# Australian Floods



## mikewint (Jan 5, 2011)

Saw a news special on this last night and it look pretty bad. I know we have several members who live in Australia. I truely wish all of you are safe. I know I havn't seen Switcha post in a while


BRISBANE, Australia — Military aircraft dropped supplies to towns cut off by floods in northeastern Australia as the prime minister promised new assistance Friday to the 200,000 people affected by waters covering an area larger than France and Germany combined.

Residents were stocking up on food or evacuating their homes as rising rivers inundated or isolated 22 towns in the state of Queensland.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard toured an evacuation center in the flood-stricken town of Bundaberg on Friday and announced that families whose homes had been flooded or damaged would be eligible for disaster relief payments of $1,000 per adult and $400 per child. 

The town of Chinchilla in Queensland, Australia is seen flooded Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010. Days of torrential downpours have left parts of central and southern Queensland state inundated, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, cutting off roads and forcing one town's entire population to evacuate. 
"My concern is for the people in these very difficult times," Gillard said.

A day earlier, she pledged $1 million Australian dollars (about $1 million) in federal aid to match a relief fund already set up by the state government.

Bundaberg resident Sandy Kiddle told Gillard she lost cherished items after floodwaters surged through her house. She said may not be able to return home for a week.

"It was just a sea of water, and I thought the beach would never come to our house," she told Gillard, who gave her a hug.

Officials say half of Queensland's 715,305 square miles (1,852,642 square kilometers) is affected by the relentless flooding, which began last week after days of pounding rain caused swollen rivers to overflow. The flood zone covers an area larger than France and Germany combined and bigger than the state of Texas.

While the rain has stopped, the rivers are still surging to new heights and overflowing into low-lying towns as the water makes its way toward the sea.

The muddy water inundating thousands of homes and businesses has led to a shortage of drinking water and raised fears of mosquito-borne disease.

"This is without a doubt a tragedy on an unprecedented scale," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Bligh warned that drenched communities could be stuck underwater for more than a week, and cleanup efforts were expected to cost billions of dollars.


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## Vic Balshaw (Jan 6, 2011)

These floods are huge, for comparison of area size, it's like the whole of New South Wales or the total area of France and Germany combined. In the majority of cases, insurance will not pay (act of God). One has to feel for these poor people.


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## mudpuppy (Jan 6, 2011)

Thanks for posting about this, I hope any members in Queensland are okay. The scale of this disaster will probably be unfolding long after the floodwater recedes.
Derek


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## Wildcat (Jan 10, 2011)

Toowoomba got hit today. Look at the footage, scary!

Two dead, others at risk in Toowoomba - Seven News Queensland


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jan 10, 2011)

Hope you guys dry out. Keep safe over there.


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## mikewint (Jan 10, 2011)

Toowoomba, one hours' drive west of the state capital Brisbane, was caught off guard by a flash flood that tore through the centre of town washing away cars, buildings and people.

Unlike the recent flooding further north, which built up slowly over several days giving residents time to prepare, the wall of water hit Toowoomba with little warning.

At about 1pm, following heavy downpours that dumped more than three inches of rain in just a few hours on already saturated ground, rivers running through the centre of town burst their banks.

In the resulting chaos cars were swept into the torrent and a woman, clinging to her child, was also seen being carried away by the muddy water.

There were also reports of bridges, warehouses and railway yards being destroyed by the fast moving wave of water. At least one building


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## pbfoot (Jan 10, 2011)

Take care Wildcat amd those of you that live in Queensland .


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## Gnomey (Jan 10, 2011)

Damn! Stay safe all of you who stay in Queensland.


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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Jan 10, 2011)

Your guys try to stay safe.You will be in our prayers.


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## GrauGeist (Jan 10, 2011)

Man...that can't be a good thing, if they're standing by to put a tarp over that car that's being drug out of the ditch...

You guys down there in OZ be careful and hopefully this'll pass and you can dry out some!


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## RabidAlien (Jan 10, 2011)

Sending prayers up for everyone involved. Stay safe and dry, guys!


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## johnbr (Jan 10, 2011)

+1


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## Torch (Jan 11, 2011)

Wow,unbelievable. Hope all are safe. Been a tough few years between fire and floods.....


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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2011)

Currently there are 9 confirmed dead, and over 60 missing....many of the missing are unlikley to have survived, I have it on a good inside source. To give this Toowoomba is a smallish city of about 30000 people 

Toowoomba is not a flood prone town....its in the Queensland hills. The floodwaters will devastate a lot more communities as it moves down though the Lockyer valley. Many suburbs of Brisbane are on full alert. 

Things are not good


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## wad59 (Jan 11, 2011)

Je suis de tout coeur avec vous .


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## mikewint (Jan 11, 2011)

wad59, J'aime le sud de la France, surtout I'ile du Levant. Mon petit coin de paradis la guerre


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## Torch (Jan 11, 2011)

Mike I was born real close to there,La Seyne sur Mer or more precise Tamaris and that island is great.


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## mikewint (Jan 11, 2011)

I loved it and the south of France, absolutely beautiful. used to be one town Heliopolis as I recall. A sign just outside of town stated that "Le Minimum" must be worn in town (basically a G-string). Gals from the Follies used to come there to "even" their tans. Just what an old soldier needed. Rented camping gear from the post office 50 cents per day. Stayed there about a month. Would love to go back but its probably not the same anymore


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## Torch (Jan 11, 2011)

No that whole area has changed alot,shame........


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## ppopsie (Jan 12, 2011)

I am now worrying about the people I met at Toowoomba in 1999. I took the pics there.


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## mikewint (Jan 12, 2011)

Torch, I assumed so. As they say, you can never go home again. Think I'd rather keep the memories intact rather than see what commercial interests have done to the place.
Also remember those beautiful Rivera beaches. All the office "girls" coming down on their "lunch" breaks, changing into bikinis right on the beach. was a simpler time.
I had one PM from Switcha. He and his family are OK but shoveling mud and a lot of damage and personal things destroyed


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## RabidAlien (Jan 12, 2011)

"Things" can be replaced. Family can't. Glad to hear they're doin okay, thanks for the update Mike!


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## evangilder (Jan 12, 2011)

Glad to hear that they are safe. I know it's tough to lose belongings, but when it comes down to it, the safety of your loved ones is paramount.


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