Queensland Extreme Weather: Floods and Cyclones

[Lord Chrusher]

The state of Queensland in Australia is currently suffering some horrendous floods. It has been raining heavily for the last month and an area the size of France and Germany combined is underwater. Dozens of towns have been inundated and over 200 000 people have been directly effected. Both mining and agriculture have been heavily effected with food prices across Australia are projected to rise by a quarter

Until recently the flood has been gradual allowing people to escape the flooding. However on the 10th there was flash flooding in the town of Toowoomba. At least 12 people are dead and tens of people are still missing.

Cars being swept away by the flood waters in Toowoomba

Now the flood waters are heading downstream and are threatening Brisbane, the state capital and the third largest city in Australia. Thousands and thousands of houses are flooded.

Flooding near Brisbane
More pictures of the flooding over the last month.
The former Prime Minister Kevin helping his electorates evacuate.

I hope any Queenslander forum members and their loved ones are safe.

On a more personal note I was on the southern edge of this storm over Christmas. I was staying an hour south of the New South Wales - Queensland border and we received 260 mm of rain in six days including 80 mm on Christmas Day. There was no flooding where we were but one of the friends I was staying with was unable to drive an hour up the coast to her parents on Christmas Day by flooding.

[Dutch guy]

I wish those people the best of luck. The forces of water are devastating.

[CtMolloy]

I live near Ipswich, Currently a bit cut off, but not in any danger. still have power and water for the time being

This is what one of the intersections I need to go through to get to the motorway(and out to anywhere else) looks like


There's a video shop behind the bunch of trees behind the chemist, the road out goes between the video shop and chemist. I drove through here a very short time before this area started flooding, the police were already there. Being the nub I am I had no idea it was about to flood, though I'd heard about toowoomba the day before. I got home and turned the tv on to realise just how lucky i was not to be trapped on the motorway.

I'm a little worried about my drummer, last I heard he had water rising near his house. None of my calls or texts have gone through. My friend's parent's place nearby is totally submerged and they only just escapd, My guitarist is holed up in a hotel in the Brisbane CBD, The nursing home my mum works at was evacuated, My girlfriend is currently without power and I really want to go see her, But I can't, I'm sure she's safe, but still...

Its really bizarre seeing places you know, walk around in, eat at, shop at, everything under water and being washed away. I have it good though. so many people are homeless or have lost loved ones.

[Metcarfre]

If you still have water I recommend filling every jug, bottle and even glass with it while you can - but you probably already knew that.

Stay strong - we're pulling for ya!

[Danzama]

Hope all is well, and know that we care for you.

[Tapir12]

What I've seen on the news looks absolutely devastating. I hope everyone stays safe and the waters start to recede soon!!!

[TheRocket]

yes, what Met said! Fill up, and stock up.

That is very scary. I hope all of our aussie forumites are safe and check in soon!

[Trymantha]

im currently in the sunshine coast(just by mooloolaba) we are lucky where be are its been raining hard but no flooding as of yet and in good news the sun is shining and hopefully it stays that way.

[Lord Chrusher]

The flood seems to have peaked in Brisbane a little lower than expected. Even so over 10 000 houses have been completely flooded with many more partially flooded.

Other parts of the state are still cut off from the outside world so the air force is flying in supplies.

[Danielle Pepin]

o.O Wow! I wish you all luck! Hope it doesn't get any worse. Indeed stock up...looks of that would send me for higher ground as soon as I could find it.

[WBAGNR]

The thing that astounds me is that that 80mm of rain fell in just 30 minutes!

I think a credit card is around 80mm long, though I might be wrong. That's just an insane amount of water to fall.

[Elomin Sha]

I for one welcome our friends from New Atlantis.


Seriously though I hope you guys are okay out there and it gets better soon.

[TheRocket]

How are you guys?

[tak197]

Guess what? Brasil didn't want to be upstaged so they decided to have their own floods.

I guess this time of year is when Mother Nature is having some serious PMS or something, because she's flooding down south and frigid up north.

...Okay, that made me feel dirty and gross to write.

[TheRocket]

I saw rescue footage from the Brasil one that made me want to cry. I don't like these floods.

[Danielle Pepin]

So many fatalities and mothers unable to save their children.

[CtMolloy]

The water is going down here and cleaning up is beginning. I'm hoping to be able to get to my girlfriend's place tomorrow or sunday. It's going to take a long time for things to get back to normal.

Its good to see the community mostly helping everyone. Except for the few arsefaces who are doing things like selling bread for $10 a loaf or a carton of beer for $120.

[King Kool]

Carton of beer?

[CtMolloy]

a cardboard box full of bottles of beer?

[MattAn]

a cardboard box full of bottles of beer?

Isn't it awesome being Australian?

I'm over in the west, so we're nowhere near flooded, but the amount of donations and assistance Queensland is getting from interstate is.. Well.. Pretty darn neat! I honestly don't care what state anyone happens to live in. We're all Australian, nothing different about us. I know there are some people here in Perth who are patriotic "West Australians", who don't associate with those who are "over east". I'm from the east. There's no way I'll ever be like that.

WA's been having some pretty severe bushfires though lately, which also sucks. However, they mostly aren't caused by "Mother Nature", rather "fucking morons who deliberately want to set fire to bushland".

I stated it on Twitter, but may as well repeat it here. It would be handy if Australia could fold in half. Queensland's floods could put the WA fires out and hopefully evaporate all the excess water in the process.

If it's not drought, it's pouring rain. Can't we just have normal seasons?

[Phailhammer]

Alot of the stories I've seen have been of people who don't know each other helping other strangers. One guy they showed on the news said he was helping someone clean up "because I can."

Except for the few arsefaces who are doing things like selling bread for $10 a loaf or a carton of beer for $120.

Don't forget the looters; I saw on the news that police have already caught people, including one woman with a stolen jetski who said the SES said she could take it because it was just floating around. :/

[TheRocket]

A carton of beer isn't limited to Australia ..just fyi. 'Round here we just call it a case.

[Master Gunner]

Two-Fours indeed very common around here.

[Danielle Pepin]

Some may think it strange that in Canada we can get our milk in either bottles, jugs, cartons (boxes as seen in most American movies with the missing persons that used to be on them) or bags (plastic sealed bags and you purchase a little plastic picture to put the bags in to pour it).

...I suppose boobs count but you don't buy that from the store and that's every country.

[AmazingPjotrMan]

This makes me want to invest in a rubber raft.