BBC: Up to 20,000 homes are now at risk in Brisbane, as deadly floodwater hit Australia’s third-largest city, officials in the Queensland state say.Central Brisbane is a ghost town, with electricity cut and thousands of people fleeing the rising waters. West of Brisbane, the city of Ipswich is being swamped by flood waters in a situation described as “total chaos”. The death toll from the flash floods in Queensland is 12 so far, with dozens of others reported missing.
On Wednesday, boats and pontoons floated down the roaring Brisbane river, along with massive amounts of debris. Many roads around the city were shut, and resident had to use boats and kayaks to move around. In low-lying suburbs only rooftops and the tops of trees remained visible, eyewitnesses said.
Australian broadcaster ABC reports that the Brisbane river is now forecast to peak at 5.2m (17ft) in the early hours of Thursday, down from a prediction of 5.5m. Read more and view videos at the BBC.….
