Brisbane river overflowing

I know there are two members who live in Brisbane. The situation looks worse than I have ever seen it.
I hope you are okay!

Yes, that looks really bad. I hope our Aussie members are ok!

-mgb

I heard of expected evacuation in case Brisbane river gets out of control - al over the city. I am so sorry. All this is terrible, and I wish all Aussie members that the rains stop. Last year terrible fires, this year rains - a country in exetermis. This is scary to watch even from the distance.
I hope you are all safe.

I do hope that everyone is OK too - the situation looks really bad there.

Keep safe everyone.

Liz

Hi and thanks for thinking of us in Queensland. The rain has been unbelievable and the situation for Brisbane and outlying areas is very serious. It has been very sad to hear of the young mothers with children that have died as a result of being trapped in their cars trying to escape.

Evacuations are in place in Brisbane and the Coroner and the Australian Army have gone into the country areas now the peak flooding is receding to try to find some of the 90 people that are missing, feared drowned.

It is a very sad and overwhelming experience watching it slowly unfold. Unfortunately, the major dam that was supposed to save Brisbane from flooding like in the 1970's has to let more water out which is going to make the situation for Brisbane worse. They expect the water levels to peak at 22 meters at 4am tomorrow.

I've been watching in horror seeing people and vehicles swept away, my heart goes out to you all in Australia. And we're complaining here in Calgary, Canada because of the bitterly cold and snow we're having, it's nothing compared to what's happening there. Sure hope things improve soon.

I have a family in Brisbane, too in Woodridge area, but they told me so far they are doing OK. I'm relieved.
Looks like you too, Annabella, whew. But just to be safe, how is the situation in Woodridge right now, if you know?

I am terribly sorry for those who weren't so fortunate. What a tragedy. Heart wrenching.

I hope the situation will very soon return to normal and people can go back to their normal lives.
Yes, Australia is incredibly beautiful but also can be quite harsh...

May you all be safe!


Risa

What a terrible tragedy. Where is all the rain coming from? Isn't it meant to be summer in Australia?

I hope there will not be any further casualties and that the rain will finally stop and the floods retreat.

Love

P.

Hi Petzi,

We are a subtropical area and the rains have come early and much more heavily than expected. A lot of it has fallen inland and it is usually drier there even in the wet season. So with the inland water merging with the normally full outer areas we have rivers that are 2 kilometers wide that are taking everything with it. One town had an inland tsunami which the people had no warning of so they were swept away in their cars.

Watching people trying to save their livestock is heartbreaking. People in the inland areas have lots of horses and cattle and sheep and they are just disappearing under the fast moving water. The inland areas have lots of crops and the farmers have lost everything. With the roads cut, the transport with food supplies can't get into the towns.

Even when it dries out the roads will not support heavy transport so the army has been called in to food drop. It resembles the 3rd world at the moment with the army being deployed and troops coming in from New Zealand to help out.

The shelters for people do not take pets into them so they are relying on volunteers to take their beloved pets into their homes and properties. It is very distressing to everyone, especially the elderly being separated from their loved pets.

It will take weeks to get back to any kind of normality for everyone in the south east.

Thank you all for your thoughts. We are doing what we can and may even take some folks into our home if necessary.

here is a link to flood stories. you probably do have to create an account

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-town-changed-forever-by-devastating-tragedy/?referrer=email&source=Punch_nl&emcmp=Punch&emchn=Newsletter&emlist=Member

Hi everyone,
Another Queenslander reporting in all safe and dry.
Risa, Woodridge is just up the road from me and hasn't been hit at all.
The saddest area is a few towns in the Lockyer Valley - Murphy's Creek and Grantham area. Google map them and Toowoomba as satellite photos and you will get an idea of the terrain.
They were caught unawares with a hugh flash flood.
I have been through Murphy's Creek a few times and it is a pretty little place at the foot of the Toowoomba range. The range drops down almost as a cliff face at Murphy's Creek, then the railway line, the road and then the houses, before rising back up into some foot hills. The houses are almost the lowest point.
The distance from the houses to the railway (the highest point before the cliff face) is only a few hundred metres but the flood came in so quickly some people couldn't even get that far. It was also night, which makes things even harder.
The reports from a friend in Gatton, just down the road are not good. One of the local motorbike shop owner's sons has been killed, and the death toll in this area is expected to rise.
Grant was saying the footage of the area is giving no reality to the scope of the devastation.
We haven't as yet decided where we will spend our next few Sundays helping. So far only one friend has reported in as being hit hard but another friend has him in hand.
So we are waiting to see who needs help the most.
At the moment until the water recedes it's just a case of waiting, which for those affected must be driving them crazy, waiting to see the damage.

Thank you Marion and Annabelle, I feel much better.

I've sent my fam an email, should get a response anytime now, too.

Keep safe, guys!

Risa

Annabella,

I have seen the pictures of devastation on the news yesterday. Freighting stuff.

They also did a science bit about what caused the floods. Apparently this year is a strong "El Ninja" year. A Pacific current that normally heads towards South America reverses every couple of years and heads in the other direction. This reversal caused the unusual and devastating weather conditions you are experiencing right now.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the worst is over.

P.

Petzi - you are totally right about the weather connection - we are all watching the damage unfold on the t.v. - depressing stuff.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

I have been sharing your updates with my co-workers. We are all thinking of you.

I'm glad you checked in, Marion. I haven't seen you post in awhile.

There was a good story in the NYT this morning. Photos with water to the tops of the palm trees. Otherwise not much coverage in the US:(.

This is a link, hopefully, to our ABC Australian Broadcasting Commission.

The photo galleries pretty well say it all.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

Hope that works.

Marion

The floods are horrific indeed, and here in UK we get a pretty up to date coverage of the main events, but of course there are the neverending human stories and tragedies when there is disaster on that scale which are difficult to imagine unless you live through it all.

At least the worst is over and Aussies are marvellous at pulling their resources in times like this. Brave and resourceful, and good humoured with it. I am glad that things are beginning to get easier at last.