Flooding in Queensland, Australia

[Katala]

Some of you may have heard of the floods that are devastating the state of Queensland here in Australia, there has been some devastating loss of life suring this time and many people have lost everything they own including their livelihoods, it is a tragedy that these floods are destroying so much of our homeland. Some news about this can be read here: Queensland Flooding

At this stage the only member that I know of who lives in QLD is Darklight, how goes it your way?

Amist the planning of Majestic's and my wedding I have also been holding the terrible fear of losing a son... My eldest who lives with his father in QLD lives in a little town called Theodore, which I discovered this evening was hit by the floods as well, I have not heard from my son since new years day nor have I or my other children been able to get in contact with him either and we dearly hope he is ok.

I sincerely hope the floods subside soon and we can get back to something of a normal life again and rebuild!

 

[Adm_Z]

We can only hope and pray for the best.

 

[Dan1025]

The level of devastation caused by the flooding is terrible, and I'm so sorry to hear about your worries over your son Katala

My thoughts are with you and your family, and I hope you are able to contact/hear from him soon, don't lose hope!

 

[K_merse]

I hope they will be all right.
These are the cases when you would want to leave everything and set out to help those people. It's too bad Australia is too far...

By the way, anyone knows a way how could people from the distance help? Which organizations collect goods or money to support people there?

 

[Terra_Inc]

I hope everyone is fine - it sure looked terrible in the news.

 

[Huet]

It's crazy, I thought Australia was in the midsts of a drought for some reason until the flooding. Hope you're all ok and prepared in case it comes to your area.

 

[Majestic]

I hope they will be all right.
These are the cases when you would want to leave everything and set out to help those people. It's too bad Australia is too far...

By the way, anyone knows a way how could people from the distance help? Which organizations collect goods or money to support people there?

*This is currently Kat, my pc is offline*

To donate etc there is a direct link that you can use, go here: QLD Flood relief
There are still parts of QLD that are completely blocked off to the rest of the us and require to fly in before it can be accessed..

 

[Starfox1701]

May the Gods go betten your sin and harm in all the empty places he mist walk

 

[Majestic]

Well the floods are in Grafton now, which is Northern NSW and is about 6 hours from us. Lets hope for everyone they subside and don't expand any further.

May the Gods go betten your sin and harm in all the empty places he mist walk

Egyptian blessing from B5 right?

 

[Starfox1701]

yea but my spelling sucks sorry I learnd long ago to take wisdom where I find it

 

[dinosaurJR]

The BBC this morning (it's morning where I am anyway...) said that it seemed to look like the worst of the flooding was over. The storm system causing the rains has begun to abate...

But, didn't they say that last time?

Im sure you guys will be ok. The devastation around the flood areas is really extensive, "an inland tsunami" one official called it - and i can see what he means...

My thoughts are with you guys!

 

[Katala]

They say the storms and floods are abating, yet it is still travelling south.. 5mins ago I was informed the floods are currently 2hours north of a town called Singleton, which in fact is only 2 hours WNW of where Maj and myself live... I'm hoping this *abating* occurs pretty fast before it gets any closer....

We live in a place which is surrounded by water... We have Lake Macquarie on one side and the ocean on the other... I dare say it would have to flood the lake before it affected us.. Which is rather huge as it can fit Sydney harbor inside it.. Though when we had our 30year storm in June 2007 the roads were flooded to the point of having cars floating down the street.. and only being able to get by in a 4wd..

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

Oh my god. I've seen images at a large German newsite (SPIEGEL online) and it reminds of being deployed to the floodings in the state of Brandenburg in 2010.

I hope the floodings won't reach your home, Katala and Maj! I also hope you get news from your son as soon as possible Katala!


Whole towns being supplied via army helicopter.... I don't know, I am kind of speechless in face of such large scale disasters.
I just whish I could sign up to get there and help.

 

[thunderfoot]

Been following this one pretty closely via BBC Home website. Worried about the both of you and the children. I know you guys know how to deal with all this but I would feel a lot better had I not looked at the lake with Google Earth. Looks an awful like where I live with all the water surrounding the place. Under normal circumstances, I'd be a little envious of all that beautiful scenery. But I know all too well just how quickly flood waters can rise during rain and bad weather. Can't do much more than pray for y'all, but you're more than welcome to all of this y'all want.

 

[Katala]

I hope the floodings won't reach your home, Katala and Maj! I also hope you get news from your son as soon as possible Katala!

Thanks, we too hope it subsides soon and doesn't reach this end. I'll be trying my son again this evening so hopefully we get a response this time.

Been following this one pretty closely via BBC Home website. Worried about the both of you and the children. I know you guys know how to deal with all this but I would feel a lot better had I not looked at the lake with Google Earth. Looks an awful like where I live with all the water surrounding the place. Under normal circumstances, I'd be a little envious of all that beautiful scenery. But I know all too well just how quickly flood waters can rise during rain and bad weather. Can't do much more than pray for y'all, but you're more than welcome to all of this y'all want.

The scenery in our area is awesome, The lake is beautiful and I love the caves down at the beach, but yes they can flood all too easily and being a 5 min walk in any direction to either lake or ocean does present a problem when it comes to flooding, though Maj and I have been discussing the situation and we do have an evacuation plan if the need comes to leave... Ty for your prayers TF, much appreciated

 

[Sqweloookle]

Some of you may have heard of the floods that are devastating the state of Queensland here in Australia, there has been some devastating loss of life suring this time and many people have lost everything they own including their livelihoods, it is a tragedy that these floods are destroying so much of our homeland. Some news about this can be read here: Queensland Flooding

At this stage the only member that I know of who lives in QLD is Darklight, how goes it your way?

Amist the planning of Majestic's and my wedding I have also been holding the terrible fear of losing a son... My eldest who lives with his father in QLD lives in a little town called Theodore, which I discovered this evening was hit by the floods as well, I have not heard from my son since new years day nor have I or my other children been able to get in contact with him either and we dearly hope he is ok.

I sincerely hope the floods subside soon and we can get back to something of a normal life again and rebuild!

I'm good, we are in a valley surrounded by hillside so we have doubts we'll be hit but we are still concerned.

I hope your son is safe Majestic! Isn't there some hotline you can call to find out who have been relocated to safety?

 

[Avon]

I never know what to say in these circumstances, but my thoughts and prayers are with anyone affected by this horrible situation.
Good to see Darklight is ok. Hopefully Kat's son is too, I'm sure he will be.
Stay safe everyone

 

[Katala]

Good to hear you are all good Darklight.

There is a hotline for those who were relocated, unfortunately (I found this out from my cousin) my son and his father left 4 days before the floods hit and went to I don't know where, I just tried the hotline but they don't have my son or his father listed so I don't know where they are. Seems the kids father has more to do with my mother than he does with me... they are always sharing information it seems *about me and the kids* so I'm not surprised my brother knew before I did what was going on and shared it with my cousin, who happens to be staying with Maj and myself atm.

Spoiler: Area my son lives in

Evacuations underway

More than 300 people were being airlifted from Theodore, a small town west of Bundaberg, Emergency Management Queensland assistant director general Bruce Grady said.

Police from Brisbane were also being sent to flood stricken areas, but so far troops have not been required on the ground.

Mr Grady said Theodore was experiencing its worst flood on record.

"Theodore has been isolated for a number of days," he said.

"What we have now is a record flood. The previous record was 14.07 metres, it's now 14.59 metres, so we're in unchartered territory. The bureau is indicating it could go higher.

"The entire township of Theodore, apart from the police station, does have water through it."

However, he said residents were coping well.

 

[Starfox1701]

You know now might be a good time to give your mom a swift kick to the head. I would mine if she held out info on one of my kids at a time like this. Its one thing to not talk but to not tell you She's a mom how would she like it if the roles where reversed.

On second thought don't mind me. It just irks me to see others be diliberatly crule especially to family

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

That the people from the hotline don't know where your son is, might not necessarly mean something bad.
Only people who are evacuated by disaster units are being registered and entered into the database.

You could try to contact the national (!) Red Cross Tracing Agency (unless the hotline you mentioned is run by them).

Otherwise I could make some inquiries, I have contact with the international Tracing Agency.

 

[thunderfoot]

Good Lord! Your mom did something like this to you? Just what kind of people would even consider something like this? My God! It is outrageous and completely beyond the range of normal Human behavior at a time like this. Both my sisters went missing after Katrina and I moved Heaven and Earth trying to find them. It was the not knowing which made me crazy. No frakkin' way she could ever explain this to anyone and make them understand why she's done something like this. Shameful behavior of the worst sort. Please do me a favor. If I am ever in Australia, please do not introduce me to your Mum. I might actually tell her exactly what I think of her for pulling a totally uncaring, stupid stunt like this. That would be a bad business all around.

I think Intrepid is onto a very good idea. If I had the contacts there, you can bet I'd be burning the phone lines up trying to find your son for you.

 

[Dan1025]

Good Lord! Your mom did something like this to you? Just what kind of people would even consider something like this? My God! It is outrageous and completely beyond the range of normal Human behavior at a time like this. Both my sisters went missing after Katrina and I moved Heaven and Earth trying to find them. It was the not knowing which made me crazy. No frakkin' way she could ever explain this to anyone and make them understand why she's done something like this. Shameful behavior of the worst sort. Please do me a favor. If I am ever in Australia, please do not introduce me to your Mum. I might actually tell her exactly what I think of her for pulling a totally uncaring, stupid stunt like this. That would be a bad business all around.

I think Intrepid is onto a very good idea. If I had the contacts there, you can bet I'd be burning the phone lines up trying to find your son for you.

This.

We need a 'what he said' smilie.

 

[K_merse]

Don't forget that these floods may cut them from any way of communication. They're maybe in a refugee camp or something like that, where communication access is very limited.
But I have a friend who worked for International Red Cross for several years. He may can get some inside information. I can ask him if you want.

By the way, I heard from a friend of mine that there are huge fires on the other side of the country. Is that true? Could Australia be more unlucky?

BTW: Thanks for the link, I made what I thought I had to do.

 

[Katala]

You're welcome for the link k_merse

As for my mother well thats nothing out of the ordinary for her...
In anycase my cousin who is currently staying with us asked my mother about my son and apparently he is fine and well and not in any danger at all.. though why his father can't be bothered telling me anything is beyond me...

And yes there are also massive fire's across the other side of the country in Western Australia, it seems we have not been good enough to have just one disaster but we must face multiple ones at the same time

 

[Starfox1701]

Well Australia does have a reputation for doing everything really big. (fishes for a laugh, the most important comadity in hard times)

 

[Katala]

Well Australia does have a reputation for doing everything really big. (fishes for a laugh, the most important comadity in hard times)

You may have a point there

As if our sister state Queensland has not had enough heartache and loss from the flooding disaster, she now has a Tropical Cyclone about to hit as well and is set to hit the mid north coast this evening and tomorrow morning...

The central Queensland city of Rockhampton is preparing for a severe tropical cyclone, warning residents to be ready for potential evacuations.

Cyclone Yasi, north of Vanuatu, is tracking towards the Queensland coast and is expected to cross anywhere north of Fraser Island on Thursday morning.

The category two cyclone is expected to intensify into a category three or four by the time it hits Queensland early on Thursday, with wind gusts of 200 to 250km/ph.

Queensland's beef capital is not taking any chances and has started preparing for cyclonic winds and flash floods after hundreds of homes were inundated when the Fitzroy River flooded in early January.

Rockhampton Regional Council's Acting Mayor Rose Swadling said to make matters worst, a high tide of 4.5 metres would coincide with the cyclone's expected crossing.

Ms Swadling said while it's not yet clear where the cyclone will cross, no one could afford to be complacent especially a city still reeling from the recent floods.

She said residents in areas such as Stanage Bay, Zilzie, Keppel Sands and other coastal communities near Rockhampton need to prepare for potential evacuation or isolation from storm surges and flash flooding.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi was upgraded to category five off north Queensland this morning as the weather bureau warned it was likely to be "more life-threatening" than any storm seen in Australia in living memory.

Queenslanders are under threat once again by natures worst !! Cyclone Tracy was 50km wide and the eye was 12km wide..Cyclone Yasi is expected to be 500km wide and the eye 100km wide.Expected to hit Thursday.Cyclone Yasi is now a Category 5 !!

 

[swilson0907]

Hope everything is going alright in Queensland, Australia and Austrailia as a whole. Where I'm from, we're getting snow today and tomorrow, possibly 18+ inches.

 

[Katala]

Hope everything is going alright in Queensland, Australia and Austrailia as a whole. Where I'm from, we're getting snow today and tomorrow, possibly 18+ inches.

You're rather lucky, yesterday our temperatures soared, we hit 46 degree Celsius which is 114.8 degree Fahrenheit, and it is supposed to be repeating that trend today and tomorrow, its almost 9am now and it is already 32 degree Celsius = 89.6 degree Fahrenheit. Majestic and I will be spending the day down at the lake to help keep us cool.


EDIT: Just in from the local weather station:

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi at 7:00 am EST:
.Centre located near...... 16.1 degrees South 150.9 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 20 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the west southwest at 30 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 295 kilometres per hour
.Severity category........ 5
.Central pressure......... 922 hectoPascals

 

[swilson0907]

You're rather lucky, yesterday our temperatures soared, we hit 46 degree Celsius which is 114.8 degree Fahrenheit, and it is supposed to be repeating that trend today and tomorrow, its almost 9am now and it is already 32 degree Celsius = 89.6 degree Fahrenheit. Majestic and I will be spending the day down at the lake to help keep us cool.


EDIT: Just in from the local weather station:

Have fun, and try to stay cool.

I'm actually kind of looking forward to the snow, just not after it. I've been hearing its going to get cold again.

 

[EAS_Intrepid]

Sounds bad. I hope you guys get well through this.

I surely do not envy those living in the emergency shelter camps...
My thumbs are crossed.