Brisbane Floods

[Link]

Thanks to the members who have expressed concern and sent wishes regarding the Brisbane Flood.

I'm doing fine as I live outside the flood zone. However, our office is located
next to the Brisbane River and is directly in the path of the flood.

Whilst we have had plenty of warning and none of the chaos that was experienced in Toowoomba (a city upstream), there is no stopping the water now. Even the Wivenhoe Dam can't hold it. Reports are there is two times the amount of water in the Sydney Harbour headed our way. And we have king tides pushing upstream.

So last night and most of this morning was spent moving all computers, servers, paperwork, furniture, everything up one level. Water is filling our street and if our sandbags don't hold, will fill our office in the next big high tide (due at 4am AEST). And we're lucky compared to some.

Depending on where you're reading this from, you can see a lot more in the coming days at:

www.couriermail.com.au
www.abc.net.au/emergency/flood/
twitter.com/#qldfloods

Even Rugby League's greatest stadium is under.

Strangest part about it is that it's sunny, calm, no inland tsunami, no shaking earth, it's just all very tranquil.

Will be an interesting few days and I hope it's not as bad as the 1974 floods that reached 5.45m.

Cheers,
Link.

[Anonymous]

I have been following the various tragedies in Australia - fires, then floods -- on BBC overnight for several weeks. I'm struck by how _little_ the photos capture, how static they seem, contrasted to the stories I have heard from people in the midst of these events and after these events. In one - dry streets one minute and the next, 10-ft wall of water with houses in it, cars, trees, ... whole towns essentially wiped away &/or buried under 4 feet of mud.

One wonder where the world's "Australian Relief Efforts" (fundraisers) are, such as after Bande Ache, Pakistan, Haiti, etc. How thankful we should be here, ... until our turn comes.

[Link]

There's certainly been a lot going on this year, but our thoughts are with the people in Christchurch, New Zealand. They are having a terrible time with the earthquakes. The one that hit the city yesterday did major damage and killed a lot of people.

Since they were still rebuilding after the quake in September, one would think it will take a long time for them to recover from this one.

Cheers,
Link.