 As such, the river heights at Taroom also served as a good indication on how much floodwater was ultimately going to flow through Rockhampton as the floodwaters in the Dawson River met the already swollen Mackenzie River and entered the Fitzroy River.When the Dawson River at Taroom began reaching such great heights, eventually peaking at 10.43 metres (4.39 metres above ground level), it signalled to the authorities that a mass evacuation of Theodore was needed to be organised as the river was likely to inundate the entire town when the floodwaters from Taroom arrived.The third biggest flood in Taroom was recorded in 1956 when the river peaked at 3.23 metres above ground level on 11 February 1956.