Queensland Floods.

[lettie]

I am so glad that your sister is ok Margaret and I do have to add that having spent the last 6 weeks in Australia, the last 2 weeks of which were in various parts of Queensland, these floods are nothing short of horrendous. Tal is right when he says that most of the state is flood affected in one way or another. Places north of Rockhampton such as Townsville, Cairns etc, although they are not flooded directly, are having problems getting supplies into shops because major roads in the South of Queensland are under water. We went into Woolworths in Cairns last Friday to find empty shelves, hardly any fresh fruit/veg, meat and canned goods.

Mining in the state has been heavily affected with mines waterlogged and inaccessible. This will have a knock on effect on the economy and recovery. Harvests have been destroyed, snakes and crocs are in the water in places because their normal habitats have been lost and because of the increased water and humidity, (because this is not East Lancs, it is still bloody hot over there), the whole area is one large mosquito breeding ground, so there may be an increase in Dengue Fever in weeks to come.

I have nothing but praise for how the ordinary man on the street is handling all of this. Australians really are as tough as old boots, and I suppose that living in a country with such harsh extremes of climate would tend to toughen you up a bit. Some of the interviews on TV over there showed families rescuing animals, helping each other and generally just getting on with things with a "no worries" attitude. One newscast showed an extremely chipper family drinking beer on the verandah of their Queenslander while water flowed like a river down their street in Rockhampton. They claimed that they would start to worry when they ran out of beer.

I have to admire that kind of attitude because there are plenty of people who would be weeping, wailing and demanding help from UNICEF and WHO in other countries. It is making me wonder just how much international assistance Australia is getting in comparison to other countries...

Me and Sparks were very lucky, yes, we had a couple of travel glitches and only just got out of Brisbane before the CBD flooded, but we had a fab time in Queensland, all things considered, and our hearts go out to the people we met, who are trying to make the best of a bad situation and retain the 'no worries' attitude that Australians are renowned for.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Lettie, glad you and Sparks are home safe......and that you enjoyed your visit to QLD, in spite of the wet weather.
You are right about the tough as old boots mentality of the Aussies.......we saw it first hand after the bush fires........whole communities were razed to the ground, yet when we went back a couple of years later, the towns were refurbished and folk were only too keen to tell us that loss of property breaks your heart, but it doesn't come close to losing your life or your loved ones.

I have some very happy memories of my time in Brisbane........I'm sure if I ever get to go back it will be much changed.

[talentedbutslow]

UPDATE......

BRISBANE was a city on edge last night amid food shortages, looming traffic chaos and mountains of rotting debris caused by the killer floods.
Despite feel-good images of volunteers aiding flood victims, the reality of life in the new Brisbane was sinking in for hundreds of thousands of people.
The CBD remains mostly without power, many streets are stinking messes, supermarkets are running out of basic items and the death toll from the disaster continues to climb.
There are now 18 confirmed deaths in Queensland and 14 missing, feared dead.
The force of the floodwaters was so profound that officials are unsure how far - or where - some bodies will have been deposited.
One of the dead was found 80km from where they went missing.
Shops are missing basic essentials like bottled water, infrastructure is so badly damaged that the return to work today is certain to be chaotic and the Queensland Government is alarmed at the extent of the problems facing the state.
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Related Coverage

• Alternate venue: Pub prayers for lost souls
• Steep hike: Fruit, vegies to cost us dearly
• Skills shortage: Foreign labour urged
• In-depth: Latest flood pictures, videos and reports

• Flood hell lingers as death toll rises Herald Sun, 5 hours ago
• Tragic find in Grantham Courier Mail, 11 hours ago
• Grim hunt for flood dead continues Herald Sun, 13 hours ago
• A tragic list of our lost souls Courier Mail, 16 hours ago
• Mega military clean-up effort Adelaide Now, 2 days ago

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Officials have urged businesses to implement staggered rosters so that Brisbane doesn't become gridlocked, while scores of security guards have been posted to ward off looters.
The situation is further complicated by flooding in parts of Brisbane yesterday and the long and slow process of the damaging water draining away from the worst-affected areas.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh explained that more than 28,000 properties had been affected, and warned of the potential for more damage.
Moreton Bay was littered with rubbish last night, with the mud and sludge from the Brisbane River stretching kilometres.
Eight tug boats were working overtime clearing debris - including expensive yachts - while four excavators were clearing the river mouth of mud and silt.
Scammers have been accused of trying to rip off the flood appeal by sending fraudulent emails, and using websites and door-to-door collectors seeking funds.

The main Brisbane market will not operate fully again for months, raising the prospect of long-term shortages of basic foods.
And late yesterday power still had not been restored to up to 20,000 houses.
The federal and Queensland governments poured a further $20 million into flood relief, with $85 million raised so far - well below the almost $400 million raised for Victoria's Black Saturday fire disaster.
Transport tycoon Lindsay Fox has pledged to send 25 shipping containers to Grantham in the Lockyer Valley for storage as well as possible emergency accommodation.
Premier Bligh yesterday announced the 17th flood fatality - a "mature-aged" woman found in her Grantham home, which had been searched twice before.
The house was severely damaged, prompting Ms Bligh to defend police faced with the gruesome task of retrieving bodies.
"They are working as hard as they can to be in a position to allow people back into Grantham as quickly as possible," she said.
"We need to be confident that bodies that are in the town of Grantham are recovered."
The flow of aid will continue with a pledge by transport giant Lindsay Fox to send 25 shipping containers to Grantham for storage and emergency accommodation.

[Margaret Pilkington]

thank you for that update Tal.
I have been accessing the Aussie Press online......it has almost become a habit for me.

It is heart rending to see the results of the floods........and know that it will take months to get back to some kind of version of 'normal'.
And it is a long haul. Just don't be disheartened.
Reading about all the work that needs to be done makes me(I can only speak for myself) feel impotent.
All that I can do is send you my heartfelt wishes and tell you and all those who have been affected, that I am thinking about you...hoping you find the strength and fortitude to cope......there isn't any other option really.

[Barrie Yates]

Thoughts should also go to the residents of Brazil & Sri Lanka, seriously affected by floods, mud slides etc - and they had a much poorer infrastructure in place to start with. How they will cope is unknown.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Barrie Yates

Thoughts should also go to the residents of Brazil & Sri Lanka, seriously affected by floods, mud slides etc - and they had a much poorer infrastructure in place to start with. How they will cope is unknown.

Barrie this was my observation in an earlier post(#27).......and maybe, just maybe, Brazil and Sri Lanka will attract humanitarian aid from some of the international aid agencies.....and eventually they may get better standard living conditions as a result....they could hardly be worse.

[***Mr D***]

Some Pictures before & After.

ABC News - Brisbane floods: before and after

[steeljack]

seems things are easing up a bit , morning traffic report from the Brisbane paper ,even the toll takers are back in action , got give it to the Politicians and Bureaucrats, not even a disaster can keep them from having their grubby fingers out wanting more.

Rush hour traffic back to normal as tolls reinstated on Brisbane roads | Courier Mail

there is a link on the web page showing traffic web-cams around the Bisbane area