Queensland Floods.
 

I wonder if any of you are watching the Television reports on the floods in Queensland?

It must be a horrific situation to be in. My heart goes out to them.

I know that we have some ex pats as members......not sure what Aussie states they live in, but would just like to say I hope they stay safe, and send all those affected by the current crisis, my best thoughts and hopes for their safety.
Maybe some of you would like to add your good wishes too......we can't offer much in the practical sense ,but it is always good to know others are 'rooting for you' when things are tough.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Oh, perhaps I should have admitted, I have an ulterior motive......My sister lives in Brisbane.
I contacted her this morning(which was their tonight) and she is OK, but may have to be evacuated tomorrow........:( She has only just moved house......so it has been a time of great upheaval.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Hope anyone who is involved in this stays safe must be a horrible experiance.

The weather seems to be changing worldwide at the moment.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Just been watching it on the news, it is very scary. Hoping things improve very quickly, I'm sure your Sister will be ok Marg. Thinking of all involved over therexx

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

All I can say is that it's a good job these floods are happening now, rather than 7 weeks ago; The first Test would have been abandoned. OK, I know it was a draw, but surely the England victory would have been a lot less sweeter over a 4 Test series, rather than 5?

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

That is so not funny, we have members here genuinely worried about their loved ones. But once again you post some inane drvel about the cricket. Why not start a thread about how the floods might have influenced the cricket results and leave threads like this for the reason they were started????:mad::mad::mad:

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

I have looked on google maps at the town named Toowoomba.
The river that runs through it looks no bigger than Tinker Brook when viewed pre flood.
There must have one helluva lot of rainfall to make a brook devastate a town.
Strange weather is happening worldwide.
We can just hope that the snow we had recently was all the 'strange weather' due to come our way.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

hope everyone is alright ..

BBC News - Australia floods: Fears worsen for Brisbane

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Just a note to tell you I am ok......I live in Logan City area which is about 20 klms south of Brisbane city area and so I am clear of the flooding.
The tv coverage here has been extensive...we are currently in our second day of 24 hour presentations....with updates from the premier every 2 hrs.
The mood is sombre but determined to get through and rebuild lives after all the devastation these flooda have caused and are still causing.This flood seems like it will surpass the 1974 Brisbane flood in river height and with so many more people residing here now than 37 yrs ago will certainly have more dramatic effect than then....they are expecting up to 40,000 homes to have floodwaters through them.Loss of life at present stands at 12 with some 67 people missing...not a good sign. The river is expected to peak tomorrow afternoon but already the CBD is a ghost town with most shops offices and public buildings closed and water inundating everywhere. Boats are being torn from their moorings and careening downstream...pontoons are similar and floating down river with an amazing collection of rubbish ,animals and peoples belongings.I cease never to be amazed at the resilience and dedication though of the many thousands who have set to to help their fellow Queenslanders in this time of great distress.I can only hope their will be no more loss of life or serious casualties from the coming ordeal.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Glad to hear you are ok .... we are getting lots of coverage over here. Listened to an interview with an MP from over there, forget his name, but he is from Brisbane. He gave the figure of 20,000 homes in danger ... seems like it might be worse. But, no doubt, emergency services will be able to cope. And in the case that outside help is needed, I'm sure there will be no shortage of it. Take care. Good luck, eh.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Well, I went ot bed worried...and got up worried.
Haven't been able to contact my sister up to yet, but she may be at the Hospital(where she works).
Her husband is on the front line of the rescue services....he is a policeman.
I just have to wait with my fingers crossed.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Hope you hear good news soon Margaret

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Just received a Text message John....she is holed up in the hospital that she works at.....she can't get home. Those who are 'on shift' have been given permission to use their mobiles to contact family...normally this is forbidden....however when her charge runs out that will be it(no charger at work)!

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Terrible events - my sympathy goes out to you Margaret. Didn't similar floods happen there in 1974?

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Yes they did, and as a result the Wivenhoe Dam was built as a safety valve to hold the water.
This dam is currently working at something like almost double its capacity, and there are great fears that the dam may actually burst.......this would be disastrous.
(I don't think it really needs saying does it?)
Toowoomba, close to where the dam is situated, is something like 700 metres above sea level....so it is not used to being flooded like this...but the floods are the result of a flash storm.

We just have to sit and wait......so far, I know my sister is Ok....but her home may not be.....if she can get home that is.:(

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Must be very worrying for all them involved, my heart goes out to all of you. Hope you all stay strong and safe.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Hope you hear something soon Margaret, fingers crossed

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Thank you....I will try and text her in the morning if I don't hear anything.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Latest update......15 lives lost still 70 people missing.....120,000 homes without power,over 4000 people living in community centres...doing it tough,sleeping on floors.This flood is not just Brisbane....over 75% of the state is flood affected...imagine if you will,the whole of the UK 6 times over.....it,s a big state.And now we are informed there is a cyclone building off the coast due to reach us in 4 or 5 days time....one can only pray that this excess water we have experienced is well and truly away by then.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Nature can be terrible.

There is a lot of coverage here, and there's lots of people thinking about you all.

Take care Tal.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

We are all thinking about you, take care

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Have you heard anything Margaret?

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Yes, but only via another family member......Nessa was at the hospital for18 hours......her normal shift is 8 hours.......staff could not get in ...so those who were already there, stayed on. Her phone died so she couldn't send me a text message......and I think she got home via a police vehicle(not usually allowed and not sure if I should have told you :) ).......and fortunately her home was safe.
So I guess that when she went home she would go straight to bed....I'm pretty sure she would be cream crackered.

Thank you for asking.

I am pretty sure that life is going to be difficult and chaotic over the next few weeks......getting back to normal won't be quick as so much damage has been done.

Respect to the Queenslanders!

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Glad to hear that she is well, it is going to be hard for them all like you said.
Keep us updated Margaret :)

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Might just do it through the blogs!

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

I am not in any way a dog lover I'm afraid but the footage of a woman losing hold of her dog in a waterfall as she was winched to safety broke my heart. What a bittersweet rescue that must have been for her.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

That was the floods in Brazil........there are floods in Sri Lanka too. The floods in Brisbane have a particular meaning for me because I have family there.
We must not forget these unfortunate people either........they are in a terrible situation....some of those in Brazil were buried alive under a mud slide.
If your heart doesn't go out to them, then there can only be one reason.......you don't have a heart.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Agree with your last thought, Margaret, such devastation on such a wide scale is just so unimaginable, and thoughts to all people of the world who are suffering by these disasters.

It is sad in Brazil because it is the poorest of the poor that have been living on these slopes.
It is sad in Australia, not just the loss of life, but the widescale destruction of the lovely homes these people have worked so hard to achieve.

Thank goodness your sister is ok .. what a great worry for you. x

Just hope the floods predicted for the U.K. will not cause too much damage.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

You are right Kate.......I hope that those people in Brazil and Sri Lanka will eventually get a better life as a result of the floods.....they are the really poor people....and deserve help.
Sometimes events like this focus your attention on how very lucky we are. And still we grumble!

It is going to take Brisbane quite a while to recover........and the folks there are going to be clearing up and doing without things for quite a bit yet. You tend to forget that things don't miraculously return to normal once the water has receded........food outlets like supermarkets cannot bring in stock because it has been contaminated by water.......the producers of goods are hampered, again because they cannot produce what is needed.......lots of small businesses will be in dire straits. The whole infrastructure of this lovely city has been compromised. It is going to take time.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

She may have been better off leaving it as it may have been possible to save it latter!

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

I am so glad that your sister is ok Margaret and I do have to add that having spent the last 6 weeks in Australia, the last 2 weeks of which were in various parts of Queensland, these floods are nothing short of horrendous. Tal is right when he says that most of the state is flood affected in one way or another. Places north of Rockhampton such as Townsville, Cairns etc, although they are not flooded directly, are having problems getting supplies into shops because major roads in the South of Queensland are under water. We went into Woolworths in Cairns last Friday to find empty shelves, hardly any fresh fruit/veg, meat and canned goods.

Mining in the state has been heavily affected with mines waterlogged and inaccessible. This will have a knock on effect on the economy and recovery. Harvests have been destroyed, snakes and crocs are in the water in places because their normal habitats have been lost and because of the increased water and humidity, (because this is not East Lancs, it is still bloody hot over there), the whole area is one large mosquito breeding ground, so there may be an increase in Dengue Fever in weeks to come.

I have nothing but praise for how the ordinary man on the street is handling all of this. Australians really are as tough as old boots, and I suppose that living in a country with such harsh extremes of climate would tend to toughen you up a bit. Some of the interviews on TV over there showed families rescuing animals, helping each other and generally just getting on with things with a "no worries" attitude. One newscast showed an extremely chipper family drinking beer on the verandah of their Queenslander while water flowed like a river down their street in Rockhampton. They claimed that they would start to worry when they ran out of beer.

I have to admire that kind of attitude because there are plenty of people who would be weeping, wailing and demanding help from UNICEF and WHO in other countries. It is making me wonder just how much international assistance Australia is getting in comparison to other countries...

Me and Sparks were very lucky, yes, we had a couple of travel glitches and only just got out of Brisbane before the CBD flooded, but we had a fab time in Queensland, all things considered, and our hearts go out to the people we met, who are trying to make the best of a bad situation and retain the 'no worries' attitude that Australians are renowned for.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Lettie, glad you and Sparks are home safe......and that you enjoyed your visit to QLD, in spite of the wet weather.
You are right about the tough as old boots mentality of the Aussies.......we saw it first hand after the bush fires........whole communities were razed to the ground, yet when we went back a couple of years later, the towns were refurbished and folk were only too keen to tell us that loss of property breaks your heart, but it doesn't come close to losing your life or your loved ones.

I have some very happy memories of my time in Brisbane........I'm sure if I ever get to go back it will be much changed.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

UPDATE......

BRISBANE was a city on edge last night amid food shortages, looming traffic chaos and mountains of rotting debris caused by the killer floods.
Despite feel-good images of volunteers aiding flood victims, the reality of life in the new Brisbane was sinking in for hundreds of thousands of people.
The CBD remains mostly without power, many streets are stinking messes, supermarkets are running out of basic items and the death toll from the disaster continues to climb.
There are now 18 confirmed deaths in Queensland and 14 missing, feared dead.
The force of the floodwaters was so profound that officials are unsure how far - or where - some bodies will have been deposited.
One of the dead was found 80km from where they went missing.
Shops are missing basic essentials like bottled water, infrastructure is so badly damaged that the return to work today is certain to be chaotic and the Queensland Government is alarmed at the extent of the problems facing the state.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

Related Coverage

• Alternate venue: Pub prayers for lost souls
• Steep hike: Fruit, vegies to cost us dearly
• Skills shortage: Foreign labour urged
• In-depth: Latest flood pictures, videos and reports

• Flood hell lingers as death toll rises Herald Sun, 5 hours ago
• Tragic find in Grantham Courier Mail, 11 hours ago
• Grim hunt for flood dead continues Herald Sun, 13 hours ago
• A tragic list of our lost souls Courier Mail, 16 hours ago
• Mega military clean-up effort Adelaide Now, 2 days ago

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.


Officials have urged businesses to implement staggered rosters so that Brisbane doesn't become gridlocked, while scores of security guards have been posted to ward off looters.
The situation is further complicated by flooding in parts of Brisbane yesterday and the long and slow process of the damaging water draining away from the worst-affected areas.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh explained that more than 28,000 properties had been affected, and warned of the potential for more damage.
Moreton Bay was littered with rubbish last night, with the mud and sludge from the Brisbane River stretching kilometres.
Eight tug boats were working overtime clearing debris - including expensive yachts - while four excavators were clearing the river mouth of mud and silt.
Scammers have been accused of trying to rip off the flood appeal by sending fraudulent emails, and using websites and door-to-door collectors seeking funds.

The main Brisbane market will not operate fully again for months, raising the prospect of long-term shortages of basic foods.
And late yesterday power still had not been restored to up to 20,000 houses.
The federal and Queensland governments poured a further $20 million into flood relief, with $85 million raised so far - well below the almost $400 million raised for Victoria's Black Saturday fire disaster.
Transport tycoon Lindsay Fox has pledged to send 25 shipping containers to Grantham in the Lockyer Valley for storage as well as possible emergency accommodation.
Premier Bligh yesterday announced the 17th flood fatality - a "mature-aged" woman found in her Grantham home, which had been searched twice before.
The house was severely damaged, prompting Ms Bligh to defend police faced with the gruesome task of retrieving bodies.
"They are working as hard as they can to be in a position to allow people back into Grantham as quickly as possible," she said.
"We need to be confident that bodies that are in the town of Grantham are recovered."
The flow of aid will continue with a pledge by transport giant Lindsay Fox to send 25 shipping containers to Grantham for storage and emergency accommodation.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

thank you for that update Tal.
I have been accessing the Aussie Press online......it has almost become a habit for me.

It is heart rending to see the results of the floods........and know that it will take months to get back to some kind of version of 'normal'.
And it is a long haul. Just don't be disheartened.
Reading about all the work that needs to be done makes me(I can only speak for myself) feel impotent.
All that I can do is send you my heartfelt wishes and tell you and all those who have been affected, that I am thinking about you...hoping you find the strength and fortitude to cope......there isn't any other option really.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Thoughts should also go to the residents of Brazil & Sri Lanka, seriously affected by floods, mud slides etc - and they had a much poorer infrastructure in place to start with. How they will cope is unknown.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Barrie this was my observation in an earlier post(#27).......and maybe, just maybe, Brazil and Sri Lanka will attract humanitarian aid from some of the international aid agencies.....and eventually they may get better standard living conditions as a result....they could hardly be worse.

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

Some Pictures before & After.

ABC News - Brisbane floods: before and after

Re: Queensland Floods.
 

seems things are easing up a bit , morning traffic report from the Brisbane paper ,even the toll takers are back in action , got give it to the Politicians and Bureaucrats, not even a disaster can keep them from having their grubby fingers out wanting more. ;)

Rush hour traffic back to normal as tolls reinstated on Brisbane roads | Courier Mail

there is a link on the web page showing traffic web-cams around the Bisbane area