the warnings were further escalated to include destructive wind gusts, and within 90 minutes of those warnings the Gold Coast Seaway recorded wind gusts of 106 km/h – the equivalent of a Category 2 cyclone.
Wind gusts up to 150 km/h were recorded at Mount Tamborine.
The unwanted Christmas present, described by many as a tornado, brought down almost 11,000 powerlines and countless trees, while widespread rainfall totals of around 100mm triggered flash flooding.
Storm damage resulted in 148 km of state roads being either temporarily closed or having access restricted.
Numerous roads were blocked by fallen trees, flooding and debris, and infrastructure such as guardrails, traffic signals, road lighting and road signage suffered significant damage.
Minor landslips also affected Lamington National Park Road, Tamborine Mountain Road, Nerang Connection Road, and Beaudesert-Boonah Road.
At any time of the year, urgent action to keep traffic moving in such a key business and tourism region would be required, let alone at the height of the Christmas holiday season.
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) crews answered the call, responding quickly to clear debris from roads.
Their prompt response saw all state-controlled roads reopened by 30 December 2023.
But their work was far from finished.
Further storm activity to welcome in 2024 saturated the region, dumping 454mm at Wongawallan, 440mm at Lower Springbrook, and 393mm at Mount Tamborine.
The deluge caused more flash flooding and road damage, including scouring around Tamborine Creek Bridge.
Again, TMR crews stepped up, and by 3 January 2024 all state-controlled roads had reopened.
But given the sheer volume of damage and its widespread nature, repair works remain ongoing.
To date more than 10,000 tonnes of fallen trees and debris have been removed, with a fleet of up to 24 trucks each making two-to-three trips a day to dispose of the debris.
Assistance for clean-up, counter disaster operations, emergency works and ongoing repairs has been provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
