Moderate Flood Warning Issued for Norman and Gilbert Rivers; Normanton Peak Expected Late Wednesday

Alert Details

The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued a Moderate Flood Warning for the Norman River and a Flood Warning for the Gilbert River (IDQ20879). This update, Flood Warning Number 55, was issued at 3:07 pm AEST on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, following recent heavy rainfall across the catchments.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the Norman and Gilbert River catchments in Queensland. Specific areas of concern include:

• Normanton: Moderate flooding is likely.
• Lower Walker Creek: Major flood levels are occurring at Burke Development Road.
• Norman River Catchment: Minor to major flooding is occurring at Glenore Weir, Yappar River, and Belmore Creek at Guildford.
• Lower Gilbert River: Elevated river levels and flooding are occurring across the lower catchment.

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected regions are urged to take the following safety precautions:

• Do not drive, walk, swim, or play in floodwater as it is dangerous.
• Stay away from flooded drains, rivers, streams, and waterways.
• Obey all road closure signs and plan travel to avoid flooded roads.
• Monitor the ABC and local media for updates.
• For emergency assistance, contact the SES at 132 500. In life-threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.
• Visit www.disaster.qld.gov.au/warnings for local emergency management advice.

Expected Conditions

• Normanton: The Norman River is currently at 3.99 m and steady. It is expected to peak near the moderate flood level of 4.00 m from late Wednesday, with further rises possible as upstream flows arrive.
• Burke Development Road: The creek is currently well above the level of the bridge deck and rising.
• River Heights: As of 2:00 pm Wednesday, Glenore Weir was steady at 12.13 m, and the Gilbert River at Burke Development Road was steady at 8.35 m.
• Forecast: Additional rainfall is forecast for the next few days, which may lead to further river level rises.

Timeline

The current alert is effective as of Wednesday afternoon, March 11, 2026. A moderate peak is expected at Normanton starting late Wednesday. The Bureau of Meteorology expects to issue the next update by 4:00 pm AEST on Thursday, March 12, 2026.