Sunday, January 9, 2011

Flood update

A quick post to talk briefly about how the floods in Queensland affected us today.  Whilst we have been thankful that we live on a mountain top we have been deluged with rain today. By 6pm we had received 250mm (10 inches) of rain since 9am - more than an inch an hour. It's still going (10pm) and we are all very soggy.

The radio has mentioned all day that towns to the south of us, and to the west have been isolated and cut off - our nearest 'neighbours' down the hill, so we are conscious that waters are rising everywhere nearby. This is of course in addition to the massive and catastrophic floods that are affecting so much of the state elsewhere.

We have a creek, the beautiful Obi Obi, which runs through our town. We watched as the docile creek turned into a tumultuous whirlpool during the day - a day of many firsts. We had never seen it so high; seen water here or there; seen the paddock turn into a dam and so on.  At 8pm tonight we got a call - all hands on deck please as the Library, which resides on the banks of the creek, was in danger of being flooded and we needed to lift books and equipment to higher levels.

We took off and as is typical in a crisis/emergency I didn't take my camera, so the photos are from my phone which isn't brilliant, with the assistance of a tiny torch. But you can see how a team of volunteers appeared and sorted things in less than hour. Our Library is such a precious resource; we hope the rain eases overnight and it remains safe and dry.

Barry moving swiftly in the background...


My foot, from the boardwalk at the back of the Library - the water is about 10 cm (4 inches) away - usually it is about 3-4 metres (9-12 feet).


The top of a tree, submerged in the floodwaters...

11 comments:

  1. oooo goodness

    all the books!

    and all the poor people and creatures throughout the state

    I hope your library is spared..... and the rain STOPS!

    thinking of you xxx

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  2. Thanks Ronnie - that's right ! You have to save the books!! We were gone in a flash of course! I've never experienced anything like it - whilst it has been wet for weeks on and off and misty and mizzly - today it has been heavy and relentless and still going. Sigh. But we are safe and dry at home.

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  3. Fiona, I've been watching the news here in the USA of the floods over there and wondering if any of my blogfriends from those parts had been affected. I'm glad you and Barry are still high and dry, but your story of the book rescue brings home the severity of conditions there. I hope the rains end soon. Stay well!

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  4. oh. my. word. thankfully you have helped the library. good lord, what a mess. take good care, fiona.

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  5. best of luck...hope the rain stops for a while...we can only imagine what it is like in qld at the moment. take care.

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  6. Fiona and Barry...have read both your blogs...what can any of us say, except we are thinking of all of you there and hoping for reprieve. Help each stay out of harms way! Sending love and hugs and shaking a fist at the clouds!!!

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  7. A horrible sogginess! But at least no major damage(like books!) and no life lost.
    Here? We're on alert for another Nor'easter, like the one that almost stopped my plane!
    And back home, while not flooded, supplies are running low because the highway's cut.
    The watery planet, indeed.
    Best of luck to you down there.

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  8. Take care, Fiona and Barry. I'm wishing you an end to the rain (us too!) and a larder full of food and enough batteries to keep you going if the lights go out... Best of luck, Sara x

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  9. Many thanks everybody, today has been a better day. We had another 6 inches overnight but that meant waters didn't rise further so that was good. The Library was closed today but hopes to re-open tomorrow as we have had a more 'patchy' rain day today rather than solid walls of water for 24 hours.

    There are 92 road closures in our area - from water or landslides/slips so we think we'll stay home! Best wishes to others facing the water north and south of us; keep the supplies up and stay dry.

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  10. Fiona,
    Reading this makes the horror of these floods hit home in a very graphic way. We are thinking of you all and keeping our fingers crossed for some respite for you all. Lesley

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  11. Fiona, I have my TV going in the background all the time and the full tragedy just seems to unfold and unfold some more. Stay safe on your mountain - I heard Maleny mentioned and can't bear to think what may be happening in your town and surrounds. Beautiful Qld is fully in my thoughts at the moment. All the best, Carol

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.