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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

Our dam, Wivenhoe Dam, was constructed to prevent the disasterous flooding that we experienced in 1974 by controlling the flow of water down the Brisbane River.

That year , in very similar weather to that which we are presently experiencing, a major section of Brisbane was devestated by the flooding of the Brisbane River.



 For about a week at the end of January almost the entire area of Brisbane was without electricity as we were buffeted by huge rainfall caused by a closeby cyclone.
Huge barbeques were held in neighbourhoods where meat that couldn't be kept without refrigeration was cooked before it spoiled. The home owner who owned a gas BBQ was host as neighbours combined their food supplies, shared whatever they had and waited till the waters peaked.


Furniture was moved from house to house, higher and higher up the hill, as people pitched in and helped eachother as the water continued to rise and houses became submerged.
Then the water receeded leaving in its wake a trail of stinking mud and the cleanup began.


..........

Today, as the rain continues to fall and the water level in the dam continues to rise, the decision to open the flood gates for a controlled water release has created its own problems.



 Coupled with an unusually high tide the river broke its banks in the city today


flooding the walking path along the river 





It won't be long before we see some crazy youngster have a go at doing this in the floodwaters.


Playing around in floodwaters like this is a very dangerous thing to do.


Hope your weather is treating you kindly.
Cheers.


9 comments:

  1. Oh Helsie I do hope you live high up? I think flooding must be worse than all this snow as it would be so dirty and damaging. Climate has certainly gone mad this year hasn't it? Perhaps it is because my daughter has come to Oz that your climate has been so wet when it was wet she wanted to escape?! Shall I ask her to come back now? Just heard she is hoping to extend her visa and stay a little longer too! Not that there is flooding where she is of course.

    Jane

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  2. Is it critical along the river yet?
    What I mean is - that some flooding is quite normal - it only becomes serious when property is threatened.
    We flood several times a year along the river here, but it is controlled and only affects the moors, arable farmland and of course miles of tow-paths. Years ago houses were flooded in Maidenhead, but now there is a flood relief scheme which takes the water away. :)

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  3. England is getting their blizzard, California is having storms and floods too..the Mid-west and Canada was hit with snow blizzards recently. And now you are having flooding too. Try as we may we can't control Mother Nature all the time. I hope you are on high ground where you live.

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  4. Any Australian youngster who can surf in floodwater with two koalas and a platypus as passengers, while dressed like Santa Claus, should be made prime minister! Fingers crossed that the flood waters abate real soon.

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  5. Wow...that's an awful lot of water.I had no idea that you'd had that much.

    Im sure people in your part of the country are probably very grateful for all that wet!

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  6. Do hope you are all well and secure in your house. We knew you'd had a lot of rain but had no idea of the flooding, the news broadcasters here haven't been reporting this.

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  7. Oh my. I have a knot in my stomach from December through March every year, hoping we don't get flooded. If I had to worry about that in the summer, too, it would just be too much. Stay dry and safe. The animals, too.

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  8. Thanks for your concern everyone but the flooding is only minor and caused by the very full high tide. The rain has not happened today so we have had a bit of respite
    Cheers

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  9. How awful. I so hope it doesn't flood any more. People do do stupid things, don't they?

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