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Damage in flood-ravaged Mitchell 'shocks' locals

By Siobhan Barry, Monday February 6, 2012 - 13:34 EDT

Mitchell residents said on February 2 they had never seen the Maranoa River over the town's bridge before. - ABC

AgForce says there is huge damage to property and infrastructure in Queensland's southern inland around Mitchell, after around three-quarters of the town was flooded late last week.

A recovery centre will open in Mitchell this morning and the town is still inaccessible by road.

Police Minister Neil Roberts says authorities are continuing to assess the damage in Mitchell and Roma.

"Preliminary assessments show that in Mitchell around 280 homes or more have damage, with water above the floorboards," he said.

"In Roma, at least over 400, so very significant damage and of course very significant dislocation to those individuals."

AgForce spokesman Grant Maudsley says he has never seen anything quite like it.

"We've flown over and down the river to help people out a bit where we could with fencing and the like, and there is just hundreds of kilometres of fencing on the ground," he said.

"The water has spread a lot higher out of the bank than anyone has ever seen so there is fencing that you would have thought would never have been bothered by water, just lying on its side."

Maranoa Mayor Robert Loughnan says he hopes the bridge into town can reopen today.

"We do need to get equipment in there, we need to get people in there and need to give these people a hand," he said.

"They're really struggling under the weight of this and it's pretty clear - I got over to Mitchell yesterday for the first time - and it really shocks you.

"The main commercial hub of Mitchell is really badly affected."

- ABC

© ABC 2012