Australia's flooding

[Stan]

Many of us are aware of the flooding in Australia, but to say that it is about the size of British Columbia, then it has more impact.

[Dottie]

Hadn't heard a thing about it. All I hear is how the new people in Washington are getting new offices and staff, etc.

[aldona]

Another radio news presenter estimated the size of the flooded area as being greater than France and Germany combined.

This involves large parts of Queensland - it would be interesting to get Bravus' perspective, as it is a lot closer to where he lives.

Bravus, if you're reading this, I hope you and your family & home are not under threat and you're all OK.

For those of us down south, the floods will make themselves felt in the next few weeks to months with much higher fruit & vegetable prices.

The parts of Queensland that are worst affected provide a large part of the nation's fresh produce, and we have been warned that we will probably be paying up to 4 times the normal price for things like pumpkin, tomatoes, mangoes, grapes, melons, bananas, celery and avocados.

I remember a few years ago, one cyclone wiped out about 80% of the banana crop and it took until the following year for supply and prices to get back to normal. And that was just one kind of fruit. This is going to be HUGE.

AJ

[Bravus]

Yeah, we're home and fine: the South-East corner had a record December and there are a couple of roads closed near us, but nothing like what's happening elsewhere in the state.

Ironically, this time last year we were still in the tail end of a drought and on heavy water restrictions... Dorothea McKellar had it right in her poem:

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

They were talking about one of the rivers running through a town being up by over 13 metres: that's well over 40 feet.

[Stan]

this would be similar to

Washington

Idaho

Oregon

California &

Nevada..

Just eyeballing a globe did not check out the sq miles of those states. comparing them to British Columbia.

I miss international news when I am with my family in California..

[Stan]

Australia is among the first countries to be in countries with devastation, not only in the South Pacific, but in Africa as well.

AND yet, much of the world is silent over this tragedy.

Am so thankful for the internet, and to know things are ok with you and your family Bravus.

[Dr. Shane]

We were talking about this at work today. Since this is an area prone to both flooding and drought, have many water reservoirs been built? I live in an area (Texas) which is also subject to long droughts and flooding. We have several water reservoirs built so we can capture a good share of the flood waters before the flow into the salty sea.

[aldona]

Yeah, we're home and fine: the South-East corner had a record December and there are a couple of roads closed near us, but nothing like what's happening elsewhere in the state.

Ironically, this time last year we were still in the tail end of a drought and on heavy water restrictions... Dorothea McKellar had it right in her poem:

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

They were talking about one of the rivers running through a town being up by over 13 metres: that's well over 40 feet.

From what I have heard, the situation has gone from bad to worse, and the south-east is affected as well (pictures on the news websites of inner-city Brisbane suburbs under water!)

Any more updates? Is it still OK where you are?

AJ

[Bravus]

No, we have left uni and work and come home because we're likely to get cut off soon. That was borne out on the drive home, with quite a few rivers only a metre or less below the road.

The council is now saying the floods in Brisbane are likely to be only a metre or so lower than the 1974 floods that devastated Brisbane. They are saying 'hundreds' of houses will be inundated.

We personally are still safe, and are stockpiling fuel and food and bunkering down.

[phkrause]

No, we have left uni and work and come home because we're likely to get cut off soon. That was borne out on the drive home, with quite a few rivers only a metre or less below the road.

The council is now saying the floods in Brisbane are likely to be only a metre or so lower than the 1974 floods that devastated Brisbane. They are saying 'hundreds' of houses will be inundated.

We personally are still safe, and are stockpiling fuel and food and bunkering down.

Will be praying Bravus.

[aldona]

The city of Rockhampton (had a major flash flood yesterday, described as an "inland tsunami").

Central Brisbane - water level rising

Stranded cattle...

...and wildlife...

...and one more reason why it is dangerous to walk or swim through the flood waters.

[Bravus]

In Toowoomba, which is uphill and upstream from here, a flash flood was washing cars down the main street yesterday. And it's still raining solidly here.

[aldona]

you're right, my bad - it was Toowoomba that had the "inland tsunami", not Rockhampton.

From what I heard it happened so quickly there was no time for anyone to evacuate or even for a warning to get out.

Raining heavily here too, with top temperature 26 C (79 F) today and 95%+ humidity - weather that I associate with childhood holidays in Queensland. But nothing like what you folks are going through.

How wide is the area affected now? Seems like the whole south 1/3 or 1/2 of the state.

AJ

[Bravus]

[Jeannieb43]

That is frightening!

Do you live in that building from which the video was made?

Seeing all those cars being washed downstream in that vicious river was terribly unnerving.

[Bravus]

No, this happened in Toowoomba, about 100 km west of us. They're upriver, though, and that water is headed our way, along with plenty of rain of our own. All public transport in Brisbane is now shut down and parts of the CBD are being evacuated.

13 people killed in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley (between there and here), and 72 missing.

[Woody]

From viewing the end of that clip ... it would appear that you folks in that part of the world sure do have strange parking habits.

[Bravus]

Just got a text from the emergency services saying the Brisbane River will peak at 18-19 m (on the order of 60 ft) tomorrow lunch time. Craziness.

[Jeannieb43]

Well, please stay safe.

[Bravus]

Will do. Apparently that's for Ipswich and it's 6 m for Brisbane, but they're now saying something like 9000 houses inundated in the next couple of days.

[aldona]

It hasn't taken long for the religious fundamentalists to come out of the woodwork and start pointing fingers at who is responsible for incurring God's wrath in the form of floods.

Pastor says Kevin Rudd to blame for floods

Seems that God (or the pastor) has missed the fact that Kevin Rudd is no longer the Prime Minister.

AJ

[Bravus]

Pfft - Danny Nalliah is a serial pest who blamed the Victorian bushfires on gays or abortion or something.

Pity the media keeps giving these kooks attention.

[Nan]

And Julia Gillard professes no belief in God...has this genius not caught up with that fact yet? That must rate up there with words against Israel as a trigger for divine retribution.

I am personally relieved just to have found out that my cousin

in Toowoomba is OK, she has not been answering her phone all day.

[Nan]

On the divine retribution angle...

I was reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 13:4 ff

...those eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them -

do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in

Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you too will

all perish.

Seems like it is not our task to assign guilt to those suffering. There are much better things for us to be doing.

[Gordon1]

Seems like it is not our task to assign guilt to those suffering. There are much better things for us to be doing.

True Nan. The scale of this disaster should be a reminder that we are all in the same boat. At some point the four winds will start to blow and there will be no recovery. I'm sure we in the developed world will feel a strong blast, held to account for our lukewarmness, unless we repent and change. Too late for this to happen on a national or corporate scale.