Deleted member 775
Guest
i know we have members in australia ,so i hope they are ok and well away from the troubles .but to all in the affected area i wish you all, keep safe.
Deleted member 3011
Guest
Major fire in SW of Western Australia, recent major floods in the NW, and now huge floods with a dozen dead and lots missing. Four months ago the whole country was in major drought that had lasted close to 10 years. We struggled through deep mud surrounded by waist-high wildflowers in the middle of the Simpson Desert less than 2 months ago
Can't say the place doesn't offer variety.
Can't say the place doesn't offer variety.
David & Ann
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Flying over Sydney to Melbourne, most years, it is surrounded with a ring of fire. Beautiful sight from above, but destructive on the ground. In Melbourne in 2006 the hills near Dandenong was aflame. Balls of fire rolled down to within 1/2 mile where my sister lives. Quite frightening as we had to divert from the Princess Highway to get to where we needed to go.
Deleted member 207
Guest
Thanks for the well wishes.
We've not suffered at the hands of the flooding directly, just indirectly with road closures, phone outages and no cash from the ATM machines due to no phones!! just minor inconvenience compared to many. I was due to have another dose of chemotherapy today in Brisbane and thank god they cancelled that, not sure whats been worse the chemo or the leukemia. The campervan is primed and ready to go if needed.
The nearest large town to us (Caboolture) has been flooded with plenty evacuated, the water goes up and down with the tides, so we expect to have roads closed again about 4pm. All of the beach lagoons have opened up and cut about a metre deep river across the beach - makes it hard to walk the dogs!! The sea is brown with mud and tea tree stain which makes for a very soapy foam along the shoreline.
The local branch of the State Emergency Service (volunteers) were on the beach today filling sandbags to be transported to Caboolture, once the word got out there was about 100 locals helping fill and stack the sand bags with quite a few owners of tray backed Landcruisers running the bags to where they were needed.
Just been looking at predicted flood map for Brisbane tomorrow and its not nice, several major hospitals will be cut off, drinking water maybe at risk, sewers are already flooded in many areas, no power and today it will hit about
30C with 90% humidity. Only essential travel until the weekend due to the rapidly rising floodwaters in Brisbane.
But as usual most people just buckle down, move their belongings to higher ground, help their neighbours, cleanup afterwards with little or no direction from the authorities. I think its something that separates some nationalities - we dont sit on our arses waiting for the UN to turn up with their cappuncino machines to fix up the problem. I'll gurantee that within a couple of weeks we'll be 95% back to normal. the other 5% will take a lot longer - roads, houses, bridges rebuilt.
We've not suffered at the hands of the flooding directly, just indirectly with road closures, phone outages and no cash from the ATM machines due to no phones!! just minor inconvenience compared to many. I was due to have another dose of chemotherapy today in Brisbane and thank god they cancelled that, not sure whats been worse the chemo or the leukemia. The campervan is primed and ready to go if needed.
The nearest large town to us (Caboolture) has been flooded with plenty evacuated, the water goes up and down with the tides, so we expect to have roads closed again about 4pm. All of the beach lagoons have opened up and cut about a metre deep river across the beach - makes it hard to walk the dogs!! The sea is brown with mud and tea tree stain which makes for a very soapy foam along the shoreline.
The local branch of the State Emergency Service (volunteers) were on the beach today filling sandbags to be transported to Caboolture, once the word got out there was about 100 locals helping fill and stack the sand bags with quite a few owners of tray backed Landcruisers running the bags to where they were needed.
Just been looking at predicted flood map for Brisbane tomorrow and its not nice, several major hospitals will be cut off, drinking water maybe at risk, sewers are already flooded in many areas, no power and today it will hit about
30C with 90% humidity. Only essential travel until the weekend due to the rapidly rising floodwaters in Brisbane.
But as usual most people just buckle down, move their belongings to higher ground, help their neighbours, cleanup afterwards with little or no direction from the authorities. I think its something that separates some nationalities - we dont sit on our arses waiting for the UN to turn up with their cappuncino machines to fix up the problem. I'll gurantee that within a couple of weeks we'll be 95% back to normal. the other 5% will take a lot longer - roads, houses, bridges rebuilt.
Deleted member 2636
Guest
The scale of the flooding is almost unimmaginable. The reports on the www are talking in terms of an area the size of France and Germany.
What are people doing for food, sanitation, drinking water and whatever?
What are people doing for food, sanitation, drinking water and whatever?
baldeagle
Guest
Fortuneately we are a long way from the floods here in Adelaide,South Australia. A number of rivers in the north end up in the Murray River which is the biggest in Australia in terms of distance and our city (Adelaide) generally relies on the Murray for its drinking water as we live in a very dry and harsh part of Australia. In the last few years we have been on water rations and in fact the Murray has been really suffering but now we should have an abundance of water flowing into the system. Thats the good news but the devestation in Queensland and northern New South Wales is amazing and is going to have a long term affect on all the people in those areas. All the communities and towns are working together and are getting on with the job of getting back on their feet.
A few months back I was camping out in the Gannon Ranges which is a very remote part of northern South Australia and was caught up in a major "flash flood" event. The country I was in had not seen rain for several years and yet when the rain kicked in out there I was fording raging creeks in a matter of 45 minutes. It is unreal just how fast the water came up. So when it flows it really flows. And just as quickly disappears.
The cleanup is going to test a lot of people but I know everyone will get on with it and start over again.
Baldeagle
A few months back I was camping out in the Gannon Ranges which is a very remote part of northern South Australia and was caught up in a major "flash flood" event. The country I was in had not seen rain for several years and yet when the rain kicked in out there I was fording raging creeks in a matter of 45 minutes. It is unreal just how fast the water came up. So when it flows it really flows. And just as quickly disappears.
The cleanup is going to test a lot of people but I know everyone will get on with it and start over again.
Baldeagle
baldeagle
Guest
In my last post I mentioned how fast the flood waters disappear. That is true in country that has had no rain for a very long time. In the Gannon Ranges (Google Arkaroola) it had been around 10 years since they had a real drenching so the water in the creeks rose quickly and in fact disappeared just as quick. It is all dirt tracks out there so the 4 wheel drive got a real workout. That was the type of country I was in at the time.
The floods up north are different. Once the drought broke it has really been pouring for quiet some time and the ground has been saturated. Once that happens the water doesnt soak in and it runs on the surface. Thats whats happening in the north of Australia right now.
Baldeagle
The floods up north are different. Once the drought broke it has really been pouring for quiet some time and the ground has been saturated. Once that happens the water doesnt soak in and it runs on the surface. Thats whats happening in the north of Australia right now.
Baldeagle
Deleted member 207
Guest
The cleanup begins in Queensland - whilst others cop it.
As expected an army of about 6000 to 8000 volunteers has started to cleanup the affected suburbs of Brisbane. The city council has organised 4 centres where people can go, leave their cars and be transported by bus to work for about 4 hours on getting rid of the mud and damaged household items. Its expected another 6000 - 10000 volunteers this afternoon. Make shift feeding centres have appeared all over the place as those who are not fit enough to dig mud have just made sandwiches and cakes and giving them away.
Mud is anything upto 3" deep in many houses. Road tankers are delivering water to wash away the mud in the streets to make it safer for traffic and just walking across the street. Army are in there with Unimogs delivering food and picking up rubbish placed on the streets. The airforce has been airlifting food to the rural towns cut off by floods.
The main North-South highway has reopened along the coast so food can get in and out from the large market gardens further North.
Further South floods have now hit parts of NSW and Victoria - after being in drought for 10 years!!
I lied - 20,000 volunteers have now registered at 10am Saturday morning.
As expected an army of about 6000 to 8000 volunteers has started to cleanup the affected suburbs of Brisbane. The city council has organised 4 centres where people can go, leave their cars and be transported by bus to work for about 4 hours on getting rid of the mud and damaged household items. Its expected another 6000 - 10000 volunteers this afternoon. Make shift feeding centres have appeared all over the place as those who are not fit enough to dig mud have just made sandwiches and cakes and giving them away.
Mud is anything upto 3" deep in many houses. Road tankers are delivering water to wash away the mud in the streets to make it safer for traffic and just walking across the street. Army are in there with Unimogs delivering food and picking up rubbish placed on the streets. The airforce has been airlifting food to the rural towns cut off by floods.
The main North-South highway has reopened along the coast so food can get in and out from the large market gardens further North.
Further South floods have now hit parts of NSW and Victoria - after being in drought for 10 years!!
I lied - 20,000 volunteers have now registered at 10am Saturday morning.
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Deleted member 775
Guest
glad to hear things are on the up ,but its terible about the loss of life and also the loss of belongings, although material things can be replaced eventualy .its heartning to hear how all the people are pulling together in there time of need ,instead of just sitting around and expecting others to do all of the hard work and whinging as other countries do, this one included,i remember a flood in wombwell south yorkshire a few years ago ,nowhere near the scale as you over there have experienced but i suppose as bad to those affected at the time and did the whole comunity turn out, no it was a case of well were sorry but sort it out yorselves .so much for the comunity spirit, all the best and good luck.