Everyone in OT should read and try to figure out how to help the Aussies
(Asmo Hax)
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Everyone in OT should read and try to figure out how to help the Aussies
(Asmo Hax)
By now I am sure that many of you have heard about the flooding in Queensland, Australia in the last 48 hours and particularly the tragic and extreme flash flooding in Towoomba and surrounding districts. It was a rainfall event unlike any other, that caused the flash flooding in what is basically a mountain-top town. Eye witnesses say that it was like an inland tsunami as a wall of water up to 8 foot high rushed toward them.
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This video captures the ferocity of one small creek and the lucky escape of one 4WD owner.
The small town of Grantham on the outskirts of Towoomba suffered extrordinary damage and tragic loss of life, as the people had no warning whatsoever and whole houses were destroyed and even carried away by the force of the water.
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That was the the most savage of many ongoing flood events in Queensland and New South Wales and it has been estimated that up to 1,000,000 square kilometres is under water and many towns in northern areas are isolated as all major roads and highways have been cut by floodwaters. To add the difficulties of rescue and recovery work, The City of Brisbane, the state capitol, has also suffered very high water levels with large areas, including the CBD being flooded on the incoming tides yesterday afternoon and this morning.
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Here's a video of the flood peak in Brisbane yesterday afternoon, as seen from helicopter.
The people of Brisbane rallied behind Queensland Premiere Anna Bligh as she called upon the community to stand side by side to help out wherever they could and neighbours and complete strangers helped move belongings and sandbag houses and buisnesses in those areas most at risk. Even former Prime Minister and current Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd worked tirelessly in his own electorate to help move people and their belongings to higher ground.
Watch video here.
After the second tidal peak in the early hours of this morning it is said that up to 12,000 homes and 2,500 buisnesses have been flood affected in Brisbane and suburbs. Although the flood peak at high tide at 4 a.m. this morning was below the predicted level and the weather is sunny in Brisbane today, this is an ongoing situation with more flooding expected at high tides over the next few days. We hope that the worst has now passed.
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Premiere Bligh said this morning that the cleanup to come and the recovery effort that will be needed is unlike anything we have ever seen in Australia before and drew comparisions to post war reconstruction in Europe after WW2. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key has already offered any assistance she can, including sending defence forces to aid in reconstruction efforts. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard spent yesterday and last night in Brisbane and has assured the people affected that every effort will be made on a federal level to support and aid those affected from financial assistance to defence force personnel and equipment for the recovery effort. Many defence personnel and helicopters have already been involved in search and rescue operations in those areas worst hit.
Heavy rain in the State of Victoria have caused flash flooding in some areas overnight and many Northern New South Wales towns such as Grafton have also been hit by flooding as well. All of this is the result of a combination of unusual but not unprecedented weather conditions that are a part of the nature and history of Australia. We are a land "of droughts and flooding rains". Whilst all of this is happening in Eastern Australia, the south of Western Australia is still in drought conditions and suffered some losses of homes from a bushfire south of Perth over the weekend. The Northwest of Western Australia is also experiencing flood events in and around the Kimberly Ranges with the worst flooding on the Gascoyne River and the town of Carnarvon.
These are difficult times for us but we are a strong people who will overcome adversity (as we have many times in the past) and the nature of our society, which has been described as egallitarian, will see us work together at all levels of society to help each other as best we can. In the meantime, the Aussie spirit is not diminished and we can even mange to crack jokes in the face of disaster, such as the wag who took time out during the evacuation effort to look after the statue of Queensland Rugby League legend and icon (King) Wally Lewis at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
http://i460.photobucket.com/albums/q...1_wally_sl.jpg
You forgot to mention the XXXX brewery is underwater as well :(
I live on a property west of Ipswich and so far have been very lucky, however on Tuesday we had 340mm of rain by 2pm and as much as 100mm in a single hour. It was quite scary at times. Still no land line or mobile coverage to speak of (thank goodness for satellite isp) but actually watching the radar during the storm was a double edge sword, we kept wondering of it would ever stop.
The levee I built in preparation held (with a little extra digging during the downpour) but the stock dam on the back paddock burst it's walls, I suppose while the water was subsiding Tuesday night, because at 7pm I couldn't see the dam's top as the entire paddock was submerged.
I'm glad to hear you are ok and I am certain that one of the highest prority tasks will be restoring XXXX Brewery to full production asap. ;)
I am in Mildura on the Murray River and unless these rains hit the upper Murray catchment we are safe enough for now but who knows what might happen? The weather map looks like heavy rain in the south east today. Towns like Broken Hill and many others may be at risk of flash flooding today if they get the rain that is being forecast. Even areas of South Australia are at risk. It's hard to comprehend the scale of what is happening even for us who live here. Thats why I wrote this piece.
Q. Why do Queenslanders call their beer XXXX ?
A. Because none of them know how to spell BEER. :rofl:
Chin up mate. She'll be right.
I will now make an American friendly translation (BTW I grew up in the states so don't get all huffy)
We got more than a foot of rain in one day and during the downpour was at a rate of about 3 inches in an hour
The affected area is bigger than Texas and by affected I mean areas that aren't usually... are now underwater
In Ipswich, the river that goes through the center of town, rose about 60 feet
However, yesterday near Grafton the pub was still serving beer when the customers were thigh high in water :D
I'm just glad you're both okay. As someone who, in the states, has lived in a high rain + floodplain area, I know how bad it can get. :/
I feel so helpless and sorry for the people in Queensland. The flooding is over such an incredibly large area - much larger than say, the entire British isles - it just staggers the mind. I read this morning about a boy who drowned because he told the rescuer to rescue his little brother first. Unbelievable.
i have been hearing about it all over the news
now there are 12-13 dead and 40 missing
it is so tragic
It will be ok. Queenslanders are tough. They have pretty strong Origins.
The freakiest thing about this flood was the flash flood in Toowoomba, that city is more than 800m above sea level and 3 months ago they were trucking water in because the dam was dry. We had a very wet December (apparently so did they) but a flash flood on a mountain top is just plain odd.
The flood in Brisbane is less odd but it's been more than 35 years since the last big one and they built a huge dam on the Brisbane river to mitigate floods. Two years ago that dam was at 16% capacity, last month it was 100% (not over flowing just at the maximum planned level, it overflows at about 280%) in less than 5 days it rose from 100 to 180%.
I have no idea how much water that it, but safe to say... a lot
they say and 8m wall of water is going to hit Brisbane full force later today
Latest information is that the flood peak has passed and although there will be further flooding on high tides, the most severe flooding has passed in Brisbane and Ipswich.
No rain is falling in the catchment today and the sun is shining. This is still a high risk situation and unfortunately, a young man has been drowned this morning in Brisbane after an emergency rescue-free night there.
No rain today :D
Still shovelling mud :(
Don't think anybody will notice a difference in the taste.:devil:Quote:
Originally Posted by MonCable
Sorry, Somebody had to say it.:D
Ooh, I had totally no idea that it was this bad. One of my alliance members is missing relatives. Stories of people who have lost everything. This is horrible..
My thoughts are with you all over there. Its a terrible thing to be happening.
And I thought Englands rain was bad, Ill never grumble about it again!
Luda... Who is that?Quote:
Originally Posted by The Luda
Sussex. And people missing from his wifes family aswell. And Iso just told me Oz is safe. Thank god. (she got a friend that lost everything, that was who i meant with the stories about people losing all)Quote:
Originally Posted by XxflamesxX
Yes, the floods are tragic. Especially for those directly effected by it.
so, ummm..... is anyone going to get rid of this doublepostthread or what?
I live in the affected area of Brisabane, i am blessed in how lucky i am to have escaped unscathed, my heart goes out to the many that i know have been affected.
I hope all those that have a long hard road ahead of them can face the struggle with courage and determination, i am a volunteer that helped with the preparation and i will be helping with the clean up so i have seen first hand the devastation this event has caused.
Be strong and with time you will make it through this trying time
Nice bbc video explaining the floods in Australia, along with those in Brazil).....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12182936
accuweather doesnt seem to have anything though, probably too preoccupied with the snows in teh USA...
Youve already made a thread about this
Give Rodri a break on this one, will you? I'm sure with what's happening down there, this would not have double threaded normally.
Lmao he can swim nowQuote:
Originally Posted by Rodri
I was just wondering when a mod would get around to removing the double post... considering it double posted yesterday...Quote:
Originally Posted by Fallbreeze
I was aiming that more at Mopster. Sorry 'bout that, DeSal. :/Quote:
Originally Posted by DeSalvionjr
yeah, I figured... now lets leave this thread alone and instead keep the other one alive!Quote:
Originally Posted by Fallbreeze
*hops back into the corridors of OT to find the correct thread*
I felt a laugh coming out but held myself back.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mopster
or maybe a merge of threads?
Lower than expected tidal peaks on the swollen Brisbane River has allowed the clean-up to swing into high gear this morning as Brisbane City Council works hard to restore services to the CBD and surrounding suburbs. Many residents are breathing a sigh of relief that the flood peak was slightly lower than expected and the river seems to be dropping faster than expected. That is not to say that all areas of the city are open for people to return to their homes. Those low lying and riverfront areas where water rose above roof level are still unsafe and among the worst affected. The flood danger is now moving to towns west of the divide as swollen rivers threaten to top levee banks in Goondiwindi, on the top of the Darling River System.
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I must say how impressed I have been with the State Government Emergency Management officials and the way that they have performed through this crisis. Their preparation and planning has minimised human suffering and property damage and the willingness of the people to help each other both save their belongings and now to help with the cleanup in the worst affected areas is very heartening. I know that there are many tradesmen and volunteers in southern states who are either on their way north or simply waiting for flooded roads and weather conditions to clear to be on their way as well. The calm and orderly behaviour so far has been an example to the world of the true Australian spirit and ability.
Meanwhile, heavy rains have moved south with South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and the NSW town of Broken Hill experiencing flash flooding and rising rivers, with more rain forecast for NSW, Victoria and Tasmania today.
It would be remiss of me not to mention that, whilst the Queensland floods are bad, flooding and mudslides in Brazil have claimed over 350 lives and caused much more damage and suffering there. We share their pain and wish them well in their recovery efforts.
...what about sri lanka?
The death toll from the Brazillian floods and mudslides has now topped 500 and more than 1 million people have been forced out of their homes in Sri Lanka after a week of monsoonal dowpour. :( Forgive my failure to mention Sri Lanka earlier but media focus here is on local events at the detriment of world events.
Some good news locally is that the town of Goondiwindi is breathing a sigh of relief as river levels have started to drop from a high of 10.5m and will not top the town levee banks which stand at 11m. Some flooding of low lying surrounding areas and the town of Bogabilla is occuring currently. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced further troops will be sent to aid with flood relief and recovery in Queensland, bringing the total number of armed forces personnel involved to 2400.
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Goondiwindi levee banks holding.spacexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAussie spirit shines under a Queensland sunxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxVolunteer army tuns out to lend a hand.
The forces of nature are mighty and vast and can be terrible to behold but they are the same forces that sustain and nurture us and all other life. We must understand and accept that.
[EDIT] Flood poses no risk to (Qld) beer supplies! :cheer: [/EDIT]
The mayor of Brisbane today said that Monday will be business as usual for Brisbane
1. I'm afraid it'll be a while before I'm ready for 'business as usual'
2. I ruined 1 pair of boots, 6 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of shorts and 9 t-shirts just trying to clean out my storage shed
3. I met some wonderful people over the last 3 days
4. Need a tetanus booster tomorrow
Yes, it could have been worse
Yes. it has been worse elsewhere in the world
Yes, I'm so glad it wasn't worse here
wow I was actually wondering bout the Aussie here on the forums I too was cut off by the Flood waters I was stuck on the Gold coast seeing my ill Nanna (you got problem go :modedit: yourself) and yea I was worried bout relo's in Moree and Dad was grumpy cause he likes XXXX there are massive delays all over the state at Grafton it Took us 3hrs to get over the Bridge! but the most disheartening part isn't the deaths I mean thats sad true but what makes me angrier is the "looters" some are truely looting but others are plucking items out of the mouth of the river that would otherwise head into Moreton bay....All I can really say Is those poor victims and LETS REBUILD!
Where are those 2 people banned?
because they were spambots.
@ Rodri, i dont think that it is at all unreasonable for your regional news to take precedence over world news. rather it is what i would expect to be the case.
@ Desal, in staid of pointing out Rodri's mistake in not mentioning something, why dont you cover it yourself? how bout being helpful in staid of just pointing out everyone elses "problems"
true story
names changed
australia day, 2011
the day i stopped being depressed about the material things that were lost in the flood
lilman: wat cha doin' daddy?
me: bar-b-qing a chicken
lilman: ooooooo... it smells soooo yummy!!!
me: that's nice
lilman: daddy?
me: yes?
lilman: i miss max
me: who's max, lilman?
lilman: jerry's bestest frien'
me: jerry? jerry from play school? i thought jerry was your best friend?
lilman: he is!!!! but max was jerry's bestest frien'
me: well... why do you miss max?
lilman: (softly) cuz... max is dead, daddy
*short pause*
me: oh really?...... how did that happen?
lilman: well... he went in the water, and he can't swim, so he dead
*short pause*
me: oh.... that's sad
lilman: ye, but he's watchin' over me
*long pause*
me: well, that's nice
lilman: daddy?
me: yes?
lilman: can you teach me how to swim?
me: of course darlin'
lilman: thank you daddy
me: no worries bud
lilman: daddy?
me: yes?
lilman: i don't wanna be dead
me: well i don't want that either
lilman: if i go in the water, i wanna swim...so i don't get dead
me: ok... so i'll teach you, how's that?
lilman: *smiles* thank you daddy
me: no worries bud
lilman: daddy?
me: yes darlin'?
lilman: can i go play on the trampoline?
me: of course darlin'
lilman: thank you daddy
lilman: *runs off, pulling shorts up by the belt loops*
me: *sobs a bit*