Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village, Townsville is between Ross River and Bohle Creek, in a very flat area that obviously formed as a flood plain. There is a flood drainage path nearby, and extensive flood control works along various roads nearby, mostly leading to the Ross River. The Ross River dam should reduce any flood risk from Ross River, however Bohle Creek is a known flood trouble spot. The Carlyle Gardens Retirement Village property is built up above the natural level through extensive earthworks. The new houses at Carlyle Gardens seem to have a slab surface up to 300 mm above the level of the ground. See also my early notes on weather at Carlyle Gardens retirement resort.

Unfortunately Townsville flood maps do not cover the Carlyle Gardens Retirement Resort area. I have been unable to locate equivalent flood data for Thuringowa. As the area is mostly recently developed, there is probably little relevant data in any case. The 7 metre flood of February 2007 and 7.5 metre flood of February 2008 are noted (large PDFs), and were not a problem (except for road closures). Unlike some other developments nearby, the developer has built up the ground above the previous base level. The slab on ground concrete base is set above natural ground level, I estimate by around 250-300 mm. The record flood (in a very short span of data) was 8.38 metres in 1998, which flooded around 40 homes in Thuringowa. This involved rainfall of 400 mm over a four day period, concentrated in and around the area.

Weather bureau notice of Bohle River flooding may be relevant to Carlyle Gardens, Townsville. This map of Ross and Bohle River flood warning system gives an idea of the relevant Ross and Bohle River area. There is a description of floods on the Ross and Bohle Rivers. The major 1998 flood involved rainfall of over 400 mm over a four day period. Our experience in Airlie Beach (300 km south) once included 600 mm on our balcony over a 48 hour period.