Fitzroy River Floods and Your Vehicle Electrics

This guide is for Rockhampton drivers who live with the Fitzroy River and its floods. It explains how river floods here differ from storm flooding, what water does to a vehicle's electrical system, how to protect your vehicle before the river peaks, and what to check afterwards.

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A river with a long flood history

The Fitzroy River drains a huge catchment of about 145,000 square kilometres before it passes through Rockhampton on its way to Keppel Bay. When heavy rain falls far inland, the water can take days to arrive, and the river can stay high for a long time once it does.

The city has seen many big floods. The highest on record, in January 1918, reached 10.11 metres on the Rockhampton gauge. During the 2010 to 2011 Queensland floods, the river peaked at 9.2 metres on 5 January 2011. Floodwater surrounded the airport, leaving one runway under water, and the Bruce Highway south of the city went under too. In April 2017, after ex-tropical cyclone Debbie, the Bureau of Meteorology recorded a peak of 8.9 metres early on 7 April, which it described as the fifth-highest flood peak at Rockhampton in over 160 years.

River floods and storm floods are different

A Fitzroy River flood usually comes with warning. Forecasts give a predicted peak, low-lying streets and properties near the river are identified, and there is time to move vehicles. That is very different from a summer storm that drops a lot of rain in a short time and floods a dip in the road within an hour.

Both catch vehicles out, but in different ways. River floods tend to damage vehicles that were left parked in the wrong place. Storm floods tend to damage vehicles that were driven into water. Planning ahead covers the first, and simply refusing to drive into floodwater covers the second.

Rockhampton's road network is also changing. Transport and Main Roads says the Rockhampton Ring Road is designed for flood immunity equal to a 1-in-100-year flood, which it puts at 9.86 metres on the Rockhampton gauge, with a high-level link from the Capricorn Highway intended to keep access open in major floods. Until it is finished, expect some routes to close when the river is high.

Before the river peaks

When a flood is forecast, your vehicle is one of the easiest things to protect, as long as you act early. Practical steps include:

• Move vehicles, trailers and caravans to higher ground well before the predicted peak, not on the day.
• Know your route out. Roads can close before your street floods.
• Fill the fuel tank and charge phones and a portable jump starter in case power is off for days.
• Take important papers, spare keys and remotes with you rather than leaving them in a vehicle that might be cut off.
• Check your insurance policy covers flood, and photograph your vehicles before you move them.

Never drive into floodwater

The Queensland Government's long-running campaign sums it up: if it's flooded, forget it. The Get Ready Queensland site makes the point that once you enter floodwater, your car can't protect you. Water depth is hard to judge, roads can be washed away underneath, and it doesn't take much moving water to float a vehicle.

There is an electrical cost as well. Water drawn into the air intake can wreck an engine, but water also reaches starter motors, alternators, sensors and underbody connectors, and on many modern vehicles there are control modules mounted low in the body. Even if a vehicle makes it through, problems can show up weeks later as corrosion sets in. If you need help during a flood or storm, the SES can be reached on 132 500, and their assistance page explains how to lodge a request. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).

If your vehicle has been in floodwater

Don't try to start it. If water has reached the engine, cranking can cause serious mechanical damage. Electrically, powering up wet circuits can short out modules and start corrosion that is far harder to fix than the original wetting.

Disconnect the battery if you can safely reach it, starting with the negative terminal. Then contact your insurer before arranging repairs, as they may want to assess the vehicle first. Be careful with hybrids and EVs. Their high-voltage systems are for trained, licensed professionals only, and a flooded hybrid or EV should not be touched beyond following the manufacturer's emergency guidance.

Flood water around Rockhampton isn't clean. It carries mud, silt and debris, and near the river mouth it can be brackish. That mud settles inside connectors and harness junctions, which is why proper cleaning and drying matter so much.

Electrical checks after the water goes down

Once a vehicle has dried out, faults can still appear. Watch for warning lights, gauges that jump, windows or locks that misbehave, lights that dim or flicker, and batteries that go flat overnight. A burning smell or smoke from the wiring means stop the vehicle and disconnect the battery if it is safe to do so.

Areas worth checking include:

• Fuse boxes and relay panels, especially any mounted low in the cabin or engine bay.
• Connectors under the carpet and seats, where water sits longest.
• Earth points on the body and chassis, which corrode quickly after a soaking.
• Trailer sockets, towbar wiring and reversing camera cables at the rear of the vehicle.
• Starter motors and alternators, which sit low and take in mud and water.

Trailers, caravans and boats

Trailers and caravans are often the forgotten victims of a flood. Their wiring, brake magnets, breakaway batteries and sockets sit low and can be submerged without anyone noticing. Before using a trailer that has been in floodwater, open and dry the plug, check every light, and have the brakes and wheel bearings inspected. Caravans may have water in their 12V wiring, battery boxes and 240V systems. Fixed 240V wiring is for licensed electricians only.

Living near the river in Rockhampton City or the low-lying parts of the northside means flood planning is part of life. Our area pages list local auto electricians who can help check vehicles once the water has gone. For simpler checks you can do yourself, our guide to checking and replacing a fuse is a good place to start.

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Questions Rockhampton drivers ask

Should I try to start my car after it's been in floodwater?

No. If water has reached the engine, cranking can cause serious damage, and powering up wet electrical circuits can short out modules. Disconnect the battery if it's safe, starting with the negative terminal, and contact your insurer. Have the vehicle inspected before anyone tries to start it.

Why are new electrical faults showing up weeks after the flood?

Water and mud left inside connectors, fuse boxes and harness junctions start corrosion that takes time to build. As resistance increases, circuits begin to misbehave. Faults can appear well after the vehicle seems to have dried out. Have the affected connectors cleaned, dried and protected rather than just waiting for them to clear.

How do I know when the Fitzroy River is going to flood?

The Bureau of Meteorology issues flood warnings for the Fitzroy River, including predicted peak heights at Rockhampton. Local disaster management groups and the council also publish advice on affected areas. Follow official warnings and move vehicles to higher ground early, before roads start to close.

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