Several rescued from floodwaters as severe thunderstorms, flash floods hit Queensland
Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding have caused widespread disruption across south-east Queensland, leading to school closures and road blockages. Emergency services and bystanders have performed multiple rescues of people trapped in vehicles by rising floodwaters.
Why it matters
Extreme weather events pose immediate threats to public safety and infrastructure, highlighting the impact of climate-related disasters on local communities.
- 7.41am . First published October 21, 2026 - 9.23pm
shares Share article Schools and roads have been shut across south-east Queensland severe storms persist, resulting in what is expected to be a months’ rainfall in a matter of days.
South-east Queensland was hit by 170 millimetres of rain on Thursday morning, which caused flash flooding conditions and saw several people rescued from cars north of Brisbane.
Multiple cars became stuck in floodwaters in Brisbane’s north. 9News
One severe storm has moved from the Sunshine Coast towards Ipswich, while another has hit the Southern Downs region east of Warwick.
Caboolture was hit by 109 millimetres of rain in just two hours on Thursday morning.
Residents have shared videos on social media of roads being inundated with water and some examples of flash flooding after the massive rainfall.
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