Cyclone Oswald

As a precautionary measure, on 25 January Queensland Premier Campbell Newman ordered the pre-emptive release of water from Wivenhoe Dam to increase the dam's flood mitigation capacity.[14][15] Releases from North Pine Dam were also made.[15]

Due to the threat of heavy rains from Oswald, flood warnings were issued for much of northern New South Wales. By 28 January, moderate and major flood warnings were in place for the Bellinger, Kallang, Macleay, Manning, Nambucca, and Tweed Rivers, as well as Camden Haven, the Clarence Valley (including the Orara River), and Hastings. Severe weather warnings were also in place for much of the state, indicating the threat of heavy rains, destructive winds, and dangerous seas. Hundreds of travellers were stranded at Sydney Airport as flights were cancelled due to dangerous winds.[16]

Tidal surge floods road in Cleveland, Queensland on 28 January 2013.

Brisbane River close to its peak at Seventeen Mile Rocks, Brisbane.

Rainfall was initially the heaviest around Tully where approximately 1,000 mm (39 in) of rain fell, with 632 mm (24.9 in) falling over 48 hours. The town of Ingham was completely cut off due to high waters. Residents in the town were advised to stock up on emergency supplies as the Herbert River rose rapidly after 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain fell in the town in just three hours. A brief tornado or waterspout with winds of 140 km/h (87 mph) touched down near Hay Point.[18]

On the afternoon of 26 January, three separate tornadoes tore through the Bundaberg Region. At approximately 1:00 pm, the first tornado struck the town of Bargara, which brought down power lines, tore off roofs and smashed windows. At 3:30 pm, the town of Burnett Heads was battered by a second tornado, and soon after a third tornado struck Coonarr, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of Bargara. The tornadoes injured at least 17 people and damaged 150 properties.[19] Weather conditions favoured tornadic activity because of strong low-level winds which were feeding into the low pressure system.[20]

The Burnett River reached a new recorded height of 9.53 metres (31.3 ft) on 29 January.[21] More than 7,500 residents of Bundaberg were forced to evacuate from about 2,000 homes as the river's waters rose.[22] 130 patients were evacuated from the Bundaberg Hospital to hospitals in Brisbane.[23] Staff and resources from the Department of Health, Queensland Ambulance Service, Australian Defence Force, CareFlight (now LifeFlight) and Royal Flying Doctor Service, including several aircraft, were used to transport patients.[24]

As of 29 January, the floods had claimed the lives of four people, including a three-year-old boy who died after being crushed by a falling tree at Gordon Park.[25] On 28 January, the body of a man who was swept away by floodwaters the day before was pulled from Oxley Creek, while the bodies of two others – a 27-year-old man and an 81-year-old man – were also recovered in Gympie and Burnett Heads respectively.[26][27] At Gympie flood waters from the Mary River swamped around 100 business and 25 residents.[28] In Maryborough about 50 businesses and 150 homes were inundated as waters from the Mary River rose.[29]

In Mundubbera the Burnett River peaked at 22.9 m at 1 am on 28 January.[30] 100 homes and businesses were inundated in the town with about the same number flooded in the surrounding area.[31] In Gayndah, 60 homes and 12 businesses were flooded.[31] A landslide severed the Burnett Highway between Gayndah and Mundubbera.[32]

Kumbarilla, Kogan and Tara west of Dalby were completely isolated after the new A$4.6 million Wilkie Creek Bridge on Dalby-Kogan road was submerged by rising creek levels as the Moonie Highway flooded. About 40 houses were flooded in the Darling Downs town of Warwick.[33]

Unlike the flooding which occurred in January 2011 at Ipswich and Brisbane, the flooding there was caused by the natural flooding of the creek system rather than deliberate dam releases.[34] Waters in Laidley in the Lockyer Valley reached an all-time high with the main street in the town inundated.[35] At Waterford in Logan City, the Logan River reached a peak of 9 m at midnight on 28 January. Flood waters were slow to recede along the river.[36] A mudslide hit three houses in Logan City.[37]

During 29 January, Brisbane's main water treatment plant at Mount Crosby was shut down after the high levels of sediment and silt in the Brisbane River caused record turbidity levels, which resulted in Seqwater and Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman urging residents to conserve water and to only use it for "drinking, cooking and bathing".[38][39] Water supplies in some suburbs of Brisbane were expected to run out during 30 January, after an increase in consumption.[38] The Gold Coast Desalination Plant was engaged from standby mode to supplement supplies with 90 megalitres (3.2×10^⁶ cu ft) of water a day.[40]

An estimated 41,000 people were temporarily isolated by flooding in New South Wales.[41] In the Tweed Valley the Tweed River peaked at 3.3 metres (11 ft) on 28 January, the highest level recorded in 30 years.[41] In Grafton the Clarence River peaked a new record height of 8.1 metres (27 ft).[21] Records for the river height in Grafton go back to 1839.[42] The city's levee was credited with preventing more severe flooding. Despite that, around 1,500 people who lived closed to the Clarence River were asked to evacuate on the night of 28 January.[37] Maclean was spared flooding from the Clarence River due to the town's levee.[42] The Clarence Valley was not as fortunate, with many properties cut off and without power. The area was officially declared a disaster zone, as was the Tweed Shire.[42] Minor flooding and road closures were experienced in the Hunter Valley.[43]

Campbell Newman launched the Red Cross Flood Appeal on 28 January.[70] The state government donated $1 million to begin the appeal. By 4 February only $6 million had been raised for the flood appeal.[71] Concerns were raised over the low figure as emergency payments alone would need funding of between $15 million to $25 million.

Government of Queensland disaster assistance was being offered in 21 local government areas shortly after the floods.[72] The new Community Recovery Minister is David Crisafulli whose local government responsibilities were expanded to deal with flood recovery.[73] Plans for relocation rather than re-building as well as the construction of new dams and levees were put forward soon after the floods.[1]

On 1 February Deputy Commissioner of Police, Brett Pointing APM, was appointed to oversee the recovery activities in the Bundaberg and North Burnett Regions. On 3 February it was announced that Colonel Don Cousins AM, CSC would oversee recovery activities in North Queensland with Brigadier Bill Mellor, DSC, AM responsible for southern Queensland.[74] On 8 February it was announced the state and federal governments had reached an agreement concerning funding to avenge public infrastructure.[75] The arrangement which also includes sporting, recreational and community facilities, means that infrastructure can be rebuilt to a higher standard so that it may withstand future disasters.

Around 28,000 claims for insurance were lodged in Queensland.[54]

In February 2013, more flash flooding occurred throughout Queensland[76] and New South Wales, further impacting the damage already created from Cyclone Oswald the previous month,[77] resulting in one death,[78] and the need for some evacuations.[79]