Brisbane not looking too good .

[THE_MASK]

Brisbane not looking too good .
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/11/3110839.htm

[Matador.es]

Do you expect any trouble yourself?

Wish you the best, feels stupid to say, but its honest and cant do more


good luck!


I live in Holland, 1,5 meter below water level

[JScones]

I was amazed watching this video of the Toowoomba flood... http://video.news.com.au/1735546960/Incredible-flash-flood-footage (the 5:56 video).

[kiwi_2005]

Yeah I didn't realise how bad the floods were till I watched some youtube vids tonight. :o

[THE_MASK]

Do you expect any trouble yourself?

Wish you the best, feels stupid to say, but its honest and cant do more


good luck!


I live in Holland, 1,5 meter below water levelI am ok , thanks for asking .

[TarJak]

Good to know sober. My brother and his family live in Newmarket but he's high and dry. Got evacuated from work in the CBD and it took him over 2 hours to travel the 5km from the city to his place.:o

10 confirmed dead and 78 missing so far. Not pretty.

Worst news yet, they'd had the close the Brekky Creek Hotel!

[DarkFish]

I hope the water level will drop soon:up:I live in Holland, 1,5 meter below water levelSo why are you guys from Holland so stupid to go live there?:O:

At least us from Gelderland/Brabant know it's smarter to live above sea level:yeah:

[ReFaN]

I am ok , thanks for asking .

Hope it turns out Good in the end for everyone.

and grats for the 4000th post ;)

[TarJak]

Footage on how quick the water came up in Toowoomba on the 10th: http://media.smh.com.au/national/selections/watch-how-flash-flood-grew-in-minutes-2127942.html?from=newsbox

[ReFaN]

Footage on how quick the water came up in Toowoomba on the 10th: http://media.smh.com.au/national/selections/watch-how-flash-flood-grew-in-minutes-2127942.html?from=newsbox

Thats scary.

[Jimbuna]

My cousin and his family are flying back to Brisbane from the UK today :-?

[krashkart]

All our Aussie friends accounted for? :ping:

[Takeda Shingen]

What a God-awful mess. :cry:

[Pioneer]

Sober, what part of Bne you in?

[August]

All our Aussie friends accounted for? :ping:


That's something i'd like to know as well.

[Castout]

The flooding is really bad from what I've seen on television. Cars getting washed away :o

[bookworm_020]

12 dead, 67 missing and the flooding will be at its worse tomorrow. Just pray that there isn't any more rain or it will keep draging on. Some towns have now been flooded three times in as many weeks.

[heartc]

This is pretty dramatic. I wish all the best to our Aussie friends. Stay safe.

[Jimbuna]

This is pretty dramatic. I wish all the best to our Aussie friends. Stay safe.

Ditto http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[papa_smurf]

Only looks like its going to get worse, 20,000 homes affected so far.

This is pretty dramatic. I wish all the best to our Aussie friends. Stay safe.

Same from me.

[TarJak]

I understand ABC has taken it's geoblocking off for the period of this disaster to allow overseas people to see what's happening: http://www.abc.net.au/news/abcnews24/

Some amazing aerial views of the city of Brisbane inundated:http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/12/3111644.htm

Spoke to my brother earlier and his place is safe, but is concerned whether they will keep getting power and water. Brisbane CBD will not get power back until Saturday at the earliest. The econmic impact is going to be devastating for QLD with most of it's major industries impacted in some way.

[Jimbuna]

My cousin should be home by now, he lives in Nerang, is that anywhere near the flooding?

[TarJak]

My cousin should be home by now, he lives in Nerang, is that anywhere near the flooding?
No he should be OK. Nerang is about an hour further south near the Gold Coast. AFAIK there were no problems there. His major issue would be getting from BNE airport to Nerang as some of the highways have been cut by floodwaters. Their house should be OK though.

[Pioneer]

There is no flooding in Nerang. Nerang is fed by a different tributary system. My father reports on his drive today Nerang is high and dry.

Brother reported in high and dry too!:woot:

[Platapus]

What a terrible disaster. Was it caused just by heavy rains.

I just can't imagine (or more accurately don't want to imagine) losing everything you own like that.

What a tragic flood.

[Castout]

I just can't imagine (or more accurately don't want to imagine) losing everything you own like that.

What a tragic flood.

Indeed

[TarJak]

What a terrible disaster. Was it caused just by heavy rains.

I just can't imagine (or more accurately don't want to imagine) losing everything you own like that.

What a tragic flood.
Sadly some have lost far more than that with 14 dead and that toll expected to rise as emergency teams get to some of the worst effected areas.

A tradgedy indeed.

[kiwi_2005]

We have a aussie chap in our work gang we niknamed Skip as in (skippy the kangaroo) at smoko break we were talking about the floods I say to Skip do you have any family in Aussie that are affected by the floods? Oh yeah I have a brother in Toowoomba, Oh is he okay? I don't know I haven't heard from him. :DL We all cracked up laughing. Skip lights his cigarette sips on his coffee with not a care in the world. Mate you better give him a ring! Nah he''ll be fine besides hes a good swimmer. Silence. Hah had you kiwis fooled of course I rang him! :haha:

Anyways hope the floods cease for you Aussies, shocking stuff.

[bookworm_020]

Death toll is up to 15 and expected to rise.

On the lighter side.....

The hiss in your phone connection isn't static.....


http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/thousands-disconnected-as-floods-sink-telcos-20110113-19oz4.html

[JScones]

Worst news yet, they'd had the close the Brekky Creek Hotel!
They showed a few minutes of footage of the Brekky Creek Hotel, including an interview with the manager, tonight on Channel 10. Many a steak and beer I've had there.

[Feuer Frei!]

Good news with public transport improving for tomorrow (Friday), both Brisbane and Ipswich included, however some 25 regular routes will still stay suspended.
Particularly in the west like Indooroopilly, Toowong, around the University of Queensland and West End.
Queensland rail services to operate hourly out of the CBD, where it is safe to do so.
Also good news is that the Bruce Highway at Gympie was reopened this afternoon, with the highway also to re-open at Rockhampton tomorrow afternoon at 16 00.
It's a start.

[papa_smurf]

Good news with public transport improving for tomorrow (Friday), both Brisbane and Ipswich included, however some 25 regular routes will still stay suspended.
Particularly in the west like Indooroopilly, Toowong, around the University of Queensland and West End.
Queensland rail services to operate hourly out of the CBD, where it is safe to do so.
Also good news is that the Bruce Highway at Gympie was reopened this afternoon, with the highway also to re-open at Rockhampton tomorrow afternoon at 16 00.
It's a start.

Sounds like the worst is over, but there's still a long way to go with all the clean up to come.

(p.s. love the names you give towns, you sure you didn't make them up:hmmm:?)

[TarJak]

They showed a few minutes of footage of the Brekky Creek Hotel, including an interview with the manager, tonight on Channel 10. Many a steak and beer I've had there.
Same here. Can't go to Brisvegas without a steak and a couple of cold XXXX from at the Brekky.

Now the floods are easing the hard work of cleaning up starts. Estimates put the cost in the billions and the process could take years. Head Gen. Slater interviewed today and he reckons it will be at least 12 months before things are getting back to normal for some.

[Feuer Frei!]

(p.s. love the names you give towns, you sure you didn't make them up:hmmm:?)
No sir, they are legit :smug:

[krashkart]

Glad to hear that the floods are letting up. :)

[Jimbuna]

No he should be OK. Nerang is about an hour further south near the Gold Coast. AFAIK there were no problems there. His major issue would be getting from BNE airport to Nerang as some of the highways have been cut by floodwaters. Their house should be OK though.

There is no flooding in Nerang. Nerang is fed by a different tributary system. My father reports on his drive today Nerang is high and dry.

Brother reported in high and dry too!:woot:

Cheers...got an email two hours back stating everything is okay. :up:

[TarJak]

Good to hear.

[Pioneer]

Some perspective.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1225983022068?page=121http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/gallery-e6frer9f-1225983022068?page=120http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu266/PioneerXI/669488-ipswich-motorway.jpg

West of my brothers house. The freeway (Ipswich Motorway) in the foreground is an overpass that crosses about where the blue sign is. The Golden Arches on the right is on the outbound off ramp.

Actually, not much has changed since we were in the flood of 1974. The freeway has replaced the two lane road bottom left. The top photograph was taken form about where the bottom left billboard was. The below view is looking east back towards the Wacol Army Barracks.

Apologies for size, could not get the image tool to work.

http://maps.bonzle.com/h/l/r/t/e3ksk.jpg

[TarJak]

Some amazing hi-res aerial images of the floods at nearmap: http://www.nearmap.com/?q=@-27.517102,152.986164&ll=-27.517102,152.986164&z=13&t=k&nmd=20110113

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/flood-devastation-mapped-by-highres-sky-cams-20110114-19qer.html

The cleanup begins: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/salvation-comes-with-brooms-and-gumboots-20110115-19rv6.html

[bookworm_020]

Beat me to the post about the clean up, TarJak! Glad to see so many out there helping on the ground. The scumbags who were caught looting, should consider themselves lucky. If the cleanup groups had caught them instead of the police, they may have been run though a shreader!

[TarJak]

The leeches like that deserve everything they get.

My brother vounteered yesterday and moved about a ton and a half of mud and a piano out of this bloke's house so he's knackered this morning but will be lining up to do it all again today. He said the smell is awful and the mosquitoes and flies are pretty bad as well.

[bookworm_020]

Glad to hear that your brother is helping. I would if I lived up that way. My hat is off to all who have helped during the floods and who will after the waters have gone.:salute::salute::salute::salute:

[Nicolas]

And in brazil more than 500 deaths by the flooding. :cry:

[THE_MASK]

The weather is improving .

[August]

Ii'm assuming once the floodwaters subside folks will just rebuild.

How reasonable would it be to first raise the level of the ground to put the affected areas above the flood line?

[Jimbuna]

Looking at the sheer size of the areas underwater (in the Brisbane area) the equivalent of Germany + France....I should imagine that would be impossible.

[bookworm_020]

The Vultures are already circling!

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/property-vultures-try-to-swoop-on-home-owners-20110122-1a0s6.html

[August]

Looking at the sheer size of the areas underwater (in the Brisbane area) the equivalent of Germany + France....I should imagine that would be impossible.

Well you wouldn't have to raise the whole area, just where there are buildings and homes.

[krashkart]

The Vultures are already circling!

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/property-vultures-try-to-swoop-on-home-owners-20110122-1a0s6.html


Man, some people just have no concept of decency, do they. :shifty::nope:

[Pioneer]

Well you wouldn't have to raise the whole area, just where there are buildings and homes.

Umm...2 million people in the greater area, probably 5 million people in the South East corner, occupying 300 milles x 200 miles; that's a lot of dirt to raise the population even an inch.

The river snaked it's way through the city, about 100 miles of waterways through one of the largest geographical cities in the world. Again, probably impractical to raise.

I don't want to sound rude to the outside world, but Australians, in general, expect these things to happy. You live in the bush, you expect fires. You live in Qld, you expect 4-5 cyclones (hurricanes) a year. It's a harsh hostile environment, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Tragedy strikes and makes us sad, houses and lives get taken and we weep, but there is something unique about the Australian spirit.

Truth be told, we probably got it from our troops in places like Kokoda, Gallipolli and The Some. :salute:

[krashkart]

Truth be told, we probably got it from our troops in places like Kokoda, Gallipolli and The Some. :salute:

I'll add Rabaul. If I have my information straight, yesterday was the anniversary of the Japanese assault on the Aussie base there in 1942. Had this all planned out and forgot to post a tribute...

Off to check the notes to see how bad my memory really is these days. :)

EDIT: I was close! Today is the anniversary! January 23rd, 1942 marked the beginning of the Battle of Rabaul.

[August]

Umm...2 million people in the greater area, probably 5 million people in the South East corner, occupying 300 milles x 200 miles; that's a lot of dirt to raise the population even an inch.

Yeah like I said you don't raise the whole area. Building houses on stilts or atop car garages would go along way toward limiting flood damages too.

Personally if I were living in a flood plain like that I'd consider rebuilding in such a way that minimizes my future risk. Its got nothing to do with toughness or nationality either. New Orleans and many other areas in the US could do the same.

[Gargamel]

New Orleans ain't got **** on Australia.

Just read an article that a town down there has Sharks swimming the streets now.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks-swimming-in-australias-flooded-streets.html

Yeah, go loot something now. :nope:

[krashkart]

Personally if I were living in a flood plain like that I'd consider rebuilding in such a way that minimizes my future risk. Its got nothing to do with toughness or nationality either. New Orleans and many other areas in the US could do the same.


Certain parts of Idaho, a good portion of Iowa, probably northern Missouri. The ragers that hit Idaho from time to time... people build right on the sandbars in some places there - but the flooding is mostly restricted to the fast rivers in the mountains. Iowa gets hit pretty much every year, with Missouri being south of us and sharing some rivers. All this flat land and lack of good runoff makes for a potential bathtub. Heavy rains throughout the spring add to the snowmelt, and by summer we start getting flash flood watches along with the usual severe t-storm warnings. Not unusual to see corn fields sticking up out of lakes that formed overnight. Year before I think it was Cedar Rapids was mostly underwater. Last year it hit a good portion of Ames and pretty much submerged... I think it was Colfax?? Started with a "C", anyway. Small portions of Des Moines took some damage, too.

Problem is, from what I've been able to determine, it's a crap shoot. One year the water hits somewhere upstate, next year it hits in the east, year after that it might not even affect our state. Keeps one guessing at times. Pretty much depends on where the rains fall the heaviest and how well the natural and manmade runoff can handle the deluge.

I'd have to agree with you on elevated constructions. But toughness and human pride... well, you know. Probably ain't gonna happen. :haha:


EDIT: Come to think of it, the floods in Idaho aren't devastating on a grand scale. Just seems to be a habit of building too close to areas that naturally flood out from time to time, like the sandbars I mentioned. When the floods do come then you have people crying over the cabins they just lost to the river. Buh...

Places like South America and the BFE regions of China could do with better emergency services, but I guess that's not something we can help out with on a large scale.

Posting as is. Flame away. :P

[Jimbuna]

Umm...2 million people in the greater area, probably 5 million people in the South East corner, occupying 300 milles x 200 miles; that's a lot of dirt to raise the population even an inch.

The river snaked it's way through the city, about 100 miles of waterways through one of the largest geographical cities in the world. Again, probably impractical to raise.

I don't want to sound rude to the outside world, but Australians, in general, expect these things to happy. You live in the bush, you expect fires. You live in Qld, you expect 4-5 cyclones (hurricanes) a year. It's a harsh hostile environment, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Tragedy strikes and makes us sad, houses and lives get taken and we weep, but there is something unique about the Australian spirit.

Truth be told, we probably got it from our troops in places like Kokoda, Gallipolli and The Some. :salute:

Plus a large helping of British ancestry :DL

[August]

I'd have to agree with you on elevated constructions. But toughness and human pride... well, you know. Probably ain't gonna happen. :haha:

Building codes and insurance requirements tend to trump toughness and human pride! :D

[Pioneer]

New Orleans ain't got **** on Australia.

Just read an article that a town down there has Sharks swimming the streets now.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/sharks-swimming-in-australias-flooded-streets.html

Yeah, go loot something now. :nope:

I couldn't see the link until I quoted.
The said McDonald's in the article is the same one in the pic near my brothers house.

[krashkart]

Building codes and insurance requirements tend to trump toughness and human pride! :D

Ha! I hadn't thought of that. Very true, very true. :haha:

[August]

Kidding aside, i've been looking at flood proof houses and there are some wild designs out there. For example:

http://www.architecturezine.com/sustainable-flood-proof-house-by-studio-peek-ancona/

http://www.architecturezine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Sustainable-Flood-Proof-House-by-Studio-Peek-Ancona.jpg

http://www.architecturezine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Prototype-Flood-Proof-House-by-Studio-Peek-Ancona.jpg

[Pioneer]

***Most** Queensland houses are built to a flood code. The traditional house is on stilts (poles) VJ roofs (high peaks) and vernadah's (wraparounds) If you've been down to Galveston think of the "breakaway" houses with the tidal surges, same concept.

[bookworm_020]

In many country towns, people know when the flooding will come, as it happens every 5 to 10 years. As many towns will get a warning, due to the fact the waters are comming from upstream, they know what needs to be done and know what to expect.

The pub will still be trading with water at knee hight!

[JScones]

Not sure if this "before/after" lin khas been posted before... http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/qld-floods/beforeafter.htm

[bookworm_020]

Not sure if this "before/after" link khas been posted before... http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/qld-floods/beforeafter.htm

A good one to give an idea of the scale of it.

[August]

What an awesome way of showing a before and after. Whoever thought of it was pretty smart.

[Feuer Frei!]

So, 81 scum have been caught in a 3 week sting held by 200 Police to catch these a$#holes.
I say string 'em up and let the public watch!
Disgraceful... they should make their names public so that they are shamed forever. :nope:

"Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett said that under Operation Safeguard 81 people were arrested on 225 charges, including fraudulently soliciting flood victim donations, assaulting police, breaking and entering, graffiti and possession of dangerous drugs.
Officers involved in the operation handed over another 70 arrests to regional police for further investigation."

Great, could be more, another 70 possibles. :doh:


FULL STORY (http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/police-charge-81-in-qld-flood-patrols/story-e6frfku0-1226003823484)