# Dopers in Australia okay (major flooding). **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175 "2011-01-11T01:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![firstname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@firstname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/firstname)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/41 "2011-01-11T09:30:03Z")
I’m in Brissie saw the river today at about 1pm it was crazy to see (parts of) southbank going underwater. Home now and not in an area likely to be effected. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/42 "2011-01-11T09:35:10Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I think the media are at times somewhat melodramatic. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/43 "2011-01-11T09:35:53Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Some friends of ours took this footage from an office block overlooking the smaller of the two creeks. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY) Some 40 cars were washed out of a carpark and crushed up against a bridge further downstream. Wow, that is awful! ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/44 "2011-01-11T09:41:47Z")
I’m in an area of the Gold Coast hinterland which is about an hour from Brisbane. It’s a mountain that is fast becoming an island with most roads now inaccessible. A lot of my friends were evacuated in Brisbane today, all thankfully safe. Toowoomba is to the west of where I am, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7HLvwPmles&sns=fb) is some footage from this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/45 "2011-01-11T09:45:55Z")
I should clarify that was footage I saw this morning, I actually think it happened on Monday (I don’t think youtube goes off local time and post date says the 9th). ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/46 "2011-01-11T09:59:49Z")
Forgot to mention, I don’t know what roads into and out of the city are still open – if any. I know that the main route out is cut by landslides with no word on when it might open. And even if it did, there are flooded areas further east with water still rising. It seems strange for a city this size to be completely cut off. Supermarket shelves are emptying fast because no one knows when the shelves can be restocked. Agreed – media has tended to overstate things - or at least focus on areas of greatest impact and often muddling facts. But I still can’t help feeling for the families of people who got swept away. I took a walk around my area late this afternoon to survey the damage. As far as I can tell, and it seems like a major fluke, most houses managed to escape with the flood waters not quite getting up to floor level. A lot of boundary fences have been ripped out. (Could be symbolic.) I saw a 15 metre flour silo which had washed about a kilometre downstream and wedged under the remains of a washed out bridge. Also two concrete trucks that would have been washed away if they hadn’t gotten wedged up ahainst some buildings. Half a tree through the windshield of one. Barring another round of unforecast rain, it looks like the worst is past for Toowoomba. Attention is turning to Brisbane and smaller towns upstream. All that water is coming their way. The good news is that it will not be flash flooding like we have had here. The current won’t be anything like the same and people will have time to clear things away ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![j\_sum1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8baadc/32.png) [@j\_sum1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j_sum1)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/47 "2011-01-11T10:03:26Z")
> [@Incref](#): > > I’m in an area of the Gold Coast hinterland which is about an hour from Brisbane. It’s a mountain that is fast becoming an island with most roads now inaccessible. A lot of my friends were evacuated in Brisbane today, all thankfully safe. Toowoomba is to the west of where I am, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7HLvwPmles&sns=fb) is some footage from this morning. This clip is worth watching!! And for those interested, the blue car rescue in this one was five houses away from where I live. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TTfIplxez3o/hqdefault.jpg "Toowoomba Flood Jan 10\_2011.flv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTfIplxez3o) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/48 "2011-01-11T10:06:58Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I think the media are at times somewhat melodramatic. Agreed. The floods are a terrible thing, but at the moment they’re talking about 6,500 homes & businesses getting flooded and around 15,000 people being affected in Brisbane- of which the population is about 2 million. The situation out in Toowoomba and elsewhere in the regional areas of the country is a genuine disaster and tragedy, though, and it’s going to take a long time to recover from them. ---
**Author:** ![Hallucinex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba9def/32.png) [@Hallucinex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hallucinex)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/49 "2011-01-11T13:30:34Z")
My mum & sister live in Toowoomba, but fortunately around their place doesn’t seem to have been hit too hard (probably only a few km from the worst hit areas though). They mentioned water getting pretty close to the door, but I don’t think any’s gotten in. Good thing they moved recently, their old place wasn’t too far from one of those creeks. > [@j\_sum1](#): > > Supermarket shelves are emptying fast because no one knows when the shelves can be restocked. I’ve been hearing this too from people in both Toowoomba and Brissie. Stuff like bottled water is getting snapped up pretty quickly (someone on facebook said they couldn’t pick up any water but have a whole lotta pepsi) > [@j\_sum1](#): > > Some friends of ours took this footage from an office block overlooking the smaller of the two creeks. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY) Some 40 cars were washed out of a carpark and crushed up against a bridge further downstream. I’ve been seeing a few people linking to that video. That’s just behind the bus station isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/50 "2011-01-11T14:17:41Z")
Anna Bligh has been impressive, I think. Been watching a fair bit of ABC, and when they briefly go to another story it’s a massive fire! 'kin hell Aussies, be safe. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/51 "2011-01-11T14:50:22Z")
Not that it needs to be said, I think, but [Police warn workers to avoid Brisbane’s CBD today](http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/police-warn-workers-to-avoid-brisbanes-cbd-today/story-e6freon6-1225985950431) (Courier Mail). ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/52 "2011-01-11T22:32:09Z")
> [@j\_sum1](#): > > Checking in from Toowoomba. > > To give some perspective – Toowoomba has a population of 100 000 and is more than 1500 feet above sea level at the top of what is known as the Great Dividing Range – a string of hills that runs just about the entire length of the country from north to south a couple of hundred miles inland. The city is fairly hilly. Two (fairly insignificant-looking) creeks run through the cenrte of town. > We had steady, heavy rain for a few hours yesterday and from our house it was clear that the run-off couldn’t get away quick enough. My street has a gradient of about 5-6% on average. Water rose to knee deep in the middle of the road and we were positioned so that we caught run-off from neighbours. Flooding came to within a few inches of our floor so we got away fairly lightly. > In the CBD a wall of water estimated by some to be as high as eight metres rushed down the two creeks. Anything in its path was obliterated. Cars were stacked up to three high. Some friends of ours took this footage from an office block overlooking the smaller of the two creeks. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY) Some 40 cars were washed out of a carpark and crushed up against a bridge further downstream. > At the other stream the water smashed buildings in the CBD, knocked out some bridges, emptied all the stock out of a furniture store and spilled it into the street, flooded the library and the lower level of the city’s largest shopping centre. The city centre has been evacuated. A few people have drowned, but reportable details are limited. A lot of damage but the water has quickly returned to more manageable levels and the clean-up is well under way. > All the rain that hit Toowoomba is now flowing west and inland. Not sure how much of a flood risk it is for those downstream. Our reserviors which sit to the east of the divide received two and a half year’s of water supply in under 24 hours and are now overflowing. That excess flows west towards Brisbane. Thier large dam which was built as a safety measure to protect the city has water levels at 176% of capacity and is still rising. That water has to be released (as if there was an option) and is likely to cause extensive flooding when it reaches the capital (which is fairly low-lying). > But it was the sudden nature of the Toowoomba flash floods that caught everyone by surprise. You just don’t expect there to be a flood hazard when you are on the side of a hill. Your video is racing towards 1,000,000 views. It is linked on [CNN.com](http://CNN.com). > **[Queensland fears 'worst disaster in our history'](https://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/11/australia.floods/index.html?hpt=T2)** > > Brisbane was warned that a wave of water was sweeping through the city's main river system on Wednesday, threatening to exceed the damage done by the record 1974 floods. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/53 "2011-01-12T01:01:47Z")
Toowoomba area Dopers - Lockyer Mobiles is open to assist customers with no power at home and dead mobile batteries. They will also help you contact loved ones if you don’t have phone service. **j\_sum1** , if you want to spread the news around. Optus has good coverage in the area, and Telstra has some coverage. Voda not so much. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/54 "2011-01-12T01:43:40Z")
I’ve seen a few people make maps showing the area of the flooding, compared to the size of the US, to give a sense of scale to those overseas. I have just [made my own map](http://www.flickr.com/photos/7403998@N05/5347351329/). ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/55 "2011-01-12T02:26:46Z")
I’m here in the Brisbane CBD again (because I have to be). The river has risen about a foot or two since I got here at 7.00 am. That’s not drastic yet so far as this part of the world is concerned, although earlier this morning I saw footage of a restaurant floating down the river. (It was a floating pontoon style restaurant.) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/56 "2011-01-12T02:54:10Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > I’m here in the Brisbane CBD again (because I have to be). I heard reports that the power was cut in the CBD for safety reasons…is this another media beat-up then? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/57 "2011-01-12T02:54:45Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > I’m here in the Brisbane CBD again Did you have any trouble getting to work? Is any of the public transport running? > [@Noel Prosequi](#): > > although earlier this morning I saw footage of a restaurant floating down the river. (It was a floating pontoon style restaurant.) I suspect that will also be the fate of several restaurants at which I’ve eaten along Coro Drive. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/58 "2011-01-12T03:30:25Z")
No trouble getting in. Public transport is winding back services now. And the restaurant I referred to is the one on Coronation Dve I expect you are familiar with. Tomorrow, however, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/59 "2011-01-12T09:11:41Z")
The death toll is currently at 12, with two bodies found today by the search and rescue teams. One in Grantham and one in a nearby village. Neither of the two were previously listed as missing. There are still over fifty people unaccounted for. It’s going to be a long week for many Queenslanders, and a longer healing for many more. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175/60 "2011-01-12T10:37:23Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Anna Bligh has been impressive, I think. Been watching a fair bit of ABC, and when they briefly go to another story it’s a massive fire! 'kin hell Aussies, be safe. Her approval ratings were way down prior to this and I think the floods will have a ‘George Bush 911’ effect. Not that I’m complaining, I’m a lefty who loves having a female in the hot seat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-in-australia-okay-major-flooding/567175.md?page=4)