Three months into 2025 and Paluma has now passed the previous ANNUAL rainfall record set in 1981. Breaking news from Dean at the rain gauge this morning has our 2025 total at 4718mm eclipsing the 1981 total of 4691mm by 27.9mm. And no sign it’s over for this event.
Currently we are now completely shut out of road access to Townsville and Ingham. A number of flooded bridges and landslides. The road workers pulled back from working on the Mt Spec Range road on Tuesday because of danger of more slips in the heavy rain. They’ve been dealing with 60 landslips over the 20km from the base of the range to Paluma at about 3000ft.
Not many folk left in the village as most who have a principal dwelling in the lowlands have departed.
But mostly we currently still have power, water and food in the pantry and fridge. The birds have been doing it tough in the constant deluge and a pair of crimson rosellas (Platycercus elegans nigrescens) have taken up sheltering on the struts bracing up our spare room. This race is smaller and darker than southern races of this bird.
Peter Cooke
Thinking of you all up there !
This is the old fashion rain season. At my age now, I am beginning to rust !