I know Mad Mel posted a couple pictures in the other weather thread, but I think this really deserves its own.
They have had flooding since before Christmas all over Queensland; my brother and daughter (and their families live there) They are safe, albeit, my daughter and her family are cut off from all supplies.
Just hours ago the Brisbane River broke it's banks.
Its amazing how quickly things can turn for the worst. I was just up there a couple of months ago for mid-semester break. It was sunny, +30s and beautiful the whole 2 weeks I was there. All of a sudden, a massive portion of the state is flooded. Just unreal. Hopefully they can make it through with minimal casualties and damage.
It's pretty f'ed up right now. And, in Brisbane, the worst is yet to come. Tomorrow and the next day are going to be ugly. The current estimate is that 3500 homes will be flooded in the city.
Thoughts, prayers, whatever kind of good wishes people can muster to the families of the 9 dead and 66 missing.
Edit: just saw the premier on TV, she says it's now 9 dead, 59 missing.
Edit update: 10 dead, 78 missing, 18 'grave concerns' (i.e. authorities are pretty sure they're dead). 9000 homes in Brisbane expected to be 'significantly affected', another 30,000 'affected'. Ipswich expects 3000 homes to be inundated.
Glad to hear you are safe Mad Mel. My fiancee is from Brisbane and we are quite concerned for her family and friends. Everyone is okay for now but it's uncertain whether her mom will be able to get home from work today. Here is the website to make donations to the relief: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html
An area larger than France and Germany combined is affected and I have been through much of it. So much of Western Queensland was bone dry when I went through, now so many of those inland communities and towns along the coast are inundated. It's unbelievable.
I should add the knock-on effect will be worldwide: cotton, sugar, fruit, cattle and coal production is all severely affected which means there will be eventual spikes in the prices of clothing, food, and goods from China (which relies heavily on Australian coal).
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Last edited by icarus; 01-11-2011 at 04:08 AM.
Reason: To add final paragraph
I never thought I'd be posting in an off-topic thread about flooding in Australia as someone being directly affected, but here I am. I just moved down here for school yesterday and right into this disaster. The whole time before I got here I was telling people that even though it's been raining a lot, the flooding is more in the North and the city won't be affected. Now, cause I live right along the Brisbane river, I might have to evacuate as it's supposed to rise another 5m or so. I'm not even sure how much stuff or what I should take if I have to go...
Mad Mel: Will you have to evacuate?
Edit: I've taken some pictures but unsure of where to upload to... what do people use usually? Imageshack or something like that?
Edit: NM, I used imageshack, I just hope that I cropped my pictures enough but not too much... anyways, just a few shots real close to my place of Brisbane River and just how high the water levels are.
Last edited by FusionX; 01-11-2011 at 05:28 AM.
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Welcome to Brissy, FusionX! LMAO, you've got some kind of timing.
Most important thing first: The Pig & Whistle at Riverside in the CBD is the only pub you'll ever see a hockey game in. Pretty much playoffs only, though. NHL Gamecenter is your friend.
The evacuation question isn't a simple answer. I live on an acreage out in Mount Crosby, and my house is atop a nice big hill. Sweet.... if I could get there. Both roads into Mount Crosby are flooded out, and will probably stay that way until at least the weekend. So I'm staying at my g/f's house, which is in Cannon Hill, right on the edge of what flooded in '74. I knew I shouldn't have gone to work today. Might have to move, we'll keep a close eye on things. Better go buy some underwear, too. My office is hooped if the water comes up, it's on Coronation Drive 100m from the river (if you're near UQ in St. Lucia or Taringa or something, then very close to you), and the water went halfway up the first floor in '74. So anyway, short answer is that I won't have to evacuate, I'm just homeless and probably on vacation for a while.
If you're trying to figure out what the likelihood of flooding hitting your home is, this is a good resource. http://lexiphanic.com/floodmaps/ The one for your suburb should give you an indication, and the one showing the flood extent in '74 again gives some idea. Of course, who knows what's actually gonna happen tomorrow and especially Thursday.
I use PhotoBucket, but I think other options are probably as good or better, it's just what I've used for years. It works.
Edit: great photos, FusionX. Can't wait to see what it looks like when the flood hits over the next couple of days. Yup... the flood hasn't even hit yet.
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If you're trying to figure out what the likelihood of flooding hitting your home is, this is a good resource. http://lexiphanic.com/floodmaps/ The one for your suburb should give you an indication, and the one showing the flood extent in '74 again gives some idea. Of course, who knows what's actually gonna happen tomorrow and especially Thursday.
To give people an idea of how fast the water came up in Toowoomba... and how fast cars can go in water.
Good video. But the guy @ 1.24 is not smart, even though he got away but to get out there when other cars are being swept away just to save his car? lucky man.
^ Agreed. Apparently he didn't get the memo... never go full ######. One lucky guy. I'm sure some of the people who died were swept away in vehicles when the flood first hit.
Thanks zuker. Yeah, we've only been together a few months. She's working, so I'm getting to know the dogs, they're cool. I'm getting due for a trip back to see the family, we'll grab a beer.
Flooding in Australia
