Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Crazy Australian Weather.

Just heard the weather forecast on our local ABC radio.

Queensland, flooded.

Western Australia are bracing for a Tropical Cyclone to hit tomorrow.

South Australia has a total fire ban. Temperature today is expected to be 43c in Adelaide. Very high probability of bush fires.

Of course we can blame it on global warming

What else is there, maybe it's something else.

At this point I'd happily trade my snow parka for water wings.

All this AND you got stuffed in the Ashes!!

Its gonna hit about 30 celsius here today. What a shame.

May hit 70F here in Little Rock tomorrow. Some showers predicted, but looks like I may be able to get a ride in.

Woke up this morning and it is 29F in this area of the south west desert of the USA. What is that about 0-celsius? Anyhow it is pretty cold for this part of the country.

Yep Michael, and we're pretty much snowed in up here in Prescott. In fact, I'm gonna have to hire somebody to come out and clear my driveway(I got a really long one) so the wife and I can get to New Years Eve party tonight.

I wonder how Becky's doin' up there in Flagstaff? They REALLY got hit up there with this stuff, ya know.

I wish you would, Keith! They're sayin' yesterday's snowfall in Prescott might've set a one day record. We got somethin' like a foot of the stuff right after I posted those pics of my house, and me tobogganing the other day.

I take it the novelty is wearing off. Drive EXTRA careful and stay safe!!

At least they don't put salt on the roads in your neck of the woods (I think?). With us, if it ever got warm enough to actually ride, the roads would be covered in salt and sand. Not a good combination.

It was sooooo hot today.

I wonder if you would have said that if we (that's the Aussies I'm talking about Frank - I'm not sure you qualify - may have to send you back to the ice drizzle ) had won, mmm???

I'm an Aussie at heart Staffo. I've been here 30 years.

When it comes to cricket.........thats different. I heard a rumour that Ponting closed a door on his finger so that he wouldn't have to play.

Hey what can I say but thats Terra Australis for you- burn you to a crisp then drown you under metres of water and all in one day.
Wouldn't live anywhere else in the world and I don't like going overseas cause there's too many foreigners lol

Seeing it on today's news - cars washed along as fast as bleedin' speedboats the water was moving so fast!

Scary stuff, alot people still missing too. I think the death toll will continue to rise. I hope all our Queensland members are okay.

I'm in Brisbane but the suburb where I live is not affected.

My Brother in law has to evacuate his home because his house will be flooded this afternoon as the flood meets the king high tide.

Going to be many more dead discovered in the aftermath I'm afraid. Thankfully the rain has stopped today but the flood is still going to be the worst ever here. Approximately 10,000 houses and businesses predicted to be flooded over the next few days. This is going to affect our economy for a long time. Our food growing region (Lockyer Valley) has been totally wiped out. Our coal and iron ore mines have closed and are losing billions. And of course it's not just Brisbane thats devastated - but much of the whole eastern seaboard.

Please pray we don't get more rain in Queensland.

Thanks for piping in Richard so we know at least that you are okay.

The images I saw on TV last night were unbelievable. It was described as an inland tsunami and there were cars thrown around like they were nothing. Buildings washed away and images of people desperately hanging onto poles and trees with water rushing all around. The people spoke of hearing their neighbours crys for help and being unable to help and then silence.

The Australian people are strong and will overcome this but it is the human loss that is the hardest to cope with. I will certainly pray for all of you up there doing it tough and hope the rain will finally ease.

Thanks Steve.
Info for members overseas:

The latest update is that 19,700 homes will be flooded in Brisbane over the next few days. There are or will be thousands more homes flooded in other areas of Queensland and northern New South Wales and also probably the states of Victoria and South Australia also who are beginning to experience the rain storms that are traveling in their direction.

Here in Brisbane the floods are no longer a direct result of rain (which has largely passed) but due to river flooding from the huge inland catchments travelling to the sea where the 21+ meters (75 feet) extra river height) meets king tides over the next few days. The high tide effectively dams the river water - and because the city of Brisbanes 3 1/2 million population live mainly on a river delta, the water will spread out and floods all those homes.

I'm doing night shift so I'm watching all the footage of what has happened in South East Queensland. The news of the events is still being made known but unfortunately their is so much bad news to come.

The amount of people unaccounted for is 90 with 10 people already pronounced deceased. This of course doesn't take into account the infrastructure costs including peoples homes, jobs, everything gone. Of course without life, these things don't mean much.

To those overseas, at the moment 75% of Queensland is in flood which to give you some perspective, is approx' the size of Texas in the U.S.

My Fire Brigade is sending two specialist search and rescue members up to assist Qld's fire service in the grisly task of finding those unaccounted for.

I'm so glad I'm not involved in that as after 23 years of tragedy you just prefer to not see much more of it.

I don't mean to turn this tragedy about me, but I lived in Toowoomba for 6 years whilst a soldier, which is one of the main centres of destruction. My son was born there and the people are salt of the earth types who would do anything for you. We also have our own forum members who live in Brisbane and close by and I would really like to hear from you guys just to know you are alright.

I still can't believe what were just little trickly drains had turned into major walls of water like a large dam had broken. Just unbelievable. One thing I can say is, Australians like most people everywhere are a resilient lot who when knocked down, just get back up again. Droughts and flooding rains is a part of our life and after 10 long years of drought, it's the floods turn.

Then their is this new major trough moving across Australia behind what has already occurred and flooding is starting to occur in Southern Areas of Aus. What is going on??? So who knows what's going to happen around the country in the next week whilst South East Qld is watching their lives go under water as the 50+ suburbs on the Brisbane River becomes flooded.

Btw, my son in law to be, works as a boat builder where his business is located right on the Brisbane river itself. This is a big river so when they talk about it rising nearly 6 metres, whilst that doesn't sound much, when you understand how wide and deep it is normally, you'll understand the volume of water being absorbed. Anyway, Luckily my son in law got all his tools out yesterday but for now they are desperately trying to secure the huge boats they build so they don't end up like so many of the privately owned boats, currently braking their moorings and floating out to sea on the still rising River.

For those who don't know, all the water from Toowoomba is still making it's way down to the Brisbane river where tomorrow added with a King tide, they are saying fifty or more suburbs will be going under including many parts of the Business District where in fact my daughter works.

So it appears this flood will be worse than the tragic 1974 flood but it is Brisbane's worst disaster it has ever experienced. as it tags onto the back of North Qld's floods which occurred a week or so ago.

Apologies for the long post but whilst in size Australia is a large continent, with only a population of twenty plus million people, everyone knows someone who is being effected, or like me have family being directly effected. I can only thank God my family is safe but employment for my son in law is looking sketchy, as it is for my daughter but luckilly as a financial planner, she can work from home. As I said, life means nothing without your family and close friends.

The ironic aspect of this story is, we have just gone through 10 long years of drought and now as I said it's the flood's turn.

In fact Brisbane and Toowoomba's water levels were so low just two years ago, the authorities were planning to build extra dams to capture more drinking water. Now we have one existing dam (Wivenhoe) having to release as much water as it can because of the concern with the weight of water behind it. It's currently running at 190% capacity where if it reaches 200%, it'll overflow the dam wall, which it's not designed to do.

So ironically this release of so much water flows into the Brisbane River's catchment system which will lead to higher flood levels in Brisbane city itself. So At the moment they are predicting the levels will go beyond the 1974 flood but thankfully not beyond the 1890's flood.

Of course it's like comparing apples with oranges as Brisbane is a vastly different city now compared to 1974 with much more dense population district housed in high rise units and the business district a major part of Austrlia's economy.

Anyway, I'm not sure about my ride up to Brisbane in 2 weeks now, and I even planned on riding through Toowoomba as I usually do.

I'll have to play it by ear and may have to fly up with my wife to attend my daughter's Engagement party as no one can predict the damage to roads etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not compaining, in fact I am thankful my family will be fine but now all we can do is watch, hope and pray as events unfold for those who have lost loved ones, or their homes and livelyhoods.

One final thing, another city close by called Ipswich has also flooded but I just haven't had time to mention that one.

Finally, if you're interested

here's a few youtube videos to choose from. It should be said though, the worst damage occurred down river of Toowoomba in small communities below what is known as the "Great Dividing Range". It is there where numerous flash flooding torrents similar to Toowoomba's emerged as one and where most of the body recovery will be taking place today. Tragic.

staffo.

Note: if you watch the video where the commentary talks about a 4wd owners lowering tyre pressure, I think when they say amateur video takers, they perhaps should have said, amateur 4wd commentators also.

Thanks for all that information Staffo. Some really good footage of the carnage there.

Nice one Bill, you got it. It drives my missus nutty when I comment on people who make statements about subjects they have no idea about but fair go, I can understand perhaps a female who through no fault of her own suggests "perhaps", but then a bloke concurs. It's a blight on the Aussie male gender I reckon

On the serious side though, I've just heard they have now downgraded the amount of people to 67 from 90. Much prefer to hear that rather than the other way.

Your floods down there have been one of the leading news stories up here for days now, and yeah, some of the video is indeed horrific.

You guys are definitely in our thoughts, and we wish all of you well!

Thanks Dwight. The latest update is for 40,000 homes to be flooded in Brisbane.

I am bit worried about you guys up there so if you can pipe in and let us all know that everyone is okay that would be great.

thanks for your concern guys......
its the folk close to the city that we should be concerned about
Boof on the sunshine coast must be fine since he's been on another forum already this morning
Richard has already spoken as has Frank
here on Bribie theirs no need for concern .....a lot more people would be in trouble long befroe we are here

been trying to get hold of Hoffo he's on the south side of town and lives in a known flood plain having said that he is on a high part of the suburb so should be fine....

Thanks Brendan

Anyone wishing to contribute to relief efforts, this site has been recommended:

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html