Jim,
I’m almost 58 years old – have lived in North Queensland (“Qld”) most of my life. This is the worst flooding in Qld that I can remember – it is so widespread. I have a house in Townsville, but have spent most of the last two years at my retreat area, 4.5 hours by car from here, and Townsville does not usually experience a lot of rain.
However, found myself in Townsville before Christmas, and the road then flooded over at Ingham, and was not able to drive to my retreat area to be with my daughter for Christmas (we Skyped instead). My daughter lives 10 minutes by car from my r/area.
People just do not listen. So many people just too intent on doing what they wanted – and drove right into towns north of Townsville – but road blocked further ahead, and then, rivers rose – and they could not turn around…we have a single lane national highway for most of Australia.
We have one National Highway. Are you laughing? I am serious, look it up. Our overtaking areas are few and far between. And it is circa 120 kilometers between Ingham and Townsville. There is not much between Townsville and Ingham – bush, trees and more bush. (However after Ingham, each small town Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail – usually 30-40 kms from each other at – 100 kms maximum speed limit in Qld.
People had to spend the night in their car – there are few places to safely take refuge on either side of the road and it is hot and humid here for about 9 months of the year. With all the rain, more humidity. If one tries to just pull off the road and park, the semi-trailers will just drive right up the back of the parked car if they do not see you in time …the road does not even have a decent shoulder area in a lot of places in Nortth Qld.
As an aside, our railroad system is a joke – more for carrying minerals – nickel, zinc, etc than for transporting people. Our island continent is so vast – easier to travel by plane.
So, you have to continue until you can park right off the road. Yet with the flooding – people were stranded in the middle of the road. One stranded guy on the news footage complained he had mosquitoes buzzing around his head all night…and he was about my age…yet did not have the sense to stay off the road during torrential downpours.
And then the flooding further south just kept increasing. People are still being evacuated from their homes as I write this at circa 10:30 pm – and flooding started before Christmas.
My back yard and the neighbour’s yard were covered in water. The water level in my in-ground pool rose fast – I am used to lots of heavy rain – from Innisfail – but this was incredible. And I was not going outside with the lightning / thunder just to drain the pool.
I normally listen to the TV at 17 volume. I had to raise it to 31 just to hear the news during the heaviest of downpours.
The strangest thing is – we had thunder and lightening starting in the morning and continuing for most of the day – for about 3 days – this is very unusual and rare – I have lived here for 17 years and can only recall afternoon storms. I had to have the lights on in the house in the middle of the day…can you appreciate how bright it is here in summer (compared to summer in Europe or London).
The news footage shows people of various ages, walking about without footwear. And their arms and head are exposed to the elements.
It appeared from the news footage that people were just throwing what they could into their cars, or carrying containers in their arms or perched on their shoulder, or being lifted into the boats without even a carry bag with personal items / medications.
Locals have been caught out – and most of us have been through floods/cyclones etc before – one lady on the evening news said she had no medication with her and that her animals were home unattended – she was just sitting in her car – unable to go forward or back – no way around – huge expanse of dirty water everywhere.
When the fatigue sets in – there will be anger – but to what avail.
The local government authorities cut electricity to the towns – people were walking about in flood water – they do not understand that fallen live power lines in the water that they are walking in, and skimming their body boards on, can electrocute them.
Two local government employees were removing timber boards that had blocked the drains – the force of the water dragged them both in (yet they were only waist deep) for 20 metres underground. Both emerged alive at the other end – one was unconscious and taken to hospital …they were both fit and experienced people – and they were lucky.
People were told to stock up, but then, authorities cut power off, and people were told to evacuate. This shows how quick this unfolded as town after town became inundated.
Now there are reports of looting – people were evacuated out of the towns, police officers and the State Emergency Services personnel stayed behind to prevent looting – now the residents have been allowed to return to some towns as the flood waters have continued south – and today’s news showed a resident stating that his house had been looted. Another elderly gentleman had his wife’s jewelry taken – this is going to hit the elderly severely – the vigor seems to have left their speech.
There have been an unusually high number of ‘natural disasters’ occurring around Christmas day lately. We are also seeing the chaos from the amount of snow the US/UK/Europe has had – so your kind words acknowledging Queenslanders’ sufferings are received with thanks. I will pass them on.
One reason I did not become one of the stranded people on their way to relatives before Christmas was because I heeded the messages posted on your blog. I am thankful. I have been doing my QuickBooks, catching up with reading, baking bread, repacking my BOB and spending way too long on writing emails such as this one.
A belated Season’s Greetings to you and your family. Regards, – Mrs. G. in Queensland, Australia