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Relief For Rockhampton Residents As Fitzroy River Flooding Eases

Floodwaters are receding in Queensland.
The flood situation is easing in the Queensland town of Rockhampton.
Stringer Australia / Reuters
The flood situation is easing in the Queensland town of Rockhampton.

Some relief has arrived for residents in the flood-ravaged Queensland town of Rockhampton, with the swollen Fitzroy River starting to recede.

The river had been tipped to potentially break records above 9 metres, but peaked at 8.8 metres on Thursday, with authorities warning it could stay at that level for some time before dropping.

While the river missed its forecast peak, the resulting flood still had a big impact on the city, including inundating over 200 homes, while 3000 homes and businesses felt some effects.

The Bureau of Meteorology said overnight that the swollen Fitzroy River had started to fall.

"Major flooding is easing on the Fitzroy River between The Gap and Laurel Bank. Downstream, major flood levels are slowly easing at Rockhampton," BoM said on its website.

"River levels are continuing to fall at Riverslea, following a major flood peak on Monday afternoon."

BoM said the Fitzroy River was expected "to remain above the major flood level (8.50 m) for much of Saturday" at Rockhampton.

The flooding in Rockhampton, in central Queensland, comes after flooding from ex-cyclone Debbie devastated communities in south-east Queensland and northern NSW earlier this month.

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