Australia floods: Member safety updates

[Rozzie]

I know that we have some members here from the region of Australia that is undergoing flooding. I thought I'd put this thread up here so that we would have a consolidated place for people to post updates about this. I know it may be some time before these members have Internet service back, or are back on discussion boards, etc. since other things in life clearly have priority right now. However, if you are in touch with any friends in the disaster zone, please let us know how they are.

Mods: If you feel this would be better posted elsewhere, please feel free to move it. I wasn't sure about posting it here or elsewhere.

1/12/2011 Elizabethbinary is safe. I spoke with her briefly on the phone today. Their house is safe as it is on a hill. They are housing refugees and doing what they can to help others in the midst of this tragic mess. She said they are okay on food supplies.

 

[terrilhb]

That was such a great idea you had. Know we can know when everyone is safe. Prayers to all of them.

Can't wait to hear from them to know they are safe.

 

[kla37]

Prayers to all our friends down under! Hoping all will be well sooner than you think!

 

[dinahmoe]

it looks just horrible on T.V.

prayers for eveyone

 

[Dunkopf]

I haven't been paying much attention to the news. Heard a few reports on the flooding in Brisbane today. They say the area is bigger than France and Germany combined. Where is all the water coming from? I mean when they have floods in the US it is usually from the Mississippi or Missouri. Is there a major river that is overflowing? I should probably do some research. I hate to say it but I don't remember if they have mountains that get snow causing runoff or just a lot of rain causing runoff.

I'm sorry to the people in the land down under. I just don't know that much about your geography. I don't have a TV anymore to watch the news on either. The buffer on the computer drives me nuts, so I don't usually watch any videos.

 

[redhen]

Good question..where IS all the water coming from? What exactly happend?

Hubby has cousins over there.. are any of these places affected: (excuse the spelling) Victoria/Glenroy/Montmorency??

 

[BigIslandChicks]

thanks rozzie! i was wondering if she was ok! im glad you talked to her! i wish there was something more i could do! let me know.. ill see you on Lonely PMs!

thanks again for the update

 

[Mahonri]

Our prayers are with all those in Brisbane and other areas that have been affected.

 

[WingingIt]

Quote:
I heard that a lot it is because a certain valley there got over six inches of rain in about 30 minutes and there simply was nowhere and no time for it to go anywhere except downhill.

 

[guinea fowl galore]

In the summer of 1973/1974 it had been raining heavily for weeks. Most of southern Queensland's rivers were nearing capacity. Cyclone Wanda pushed the systems to the limit, and drew the Monsoonal Trough southward, providing the additional rainfall to the Brisbane valley to produce widespread and severe flooding. The floods peaked at 6.6 metres (22 ft). After the flood the Wivenhoe dam was built to prevent this from happening again.
A few weeks before christmas to now it has been raining for weeks, we have only had a few sunny days since then. So the inevitable happened and the wivenhoe dam filled. These past two weeks have been the worst as the rain just kept getting heavier. So the floodgates have had to be opened to release some of the water. It did not stop raining though so now all the water is flooding brisbane. This flood was reported to be worse then the 1974 floods. luckily it hasn't rained in the past 36 hours so the water has only reached 4.46 meters. 25,000 homes and 5,000 bisnesses are now under water but everyone is relieved the water has peaked lower then expected. That is just in brisbane though, many, many other towns have been affected even worse.
We have been told though that when this is all over, if we have more rain like this at any time up untill the end of februrary that we will flood again as the ground just can't hold anymore water.

So the simple answer to the question "where is all the water coming from" would be this: The sky.