Queensland city flooding 'faster than expected'

Floodwaters in the Australian city of Rockhampton are rising faster than expected, Queensland authorities say.

The city has already been badly hit, with many people being forced to flee.
More than 20 towns have already been cut off or flooded across an area larger than France and Germany, with more than 200,000 people affected.
Earlier, a woman swept from the road in her car has become the first victim of the widespread flooding, and at least two others are reported missing. While waters are receding in some areas, in Rockhampton - a city of 77,000 - they have yet to reach their peak. Floodwaters are expected to reach nine metres (30 feet) on Monday and peak at 9.4 metres on Wednesday, threatening as many as 4,000 homes.

There are fears that damage from the floods could cost billions of Australian dollars to repair

Rockhampton's airport, a major regional hub, was closed to commercial traffic due to flooded runways, while many main roads and railways into the town had been cut off, and power supplies were disrupted.
The city could be isolated for up to 10 days, reports say.
"These waters are exceptionally fast, they're not to be trifled with and they're not to be taken lightly," said Alistair Dawson, Queensland's assistant police commissioner.
Meanwhile, the weather bureau has warned Queensland residents of another severe storm, which is forecast to bring "damaging winds, very heavy rainfall, flash flooding and large hailstones".
Costly damage One Rockhampton resident told the BBC there had been panic-buying in the city. "Lots of people have been stocking up on fuel. I also heard about one woman who brought 20 loaves of bread from a supermarket," said the resident, Petros Khalesirad.
Rockhampton Mayor Brad Carter has said about 40% of the city could be affected, and warned the floods had swept snakes downstream.
"Snakes have been swimming at people's feet as they make their way through the waters," he said. "I know one guy who killed four snakes this morning, one of which was a Taipan - the more it bites, the more it injects venom that could easily kill."

QUEENSLAND

• North-eastern Australian state
• Largely tropical climate
• Area: 1.73 million sq km (668,000 sq mile)
• Coastal regions, including Great Barrier Reef, designated World Heritage Site
• Mining and cattle ranching important inland

The 41-year-old woman who was killed had been trying to cross the Leichhardt River on a causeway with one other car when both vehicles were swept away.

Police rescued eight people from the cars, but were unable to reach the woman. Her body was recovered later. www.wdalaw.com Rescue workers have also been searching for a man whose small fishing boat was swamped by flood waters in the mouth of the Boyne River, and for a swimmer who disappeared in the Fitzroy river, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
There are fears that damage from the floods could cost billions of Australian dollars to repair.
Officials have warned that the mining, farming and tourism industries will all suffer.
Recovery efforts are beginning in some areas where flooding has subsided, including the severely affected towns of Emerald and Bundaberg.
Residents are preparing to return home, though the towns of Theodore and Condamine, which were completely evacuated, remain empty.
In some areas, helicopters have been used to deliver supplies and food to cut-off householders.