(no subject)

Various parts of Oz have been battling floods for a couple of months now. Queensland is copping the worst of it and has been for weeks. Last week half of Queensland, an area the size of France and Germany combined, was under water. But on the whole it's slow moving, so people have been able to make preparations.

Until today. Around lunchtime, Toowoomba, the biggest inland city in Queensland, and the surrounding areas, was hit by a massive flash flood after ~3 inches of rain in an hour (6 inches over the previous 36 hours, and that's on top of the rain of the last weeks). The video has been terrifying, there was no warning. Cars were tossed around like toys, there were several dozen swift water rescues in the main streets of Toowoomba, houses were washed away in outlying areas.

( photos )

4 are confirmed dead, including a woman and child who were trapped in a car in Toowoomba, only one person from that car was able to be rescued. A man and a boy were killed when swept from a house in a nearby town. ABC news is also reporting another 2 women and a girl have died in another town. Apparently there are also an unknown number of other people missing. When you watch that video you realise that number is miraculously small.

This flood disaster is ongoing, it's going to be months of moving through various parts of Queensland and NSW. Once one area starts to dry out, another area will be submerged. We're finally out of a decade of drought, but we didn't need this.

(no subject)

Various parts of Oz have been battling floods for a couple of months now. Queensland is copping the worst of it and has been for weeks. Last week half of Queensland, an area the size of France and Germany combined, was under water. But on the whole it's slow moving, so people have been able to make preparations.

Until today. Around lunchtime, Toowoomba, the biggest inland city in Queensland, and the surrounding areas, was hit by a massive flash flood after ~3 inches of rain in an hour (6 inches over the previous 36 hours, and that's on top of the rain of the last weeks). The video has been terrifying, there was no warning. Cars were tossed around like toys, there were several dozen swift water rescues in the main streets of Toowoomba, houses were washed away in outlying areas.

( photos )

4 are confirmed dead, including a woman and child who were trapped in a car in Toowoomba, only one person from that car was able to be rescued. A man and a boy were killed when swept from a house in a nearby town. ABC news is also reporting another 2 women and a girl have died in another town. Apparently there are also an unknown number of other people missing. When you watch that video you realise that number is miraculously small.

This flood disaster is ongoing, it's going to be months of moving through various parts of Queensland and NSW. Once one area starts to dry out, another area will be submerged. We're finally out of a decade of drought, but we didn't need this.

(no subject)

8 confirmed dead, with 72 missing. They expect both figures to rise. Absolute devastation, continuing extensive rescue effort, people were being rescued by helicopters from their rooftops. They're having trouble this morning getting helicopters up because of more rain. There was an 8 metre wall of water.

Brisbane (the capital of Queensland) is now on alert for flooding starting today. Brisbane was devastated in 1974, they're hoping that the dam will save them from that.

(no subject)

8 confirmed dead, with 72 missing. They expect both figures to rise. Absolute devastation, continuing extensive rescue effort, people were being rescued by helicopters from their rooftops. They're having trouble getting helicopters up because of more rain. There was an 8 metre wall of water.

Brisbane (the capital of Queensland) is now on alert for flooding starting today. Brisbane was devastated in 1974, they're hoping that the dam will save them from that.