Wujal Wujal residents have arrived in Cooktown, as evacuation efforts from the flood hit Aboriginal community continue.
The Cook Shire mayor, Peter Scott, said there was a sense of relief among the 20 who arrived at the evacuation centre in Cooktown, 70km north of Wujal Wujal, on Tuesday.
“They’re all smiles coming in,” he said.
“They have been through a tough time, there’s no doubt about that, but there was just gratitude, relaxed coming to a safe, dry, hospitable place.”
Scott said while he was expecting more people, some residents had elected to stay in Wujal Wujal.
“I have heard there are quite a few people choosing to stay down there despite having no power or sewerage system,” he said.
“I’d much prefer them to come up here.”
Wujal Wujal was inundated with water in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Scott said Cooktown residents had pulled together to help the Wujal Wujal evacuees in any way they could.
“The generosity of the local people has been fabulous, they’ve donated clothes, sheets, swags, towels, all sorts of things,” he said.
The first military support arrived in the isolated Indigenous community in far north Queensland earlier on Tuesday, as authorities tried for a second time to evacuate hundreds of residents inundated by flood water.
An earlier evacuation effort was abandoned on Monday afternoon due to dangerous weather conditions that prevented helicopters from safely accessing the region. The evacuation is expected to last until Tuesday night and may continue on Wednesday.
“I want to say to those residents who’ve been waiting: ‘I know that you’re tired, wet and uncomfortable, but help is on its way just as soon as we could have done it,’’” Queensland’s premier, Steven Miles, told a press conference at around noon (1pm AEDT).
Police have sent more officers into the region to help with the evacuation and recovery efforts.
The police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, said it might be some time before Wujal Wujal residents were able to return to their homes.
“It is still inundated with a lot of water and I would expect there would be significant damage in that area,” she said.
The evacuation is expected to continue into Wednesday.
The deputy commissioner of Queensland police, Shane Chelepy, said the force was concerned for the wellbeing of an 85-year-old man reported missing from Degarra, which is about 5km east of Wujal Wujal.
“He spoke to his family very late on [Sunday] the 17th and was reported missing yesterday,” Chelepy said. “As a result, police have been deployed into that area to search for that gentleman.”
Initial damage assessments carried out so far across the region found one home completely destroyed by the floods, 15 severely damaged, 50 moderately damaged and 92 assessed as having minor damage. Chelepy said police still needed to access at least 32 small communities on Tuesday to check on people’s welfare.
On Monday, the premier said the damage bill was expected to be “very, very significant”.
“We are working with the local disaster groups to restock and resupply food, essentials and water, and are delivering bottled water when necessary and appropriate,” Miles said. “The Cairns hospital and the Cairns CBD have sufficient clean water.”
Most major roads in the region have sustained significant damage but the Bruce Highway into Cairns is now open. The town’s airport has also reopened.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced he will tour communities affected by the flood on Thursday and Friday. He joined Miles in praising the bravery of the many people who have assisted with rescue operations.
“I heard about Magoo, a helicopter pilot helping to fly people out on his little chopper one by one, collecting them from roofs and taking them to safety. An extraordinary effort,” Albanese said.
“[Another man] got in a tinnie with his mates and started rescuing strangers clinging to trees in flood waters. These are the stories that every Australian can be proud of.”
Commonwealth disaster relief payments of $1,000 for adults and $400 for children will be available to people who live in the Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Cook, Douglas, Hope Vale, Mareeba, Tablelands, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah areas from 2pm on Wednesday.
Miles said the state’s approach to the flood was starting to shift from disaster recovery to cleaning and damage assessment. He urged people to follow safety advice, with concerns flood waters may be carrying disease and pose a health risk.
“Safety during the clean-up has to come first,” Miles said. “We are asking anyone who is cleaning up mud or damage from floodwaters to please make sure you wear enclosed shoes. Today is not the day for thongs.”
Rainfall has eased but the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting possible heavy showers and thunderstorms across parts of Cape York and north of Cooktown.
“We could see significant river level rises, depending on those showers and storms,” Miles said.
A Bureau spokesperson said that even though the rain had eased, there was still a lot of water running through rivers, with a number of flood warnings still in place for the far north of the state.
