Gunmis, are you fine?
[quote] FLOOD-ravaged north Queenslanders are battling to mop up their communities, with forecasts of more heavy rain on the way.
The Ingham area, north of Townsville, received up to 100mm in an hour today, with a total of 230mm falling since 9am (AEST).
However, the Herbert River has steadied at 11.05m, allowing bulldozers and bobcats to begin a massive clean-up in Ingham.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh witnessed the latest downpour first-hand as she toured the flood-stricken town on Friday morning to announce a public appeal, kicked off by a $500,000 donation from the State Government.
"I'd urge everyone to dig deep and lend a helping hand to all of those Queenslanders who have suffered through this widespread flooding,'' Ms Bligh said.
Residents on the south side of Ingham are still getting around in tinnies with metre-deep waters surrounding houses.
Several towns near Ingham, including Halifax, remain cut off.
The weather bureau's hydrologist Jeff Perkins said
more heavy rain was forecast for late today and tomorrow."It's a really intense band of rainfall that's associated with the low system'' (from the Coral Sea), Mr Perkins said.
"It is moving south through the Tully region.''Hinchinbrook Shire Council spokesman Dan Hoban said the number of people evacuated had remained stable since ex-cyclone Ellie flooded Ingham on Monday.
More than 50 people are bunked down at the local high school, with others sharing homes with friends and family.
"The floodwaters are still receding,'' Mr Hoban said.
The Bruce Highway remains cut to the south of the town, with only heavy vehicles able to get through.
More than 60 per cent of Queensland - or one million square kilometres - is flooded.
Townsville remains cut off due to water over the Bruce Highway to the north, south and west.
The highway is also cut between Cairns and Innisfail.
Towns on the Gulf of Carpentaria expect to remain cut off by road for at least another six weeks (weeks).
The shire's chief executive officer Mark Kelleher said more heavy rain could extend the isolation of Normanton and Karumba.
A regular barge service is keeping the gulf communities going with food and other supplies.
Pastoralists are counting their losses, with
hundreds of cattle having perished in the floodwaters and from starvation.Normanton pastoralist and local butcher Troy Gallagher said more than 100 of his 3500 cattle had died and he feared another 100 could be lost to starvation and exhaustion.
"It's a bit excessive to use a chopper to get feed out to the (stranded) cattle,'' he said.
"It's also difficult to get hay to them as the barge is full of food (for residents) and fuel.''