Quilpie flood stories through the years and why it matters to every Queenslander

The peaceful farming community of Quilpie might seem an unlikely place to learn about disaster preparedness. Quilpie has a population of about 600. It is an 11-hour drive west of Brisbane, and seemingly a world away from the cyclonic coast and flood-prone river systems that usually make headlines. 

But Quilpie's ongoing battle with the elements can teach all of us an important lesson about the relentlessness of natural disasters, and the importance of being prepared. It's not a matter of if a natural disaster is going to strike, it's when it’s going to strike in your region. Quilpie's story shows us the value of being prepared for whatever nature throws at us.

Quilpie's fortunes can change with the weather

In Quilpie, nature dictates the rhythm of life in ways that urban Queenslanders might find tough to imagine. The Bulloo and Paroo rivers can turn from dry beds to raging torrents, cutting the town off from the outside world for weeks at a time. This became devastatingly clear in March 2025, when much-needed rain and drought relief quickly became a record-breaking disaster.

Just days before the floods hit, farmers were desperately hoping for rain to break crushing drought conditions. Then the rains came – more than they'd experienced in the past two years combined. The usually dry Bulloo River flooded so severely it forced the evacuation of the entire town of Adavale. Eromanga, Australia's furthest town from the sea, found itself surrounded by water.

The scale of the flood was overwhelming:

• Quilpie recorded 640mm of rain in nine days

• Eromanga had its wettest March day in 15 years, dumping 130mm in 24 hours

• The Paroo, Cooper, Barcoo, and Thomson rivers all overflowed, cutting roads and isolating communities for weeks

• Stock losses were described as "extraordinary" with farmers predicting it would take 5-10 years? for them to recover

• The severe weather warning zone spanned almost 1000 kilometres.

But flooding is just one challenge faced by the people of Quilpie. The region also experiences severe thunderstorms, regular devastating drought that decimates agriculture and threatens water supplies, dust storms, frequent summer heatwaves with temperatures reaching 45℃ , and bushfire risks that spike during the driest periods. When the Quilpie –Thargomindah Road floods, or the South Comongin Crossing over the Bulloo River becomes impassable, the town can become completely isolated.

For the people of Quilpie, disaster preparedness isn't an awareness campaign or an annual reminder – it's an essential survival skill honed over generations of hands-on education. As Quilpie Mayor Ben Hall said after the 2025 floods: "The rain will soften the country, but it won't soften the people – they're tough."

Quilpie's flooding disaster timeline:

	February 1909 Severe Thunderstorm: Hail “the size of pigeon’s eggs” hit Adavale and surrounds, causing severe property and crop damage.
	1910 Flooding: Flooding through Adavale in Quilpie.
	January 1930 Floods: An unnamed Tropical cyclone brought widespread flooding; rail lines and infrastructure damaged; livestock losses high; isolation for extended periods.
	February 1931 Floods: Severe property damage, record flood heights, transport disrupted for days.
	January 1941 Floods: Quilpie cut off by floodwaters, rail submerged, communities isolated; fatalities in region.
	July 1960 Floods: Moderate flooding from Bulloo River; local disruptions.
	1963 Major Flood: Largest flood event in the region since early 20th century. Significant river flooding (Bulloo, Paroo), major damage to infrastructure, transport cut off, town isolation. This flood was the benchmark for severity until 2025.
	1976 Floods: Heavy rain led to major flooding in southwest Queensland, damaging infrastructure and isolating towns like Quilpie.
	2008 Floods: a low pressure system created by Tropical Cyclone Helen brought about widespread rainfall, resulting in fast river rises and major flooding on the Bulloo River.
	2010–2011 Floods: Queensland-wide flooding ended the region's drought and affected Quilpie's roads, infrastructure, and isolated the district.
	March 2018 Floods: Significant rain led to flooding, activation of local disaster management, and temporary isolation.
	March 2025 Major Floods: Record-breaking rains and flooding isolated Quilpie, Eromanga, and Adavale; town evacuations, infrastructure damage, and extended transport route closures.

The broader Queensland lesson

Quilpie's story matters – not just because of the range of disasters the locals have endured and will continue to endure – but also because it represents the hundreds of Queensland communities that don't make national news when disasters strike. So many communities have learned that disasters aren't once-off events that you recover from and forget – they're ongoing challenges that become part of the fabric of the community, requiring ongoing strategies.

Looking at Quilpie's disaster timeline, a troubling pattern emerges: the major floods of 1963 were the benchmark for severity, until 2025. Once-in-a-generation events are happening more frequently, and with greater intensity.

We're seeing:

• More intense rainfall events causing flash flooding in unexpected areas

• Longer, more severe drought periods affecting water security and bushfire risk

• Extreme weather events outside traditional patterns and seasons

• Infrastructure stress that can turn minor events into major disruptions

• Rapid transitions from one disaster type to another, as Quilpie experienced in 2025.

Your next steps: learning from Quilpie

Don't wait for the next disaster warning to start building your disaster preparedness. Here's how you can apply Quilpie's lessons, wherever you live:

What you can do now

• Find out what hazards you need to know about in your area 

• Complete your household emergency plan and ensure all members of your household know where to find it

• Start packing your emergency kit 

• Check your insurance coverage for all potential natural disasters in your region, and consider whether you need to upgrade

• Strengthen community relationships and connect with neighbours 

Something to consider for the future

• Join local emergency volunteer groups or community resilience initiatives

• Learn practical skills like first aid, basic home maintenance, and emergency communication

• Practise your emergency plans with everyone in your household.

• Stay informed about changing risk patterns and new preparedness approaches

• Share your knowledge and help build community resilience

Quilpie's story reminds us that living in Queensland means living with a range of natural disaster threats. They're not going away, and they're becoming more challenging. 

Communities that prepare well are the ones that cope better during a disaster and recover more quickly. When your household and community are prepared, you're not just protecting yourselves – you're helping to build a more resilient Queensland.

The lessons from Quilpie are clear: natural disasters will keep coming and communities that choose to get ready ahead of time, will keep surviving and thriving. Will you be ready when the next disaster arrives?

Get Ready Queensland Week is just around the corner, running from 6–12 October 2025. Now’s the perfect time to start building your resilience to severe weather! 

Visit the Get Ready Queensland Week page to find events happening near you. Don’t forget to chat with your local council and emergency services to learn how to best prepare your household. Let’s work together to stay safe and ready for whatever comes our way.