Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper is “still alive and kicking,” the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has said, with floods forecast for Kowanyama in Cape York.
BOM’s senior forecaster Shane Kennedy said the system is still “spinning” out in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
“There were some signs a day or two ago it might weaken completely, but it’s still alive and kicking though very weak at the moment, and extending a bit of a trough right near the tip of the Cape York,” he said.
The “main concern” is now around Kowanyama, where an alert was sent out to residents on Wednesday warning them to prepare for possible widespread flooding, and that conditions could change quickly.”
Kowanyama rivers are likely to reach or exceed the major flood level in the next couple of days, Mr Kennedy said.
Vulnerable people were evacuated from the community on Wednesday. Residents have also been evacuated from the Indigenous community of Wajul Wajul.
“It’s already approaching the moderate flood level, so reasonably likely it could be similar levels to the 2000 and 2009 floods there, so it could be reasonably significant,” Mr Kennedy said.
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper is not expected to do too much over the next few days, but there’s a chance the trough and low could deepen early next week in the northern Gulf of Carpentaria, or potentially go back into the northern Coral Sea, Mr Kennedy said.
“It’s only a 10 per cent chance of making it back to a tropical cyclone mid to late next week,” he said.
“Even if it does start to develop again, it is expected to stay much further north than it did last time.”
Stranded south of Cooktown
Rossville, a coastal town south of Cooktown, has one road in and one out that it’s now covered in a “foot of thick” mud, resident Belle Newman said.
It’s left a “couple of hundred” people stranded there, she said.
“We can only get things in by chopper and by foot,” Ms Newman said.
“We’ve had quite a few people that have been stranded for four days with their houses completely gutted and no power.”
About 35 communities remain isolated by floods after Jasper.
Ms Newman said supplies at Rossville were “wearing thin,” and estimates they have another five days of stock left.
Residents have shovelled a small path so motorbikes can bring more in.
“Us Rossvillians are pretty tough,” Ms Newman said.
“We’ll survive, but getting some more help would be nice.”
She said some people from the town had been evacuated.
“I managed to flag down a helicopter that wasn’t part of triple-0 call out … got them to land in our yard and sent them straight over to get these medical emergencies out,” Ms Newman said.