Devastating Floods in Australia

It is So very difficult to explain the mass devastation of one of Australia's most beautiful capital cities Brisbane by the extreme flooding said to cover at least 70percent of the state of Queensland.

We have all in watched the crisis unfold with live coverage from the various news sources with in Australia and I realise that many people from all over the world have watched too as Queensland has been ravaged by this Flood Crisis of devastating proportions.

I have both family and Friends living in Queensland and I am pleased to inform everyone that they are safe and well.

However two very dear friends original Queenslanders have been through this before in 1971 and although they are not badly affected they have sent a small news letter to friends and family describing up until yesterday how the situation has unfolded for them and their family in the Ipswitch area.

 Arthur who has written the news letter, encapsulates about the 1974 floods and what he feels went wrong this time in Queensland.

Writing from the very effected Ipswitch I am copying some of Arthur's Correspondence to Friends and Family. I think it gives you much insight from a personal perspective.

I know the strength and caring of the Queenslanders will prevail through out this ordeal and I know that we as Australians are right behind them when it comes to help but I also understand that this will not be an over night fix.

One young lady, a friend of my nieces lives in Ipswitch with her small family and wrote on her Facebook page earlier in the week. " this is too freaky". "I want to come back home to Adelaide." Queensland is the home of many whose original beginnings were in another state or country and for them this might all seem just too hard to take. Take heart Queensland we have been watching closely and although it will take time to reestablish you do have the backing of the whole country behind you!

Milli 11

           

Extract from Arthur's News Letters about the floods below.

Newsletter One

Hello Friends,

I have just watched our local news reports and felt that it was appropriate to let you all know that, despite the severity of the floods in Queensland, we are quite OK and we don’t expect any major problems, personally.  Local flooding is slight - the creek at the bottom of our street has broken its banks, the lower section of our street is under water, the local parks are lakes and we had to swim the car through water over the main road to pick up the twin grandchildren.  In 15 minutes, it rose 30cm (12”), but 2 hours later, it had receded and the road was clear.  It is nuisance value, but we have been notified of major flooding threats in other areas.

 

N (daughter #1) rang last night, quite worried, as the news report indicated flooding for our suburb & others where my Mum, brother & his family live.  This is because our local dam is currently at 154% of capacity, two days ago it was 122%.  Apparently, capacity only means the amount of water it should hold, not what it can hold.  To bring this in perspective, every 12 hours the dam is receiving enough water to fill Sydney Harbour, and the dam is filling far faster that it is emptying.

 

We have been having about 50mm (2”) of rain each day.  Overnight, the skies opened and we had 12 hours of heavy rain.  Near the Sunshine Coast, Gympie & Maryborough (2 to 4 hours north of here), they had between 300mm (12”) & 400mm (16”) in 12 hours yesterday, so it is not surprising that floods are now extending south.  Our niece & her husband own a music store in the main street of Maryborough and they are moving everything to the first floor as they expect to be flooded in the next 24 hours.

Irene’s home town of Dalby is going underwater, for the 5^th time in as many months.

 

Toowoomba had flash floods yesterday – right in the heart of the city and only 80kms (50 miles) from us.  Even we couldn’t believe it – that sort of thing doesn’t happen here.  Besides, they are on the top of a mountain range.  We often shop & have coffee right where the worst of the flooding occurred.  I would never have believed it could happen there.  That water has now reached the bottom of the range and is heading our way.

 

Townships about 40km (25m) west of us (Withcott, Grantham, Gatton) have been inundated and our own city of Ipswich will suffer major flooding in the next 12-24 hrs.  They are expecting flood levels akin to 1974, the most destructive floods ever (floods in 1893 were bigger, but our populated areas were less extensive, so damage was a whole lot less).  For us, that means being cut off – the main highway near us could be blocked for a few days.  We are on high ground, so I don’t expect any problem, but we were in the thick of things in 1974 and know what areas could be inundated again.  Irene’s on edge, she wants to do something to help, but the help comes during and after the flood, when you assist with accommodation & then the cleanup.  We have experienced 2 flood cleanups, so we are quite prepared to help others. 

As I write, we have heard that another nephew (J) is moving out of his house in Ipswich & our son is on his way home from work as the major highway linking us with Brisbane is about to go under water.  N has had a call from the Day Care Centre to come and get the children - the Centre may go under water.  Everything is happening so fast.  Yesterday morning, it was just wet; today there is a real threat of major flooding and the rain has begun to pour down again.

 

At least some people still have a sense of humour – one couple were evacuating and showed reporters where previous floods have reached.  They commented that at the flood peak, they should advertise their house for sale “with absolute river frontage” and they may get a better price.

 

News Letter Two

I’ll be referring to the 1974 flood – the benchmark for local flooding, as it was to most devastating flood ever to hit Brisbane.  Multiple floods in 1893 were bigger, but not as devastating.

Another peculiarity is our Queensland houses – set up on 6 to 8 foot stumps, timber buildings with 12 foot ceilings, and high pitched corrugated iron roofs.  When they “go under”, it means that the flood waters are at least 28 feet deep.

You probably receive reports of the flood devastation here, but it is nothing like seeing it 24/7.  Even we cannot believe what the floodwaters are doing.  Only 40 kms (25 miles) west of here, houses have completely disappeared – swept away by a tsunami-like wall of water, estimated at 7+ metres (about 24 feet).  All that is left are concrete slabs, with tangled messes of furnishings wrapped around trees.

Ipswich (our city) is being swamped – over a third of the city is under water, including the inner city.  We are watching Coles & McDonalds with water up to their roof.

Brisbane & Ipswich are virtually closed down.  Businesses & Government offices are closed.  Everyone has been told to stay home, unless they are part of the flood relief effort or their homes are at risk.  They expect 120,000 homes to be affected in Brisbane alone.  We were intimately involved in the floods of 1974, and we feel a bit helpless this time.

A 100 year-old Aunt was evacuated yesterday – her house was completely submerged in 1974, so her family were taking no chances.  My brother’s brother-in-law was evacuated last night – water is already under his house and rising fast.  Some places are experiencing water rises of 30 cm (1 foot) each 15 minutes.  We can’t get to my Mother or brother without a 4-wheel drive, and that may not be for much longer.

Latest figures indicate the waters are deeper than in 1974, so we have to wait and see if it tops 1893, the most extensive flooding in recorded history, and that is obvious locally.

The highway, railway station & shopping centre at Goodna (next suburb towards Brisbane) are all under water, higher than 1974.  We can’t get out to see for ourselves – Police are blockading many areas.  We just saw images of our area from a helicopter – it is totally under water.  We can’t even see the roofs of some of the shops & houses, they are totally submerged.  They have seen a ‘bull shark’ (a man eater) in the main street of Goodna.

Around the corner from us, we had to beg a policewoman to be able to get close enough to photograph our local access road.  As you see from the photo, the semi-trailer was stupid enough to attempt to cross earlier this morning & now the waters have truly claimed it.  This is nothing, compared to the neighbouring suburbs.

With all this water & destruction, we are quite safe & sound.  We have slight inconveniences.  N & S live in the neighbouring suburb of Collingwood Park (towards Ipswich).  They have no electricity, no water & they are cut off, as every access road is flooded, so we put a painter’s plank across the creek at the end of our street and ferried the twins & other important items across.  They will live here, until things normalize.  Their house is high & dry and in no danger, but no water, no electricity & two exuberant 4 year olds are not a good mix.

Thanks to all who have sent messages of support. There are so many who will need it over the next few months.  We remember how the 1974 Brisbane floods & 1981 Dalby floods affected friends & family.  Many were devastated & never fully recovered.  Some sold up and moved, but none believed they would have to relive it.

 I know that it sounds terrible, but I have been predicting this flood for years.  So many people became complacent when they built the Wivenhoe Dam (which was designed to prevent future major floods and was never expected to fill), but I maintained that if it received torrential rain when it was already full, it would not be able to cope & they would have to release or risk a dam collapse.  That scenario happened this year.  This is one time when I get no joy from being right.  Unfortunately, no-one learned from 1974 & they built on flood plains (the children’s kindergarten must be now under 10 metres of water).  It is history!!  So many new housing developments have sprung up in flood affected areas, while our Library, Art Gallery, Convention Centre & Entertainment complexes have been built on flood affected areas which only held derelict warehouses in 1974.

Fortunately, we have had a sunny day, so there is little extra water entering the system.  The creek at the bottom of our street (which feeds down to the flooded semi), was over 7 metres (24 feet) wide yesterday, today it is only about 1.5 metre (5 foot wide).  It is surface water, and not affected by the river system.  Further down the creek, it is flooding & houses are being evacuated.

From where the semi is stranded, streets are impassable right through to the highway.  Our shopping centre (Redbank Plaza) is OK for now, but the car park is a boating marina. (Plaza Flood 110112 & 110112a)

In "Goodna 1101012", you can see McDonalds & Hungry Jacks (Burger King).  Woops, that was this morning!  You can't see them any more.  The roads look confusing because they are totally rebuilding the motorway - but it still went under water.  I think "Goodna train station" is self explanatory, but it's worthwhile noting the BP sign in the centre of the picture.  The servo is completely covered by water.

The Government has built new offices for Centrelink (which handles unemployed, pensioners etc) next to McDonalds and they have taken to snorkeling too.

Despite the flooding, most people we meet are philosophical, with many displaying the wicked Aussie sense of humour.

The floods should peak in about 6 to 8 hours time, but they are hopeful that it will not be as bad as 1974 in most areas.

Thanking You Arthur  and we do love that Aussie Sense of Humour even in this traumatic time.

The outcome will be history never to repeated again is our wish and prayer

For You All. xoxo