ORGANISERS of the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships on the Gold Coast have cancelled the water-based sports of the event due to poor conditions.

Stormwater runoff has forced the closure of Gold Coast beaches and organisers confirmed late today that water quality wouldn’t be good enough for competition events to be held.

“We appreciate this is disappointing,” carnival committee chair Mike Martin said.

“But the safety and welfare of our competitors is first and foremost when making decisions of cancelling or postponing competition.”

In 2010, teenage Sydney lifesaver Saxon Bird died after being swept away during an under-19 event at the championships and organisers were criticised at the time for continuing with the event.

Meanwhile, an earlier report that a young girl was waiting for insulin at a property isolated by floodwaters was incorrect.

In fact, emergency crews were called on to deliver iced to keep the insulin cold.

SES crews were able to gain access to the house around 9pm.

#BREAKING: Queensland Ambulance Service struggling to reach six-year-old girl in desperate need of insulin at Jimboomba. @ShannonMM9 #9News pic.twitter.com/LMjltRJGRG — Nine News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) March 31, 2017

It comes amid fears more than 300 properties in southeast Queensland - including more than 200 homes - could be swamped by “unprecedented” floodwaters this afternoon.

The figure already includes more than 100 flooded homes and businesses in low-lying areas of Logan as the Albert and Logan Rivers swell to never-before-seen levels.

Widespread significant major flooding is occurring in the Logan and Albert River Catchments. See: https://t.co/FBmpsIFu0W #QldFlood #BigWet pic.twitter.com/TQztYEB2X4 — BOM Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 31, 2017

Logan Mayor Luke Smith on Friday said flood modelling for low-lying areas along the Albert River was changing by the hour and 211 more homes in the area were expected to go under.

media_camera Craig Gurnick, right, watches the flood waters rise at Eagleby. Picture: Ric Frearson

“The Albert River has increased and is continuing to increase much to our surprise,” he said.

“We are seeing roads cut off even more and we are seeing heavier inundation than predicted.”

EAGLEBY (Logan): Swift water rescue firefighters helped to bring two people & two dogs escaping floodwater to dry ground at Distillery Rd. pic.twitter.com/ENXJnuO7NZ — Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) March 31, 2017

He said the river was at an “unprecedented state” and local authorities were now waiting to see what that meant for localised flooding.

“We have never seen the kind of inundation we have right now in the Albert River catchment areas, and now we are focusing on the Logan River catchment over the next 24 hours,” he said.

Logan River catchment areas are on high alert over the next 24 hours.

The Logan River had almost reached its predicted peak for midday on Saturday and was staying higher for a lot longer than expected, Mr Smith added.

“It actually could rise above the Waterford Bridge on Logan River Road,” he said.

Water was already lapping just under the bridge early on Friday afternoon after evacuations began earlier in the day, while other nearby creeks were rising.

Floodwaters take over Logan and Yatala Floodwaters take over Logan and Yatala

“The mayor will tell you that we’ve never seen the heights of the floodwaters down here before,”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters in Beenleigh, where the local train station has been swamped by floodwaters. Windaroo resident Craig Collard told AAP the water levels are over bridges built over the high watermarks from the 1974 flood.

‘We’ve never seen it over this before,” he said.

media_camera A rising Logan River passing through Waterford West. Picture: Richard Walker

At Premier Anatasicia Palaszczuk’s media briefing at Beenleigh State High School this afternoon, Logan City Mayor Luke Smith said 106 homes were already flooded.

A total of 323 are expected to become inundated in the coming hours.

211 other homes in the region may also experience some flooding.

“We’ve never seen this kind of inundation we’ve had right now in the Albert River catchment,” Ald Smith said.

“The river is at an unprecedented state.”

media_camera Janine Bartholomeusz outside her home at Eagleby. Picture: Ric Frearson

Police fear residents trying to flee floodwaters could be trapped because of ‘rubber-necks’ clogging roads.

Roads north and south of the Gold Coast are experiencing lengthy traffic jams as thousands of residents are evacuated.

The M1 is closed in both directions at Tweed Heads and police are urging people to avoid unnecessary travel.

media_camera Beenleigh Station is under water as the Albert and Logan Rivers flood. Picture: Ric Frearson

“A number of roads in the Kingscliff, Chinderah, Tweed South and Tweed Heads areas have become congested with vehicles and there are concerns motorists attempting to flee may become trapped in rising flood waters,” a NSW police spokesman said.

“The M1 Motorway is closed in both directions between the Tweed Heads exit and Tweed Valley Way.

“Residents in high level areas are asked to remain in their home and avoid travel on the road where possible. Residents in low-lying areas are urged to move to higher ground and seek shelter.”

About 65,000 southeast properties were also still without power shortly before 2pm on Friday, down from 80,000 in the morning.

Traffic jams are also being reported in the Pimpama-Jacobs area, parts of which is being evacuated.

media_camera School principal Matt O'Hanlon, Ministers Cameron Dick and Mick Di Brenni, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Minister Shannon Fentiman visit Beenleigh State High School in Logan after SE Queensland was hit by ex cyclone Debbie. Photo: Claudia Baxter

Ms Palaszczuk said Waterford MP and fellow minister Shannon Fentiman’s home was among those flooded.

But the Premier stood by her eleventh hour decision to close all school yesterday.

“It reaffirms the decision we made at the advice of experts to close the schools.”

Beenleigh State High School is among those that have experienced flooding.

Queensland police commissioner Ian Stewart said the residents could expect river peaks to coincide with high tides at midnight and midday tomorrow.

Raw sewage leaks in the Darling Downs

RAW sewage has started to leak into floodwaters on the Darling Downs, further contaminating the murky water and putting residents at risk of infection.

Southern Downs Regional Council said wastewater treatment plants at Warwick and Stanthorpe had been compromised during the flooding and there had been multiple spills from pump stations and manholes.

Locals are being urged to stay out of floodwaters as there is a high risk of infection from the contaminated water.

“If you’ve been in contact with floodwaters, you should decontaminate hands and clothing by washing thoroughly with soap and water,” Southern Downs Mayor Tracy Dobie said.

Road will take a month to repair

A ROAD at Walloon, near Ipswich, will be closed for a month due to damage caused by flooding this week.

As water recedes and levels continue falling, Ipswich City Council has released some information about the scale of damage.

media_camera The road will take up to a month to repair. Picture: Supplied

Transport and Main Roads has advised the council road surface damage at Campbells Gully, along Karrabin-Rosewood Rd, is so severe that it will take three to four weeks to repair.

Colleges Crossing Park will be closed from 6pm tonight until 6am in the morning.

Hancock and One Mile Bridge will be opened at reduced speed once water levels have dropped, the bridges are cleaned and have been inspected.

Driver STILL ignoring flood warnings

DESPITE several swiftwater rescues and constant warnings, driver are still taking on flooded roads.

Justine Trevenar, 42, of Loganholme, said she arrived on Clarks Rd at Loganholme about 11.05am in time to see two men climb out of the windows of a silver 4WD that they had attempted to drive through the rapidly rising floodwaters.

The top of the vehicle could barely be seen by 3pm.

media_camera The car was almost fully submerged by 3pm. Picture: Justine Trevenar/Supplied

Another eyewitness said she saw the two men drive past the “road closed” signs and into the water before the vehicle almost immediately started sinking.

“By this time the water was at least up to the bottom of their windows,” Jessie Horne, 27, of Loganholme, said.

“Their car stopped working and they were forced to get out and walk back through the flood water to the water’s edge.

“Meanwhile, about 30 seconds after they had driven into the water, the police had turned up to check on the road as there are always people swimming or attempting to drive through this section of the road while it is flooded.”

Ms Horne said the police officers saw the two men walking to the other side of the water.

“They jumped in their car and flew off to chase them down,” she said.

“About two hours later, their car was fully submerged under water.”

Wild winds set to blow in

WILD winds are set to return to the Gold and Tweed coasts this afternoon as ex-tropical cyclone Debbie strengthens and combines with a cold front out to sea.

Wind gusts up to 100km/h are expected to lash the region from about 2-6pm this afternoon prompting the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a severe weather warning for damaging winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf.

The Bureau warns damaging wind gusts, with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are expected across the Gold Coast, Hinterland, and Scenic Rim.

The Hinze Dam is spewing huge amounts of water after the deluge with water levels rising 6m above the spillway at 100.28m above sea level.

It broke previous records from January 2013 when the water level rose to 98.86m.

Little Nerang Dam levels also broke records, peaking at 171.74m at 11pm last night.

Up to 60 homes on the Gold Coast are expected to be swamped by rising floodwaters within the next three hours.

Evacuations have been ordered on the northern Gold Coast as overflow from the Albert and Logan Rivers approach the region.

Gold Coast City Council has heard reports of adults evacuating through chest-level floodwaters in the Tallebudgera Valley carrying children on their shoulders.

Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates also said floodwaters had since receded in Tallebudgera Valley, but one house had been lost overnight in Luscombe, near the Albert River.

media_camera Bill Short can only watch as his campervan is swamped by rising flood waters at Chinderah.

Police fear floodwaters could hit residents near the northern suburbs of Stapylton and Jacobs Well around 2pm AEST and have begun door knocking residents, asking them to evacuate.

Residents are also being warned that if they don’t evacuate they could risk being trapped for several days.

The evacuation order affects the following streets: Quinns Hill Road East, Rossmans Road, Wohlsen Road, Zipfs Road, Bruckner Road, Cooks Road, Rotary Park Road.

Authorities are also assessing how wide the flood impact may be. Residents in these streets should also consider evacuating: Cowley Road, Finglas Road, Goldmine Road, Creek Street, Minka Lane and Halfway Drive.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart earlier said residents in low-lying areas in Logan and the northern Gold Coast should consider leaving for higher ground.

Floodwaters cut off Mount Lindesay Highway Floodwaters cut off Mount Lindesay Highway

“There are urgent alerts and we’d ask the community to take them seriously,” he said.

“I would suggest many thousands of people would live in that area.”

Commissioner Stewart said people in those areas were required to move to safety.

Southeast Queensland rivers are hitting major flood levels, amid warnings the minor flood level of the Brisbane River in the city could be reached.

A vast inland sea has swallowed swathes of land along the western corridor of southeast Queensland.

The upper reaches of the Albert River have rushed over the banks, spilling on to flood plains stretching from Logan to Beaudesert, cutting off roads and turning communities in to virtual islands.

Herds of cows huddled together on whatever raised pockets of paddock they could find while SES crews in floodwater rescue boats patrolled the swollen waters.

media_camera A large tree in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens felled by high winds. Pic: Glenn Hunt/Getty Images

At 10.30am, floodwaters were lapping at the outskirts of Beaudesert but had not inundated the town. Some farmsteads and rural homes to the west had been almost completely submerged.

Police have issued an urgent evacuation plea to northern Gold Coast residents as floodwaters rise.

Oxenford Causeway Collapse Oxenford Causeway Collapse

“We need those in the area of Staplyton-Jacobs Well, Norwell Road, Eggersdorf Road, Kerkin Road and Pimpama-Jacobs Well to evacuate now,” police said in a statement.

“Flood waters are approaching and you will have received an SMS alert. Please go to higher ground now.

“The Ormeau Community Centre at 3 Cuthbert Drive is open.

Bremer River and Warrill Creek:

The Bremer River has peaked at 12.35m, not 14m as the Bureau of Meteorology was originally expecting.

The river peaked at noon today and as of 3.08pm has receded to 12.2m.

Bundamba Creek peaked at 16.41m at Bundamba school at 2.30pm today.

The Brisbane River at Colleges peaked at 4.12m this morning at 5.30am and is now down to 3.32m.

Water levels at Deebing Creek at Churchill reached 18.49m at 12.25pm and is now sitting at 17.39m.

Today the closure of important routes into Ipswich has caused traffic chaos in the CBD and some headaches for police.

The Hancock Bridge at Brassall, One Mile Bridge at West Ipswich and the Deebing Creek crossing on Warwick Rd, Ipswich, are all flooded, bringing additional traffic through the centre of town.

Floodwaters Flow Through Swamped Car in Queensland Floodwaters Flow Through Swamped Car in Queensland

Beenleigh goes under

Tales of heroism are emerging in Beenleigh, as the Albert River peak nears and homes are flooded.

Alishea Walsh and Jon Egan said they would have nothing left for their nine-month-old son, Braxton, if it wasn’t for the haste of their neighbours.

Killinure Street residents sprung to action to help the couple move their belongings across the road, as floodwater lapped at their shins about 6am.

“Everyone’s come out to help,” Mr Egan said.

“If it weren’t for our neighbours we wouldn’t have anything left for our son,” Ms Walsh added.

Jon Egan of Killinure St, Beenleigh, tells of his heartache this morning @couriermail pic.twitter.com/rkMDPJh8we — Chris Clarke (@chrisclarkenews) March 31, 2017

An exhausted Ms Walsh cried as she came to grips with the young family’s predicament.

“What do we do? I’ve got a nine-month-old. What the hell do I do?” She said.

“He needs to sleep - I’ve got no where to put him down.

“All I want to do is put him on my bed and put him to sleep but I can’t.”

Evacuations could spread

Far north Gold Coast evacuations could spread as police begin door knocking effected residents.

The door knocks are happening in the following streets around the Stapylton area: Quinns Hill Rd East, Rossmans Rd, Wohlsen Rd, Zipfs Rd, Bruckner Rd, Cooks Rd, and Rotary Park Rd.

Police said in statement: “If you are in these areas, we strongly suggest you evacuate to higher ground. Flood waters may be in this area inside the next three hours.”

media_camera Mt Lindesay Highway cut off at Jimboomba. Pic Mark. Calleja

The Logan River at Beaudesert hit 14.76m at 5.30am, after an emergency alert was issued about midnight. The river is not expected to peak until 7am (AEST).

Mr Stewart said evacuation orders could spread after the northern Gold Coast area was the latest region to ask people to leave their homes.

Heavy Rain Floods Brisbane Streets Heavy Rain Floods Brisbane Streets

“That’s why I’ve said right from the start of this to please watch all of the official channels of communication for urgent updates,” Mr Stewart said.

He was unsure of the exact amount of people asked to evacuate from the Jacobs Well area on the northern end of the Gold Coast.

“This is playing out exactly as we thought it would,” Mr Stewart said. “These are proactive messages from the councils and the State Government officials for people to act on.”

media_camera Flooding along Main Street in Beenliegh after SE Queensland was hit by ex cyclone Debbie. Photo: Claudia Baxter

Alert for Logan area

Logan City Council is urging residents in low lying areas to consider leaving for higher ground with the Albert and Logan rivers expected to peak at major flood levels today and tomorrow.

Beenleigh’s Main Street has been cut off by floodwater at both ends, leaving residents stranded.

One 12-year resident, whose home sits directly in the path of the rapidly rising watermass, says the situation is worse than the 2011 floods. “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” Maree Grady said.

“This is more scary because we don’t know how high it’s going to come up.”

Ms Grady, who lives with a number of other retirees, said she feared for their safety.

They have attempted to call SES. Ms Grady’s neighbour, Jason Carr, said the street wasn’t flooded at 6am. By 9am it had almost engulfed nearby street signs.

Logan City Council says nearby suburbs of Waterford and Marsden are most at risk of flooding this afternoon.

Logan Mayor Luke Smith says the region is in a “state of anticipation” ahead of expected record water levels today.

“We’re waiting for the Albert River to peak at midday today when it’s expected to rise 7m above sea level,” Cr Smith said.

“We’ve already alerted 106 properties in the Eagleby area that they should move to the evacuation centre at the Beenleigh PCYC, which opened at 7am this morning.”

Bureau of Meteorology advises “major flooding remains at high levels” across parts of the Albert River, with major flooding expected downstream in the Logan area later today.

BOM data shows the Albert River at Wolffdene is predicted to reach record flood levels of 13.4m, which was last seen in 1974.

The Albert River at Beenleigh is currently about 6.5m but is predicted to reach up to 8m later today, nearing the 8.1m experienced in 1887.

Cr Smith said: “The next stage of that for us is a wall of water coming down the Logan River from the Scenic Rim area that’s expected to hit the Waterford bridge, peaking at about midday tomorrow.

“That’s expected to rise 10m above sea level, and for the first time it will actually lap the Waterford bridge, so that’s pretty high. We’ve never had that before.

“We’re in for a significant inundation of major flooding. It’s just about waiting to see where all the water happens to go.”

BOM advises “significant major flooding is occurring along the Logan River downstream of Yarrahappini.”

Data shows the Logan River at Maclean Bridge, just north of Jimboomba, is currently at 16.8m but was likely to peak at 19m early tonight.

Record major flood levels occurring at Beaudesert & Logan R. Further record flood levels possible at Wolffdene & Beenleigh. #bigwet #alert pic.twitter.com/9zUcaf0863 — QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) March 30, 2017

At Waterford, the Logan River has reached 6.3m but was tipped to exceed 10m by Saturday morning.

The Logan River at Eagleby was expected to exceed the major flood level of 5m by Friday night.

For assistance call 34123412 or Emergency 000.

Residents are urged to seek shelter with family or friends, for those residents without access to other support an emergency evacuation centre will open at the Beenleigh & Districts Senior Citizens and Beenleigh PCYC, 20-38 Alamein Street, Beenleigh at 7am.

The Logan River is expected to rise to be level with the Maclean bridge at midnight Friday and will be at deck level at the Waterford Bridge midday Saturday.

Bureau of Meteorology regional director Bruce Gunn said southeast Queensland had been drenched by ex-Cyclone Debbie

“In terms of what happened in the last 24 or 48 hours, we have seen some pretty big rainfall totals,” he said. “(There has been) widespread 100mm to 300mm falls.

“There is still that strong risk around the Gold Coast.

Mr Gunn said the worst of Debbie had passed. “The outlook for the next few days is pretty benign. Hardly any rain and not much wind.:

Mr Gunn said Brisbane CBD could have some minor flooding later tonight.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said 140,000 people without power in Queensland.

Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland is cut off after copping almost a metre of rain in 24 hours.

About 600 residents are stranded without power or running water after the deluge.

Energex repair crews are unable to get in, with roads cut by floodwaters and falling trees and debris blown over by gale-force winds.

Upper Springbrook recorded 890mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am today.

Residents have no electricity to power water pumps.

Thousands of residents just south of the Gold Coast are in the grip of a flood emergency after the Tweed River broke its banks.

The streets of Murwillumbah and Chinderah are underwater with reports of residents standing on tables after the river level peaked at 6.2m.

The SES had to perform more than 70 rescues overnight.

“It’s quite a disaster,” an SES spokesman said.

Qld Police Commissioner Ian Stewart warns people in Beaudesert, Canungra near flooding to stay home rather than trying to get to work. — ABC News Brisbane (@ABCNewsBrisbane) March 30, 2017

Brisbane River downstream of Wivenhoe Dam:

Minor flooding may occur along the Brisbane River in Brisbane City.

The Brisbane River at Brisbane City may reach the minor flood level (1.70 m) overnight Friday into Saturday.

Floodwaters Flow Through Swamped Car in Queensland Floodwaters Flow Through Swamped Car in Queensland

Rainfall totals

Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland was the most heavily-drenched on Thursday - 486 millimetres until dusk - while the Redlands was expecting a full day total of about 400mm.

Brisbane and surrounding areas copped, 226 millimetres, more than twice a month’s worth of March rainfall on Thursday.

Across the state’s central and southern regions, 58 swift water rescues were performed by authorities, who are pleading with people to stay indoors. The wild weather has been forecast to intensify overnight.

More than 1000 schools will remain closed today after ex-Cyclone Debbie unleashed a deluge that caught authorities by surprise, causing flash flooding and forcing widespread closure of businesses.

‘Unprecedented call’ to shut schools

The southeast was plunged into chaos when the State Government made the “unprecedented late call” at 7.20am yesterday to shut schools, with people warned to stay home and businesses urged to close by midday.

Brisbane’s CBD was a virtual ghost town by the afternoon and peak hour on the roads was reversed.

Parts of Brisbane received more than 200mm of rain and more than 660mm was dumped on Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland.

AU QLD: Heavy Rain Floods Brisbane Shopping Centre, Trapping Cars March 30 AU QLD: Heavy Rain Floods Brisbane Shopping Centre, Trapping Cars March 30

Last night, destructive wind gusts of up to 115km/h were being felt around Brisbane, with winds on the Gold Coast reaching 125km/h.

A helicopter pilot was also treated for minor injuries after wild winds caused the chopper to crash near Toowoomba about 6pm.

Power was cut to 25,000 Brisbane homes, 34,000 on the Sunshine Coast, more than 4000 in Logan and nearly 2000 on the Gold Coast last night.

As the state’s battered north assessed the damage from this week’s Category 4 storm, emergency crews raced to rescue people in the inundated Mackay region and residents dealt with flooded homes in Gladstone and Bundaberg.

In the southeast, some flood-prone Brisbane homes were left waterlogged and thousands of properties lost power.

Emergency crews were kept busy with more than 1500 calls for help and 50 swiftwater rescues.

media_camera A swiftwater rescue team heads out to help a group of people trapped on their car at Tabragalba. Picture: Daniel Lutzke

One of the rescues occurred when a group were forced to huddle together for safety on top of a car on Beaudesert-Nerang Rd at Tabragalba.

They were among 20 people – 14 adults, five children and an infant – who became stranded in the area about 2pm. It was the largest group involved in a single swiftwater rescue effort during yesterday’s storm.

A major operation was mounted to save them after they drove along the flooded causeway.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service crews, the swiftwater rescue team and SES joined forces to bring them safely back to land.

It coincided with another rescue further north, on the Sunshine Coast, where a local family had to be saved from rising floodwaters which trapped them inside their house at Tanawha.

Four children and their mother were taken from the house in a swiftwater rescue at Sippy Creek Road.

More than 100 calls were made to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services for a swiftwater rescue, 60 in southeast Queensland alone. The SES were also called to about 130 incidents on the coast.

media_camera Winds picked up around the southeast last night when the eye of ex Tropical Cyclone Debbie passed over the area. Picture: Supplied

Dam levels

Dam levels were being closely monitored in case releases were needed to prevent the kind of catastrophic build-up that condemned Brisbane to mass flooding in 2011.

Water Minister Mark Bailey said Wivenhoe Dam was at 69 per cent capacity, with water releases required if levels reach 90 per cent.

“SEQ Water have got all their people working on this, modelling the data as it comes in. We are watching it very closely,” Mr Bailey said.

Weather bureau senior forecaster Matthew Bass said the storm was expected to clear the southeast coastline about 3am today.

“We’re seeing flash flooding across the southeast, and these heavy rainfall periods that are occurring will lead to further flash flooding,” Mr Bass said.

Brisbane residents scrambled for sand bags to protect their properties yesterday, with wait times of more than an hour at some council depots.

At the Newmarket depot, there were delays of up to two hours as people queued for supplies.

More than 40,000 sand bags were filled in advance and council machines were busy filling a further 4000 an hour to keep up with the huge demand.

Evacuation centres were opened in areas including Ipswich, Redlands, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay.

Flash flooding revived horror memories yesterday for victims of the 2011 floods.

Rosalie’s Salt cafe owner Mario Perna couldn’t shake thoughts of the past as water lapped at the entrance yesterday morning.

“I’m thinking about 2011 and how high it’s going to come,” Mr Perna said.

The business suffered thousands of dollars worth of damage in 2011 when 2m of water swamped the Nash St eatery.

media_camera Harrison Orth paddles down the flooded Corella St at Rocklea on Brisbane’s south side. Picture: Darren England.

Rocklea resident Yenju Chen came home from work at midday to find 10cm of floodwater in her ground-level apartment.

“I’ve only just moved in here and I didn’t know it would be raining like this today until I received the message from the government,” Ms Chen said. “Once I came back there was water everywhere inside. I’ve been cleaning all morning and I think I’ll be cleaning all afternoon.”

After he had prepared his home as best he could, Martin Kornaus took his jetski through floodwaters in Rocklea’s Corella St.

But the dirty brown water brought back bad memories of 2011, when the houses disappeared underwater completely.

“There’s water damage, but we’ve been pretty good. It’s a revisit of the post-traumatic stress from 2011.”

“We’ve lifted everything of value off the floor and killed the power,” he said.

“They are just the precautions we have to take to protect our valuable items. If the water just keeps on coming up we are in a lot of trouble.”