Australians flee from 'biblical' flooding

RESIDENTS of an Australian coastal city were evacuated yesterday as surging floodwaters edged closer to their community, with one official describing the devastation as nearing "biblical proportions."

Days of driving rain last week swamped northeastern Australia, with around 200,000 people affected by floodwaters in an area larger than France and Germany. While the rain has stopped, rivers are still surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way toward the sea.

"In many ways, it is a disaster of biblical proportions," Queensland treasurer Andrew Fraser said in the flooded city of Bundaberg on Saturday.

The city of Rockhampton, near the coast, is the next community in the water's path, and is bracing for flood levels to peak on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Rockhampton residents stocked up on food and supplies yesterday, with officials moving those living in low-lying areas into an evacuation centre.

Mayor Brad Carter warned about 40 per cent of the city could be affected by the surging waters, and residents could be forced to wait at least two weeks before returning home.

"Some of them will not know whether their floorboards have been covered and their personal property destroyed, or whether they've been saved and the water has only come up and spared their property," he said. "That's going to be a difficult waiting period for many members of our community."

Officials say half of Queensland's 715,305 square miles has been affected by the flooding.

Queensland prime minister Anna Bligh warned that drenched communities could be underwater for more than a week, and clean-up efforts were expected to cost billions of Australian dollars.

Australia has endured its wettest spring on record, causing six river systems in tropical Queensland to flood.

The rain has flooded coal mines and hit farming hard, with many roads impassable, and prompted warnings of the dangers of crocodiles and snakes in flooded homes.

A resulting inland sea that stretches across Queensland is dotted with the roofs of flooded homes, islands of dry ground crowded with livestock and small boats ferrying people and emergency supplies.