Australia Weather News
Swift water rescue personnel prepare to enter flooded waters near Proserpine. - ABC
On the outskirts of Proserpine, the traffic is banking up.
A 300-metre stretch of water over the Bruce Highway is preventing much-needed services reaching the area, after it copped a lashing from Cyclone Debbie.
Among those waiting for the water to recede was Nathan Sainsbury, a teacher who lives in nearby Gregory River.
He and his family were forced to spend the night in their bathroom, as sheets of metal roofing pierced through their ceiling.
"Once the roof came off, it got pretty scary," he says.
"We gradually moved from the hallway, to a bedroom, ended up in the bathroom."
For his son Tristan, the experience was "incredibly terrifying".
"Lots of metal clanging, lots of wind," he said.
As he gave his account, another drama unfolded.
A submerged car was spotted in the fast-flowing water up ahead. It was unclear how long it had been there.
Two swift water rescue personnel were sent in to assess the situation.
"They're just going to inspect the submerged vehicle to ensure there's no occupants in the vehicle," David Hermann from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service said.
Word soon came through over the radio that no-one was inside.
But another submerged vehicle was spotted further ahead.
As two more swift water rescue personnel joined the operation, a large military helicopter buzzed past.
It was on its way south to survey the damage, but switched direction to assist in the search operation.
A helicopter crew member was winched down to the second car.
Again, the all-clear was given that no-one was inside.
But the question remained: where were the occupants of those cars?
Another driver stranded on the road between Bowen and Proserpine believed he had the answer.
He received a report over UHF radio from a nearby sugarcane farmer that the occupants were two American tourists who became stuck in the rising waters overnight.
They found refuge at the farmhouse.
It was a good outcome for what could have been a tragic situation.
But the desperate situation in Proserpine and other nearby communities will remain unresolved until this key access road reopens.
ABC