Tropical Cyclonic Weather

It's been a 3 days now and the weather hasn't gotten any better.  Roads are flooded, and whole communities are cut off.  The Brisbane River is flooding again - a mere 2 years after our last major flood - but it's not going to be anywhere as bad as the 2011 floods.  People are urged not to go out anywhere unless it's absolutely necessary and to stay at home and keep off the roads with their cars.  

I haven't been anywhere - except to get the newspaper yesterday and to have lunch at my parent's house on Saturday for Australia Day.  Otherwise, yesterday, I stayed inside and did some things online and edited a book.  Then, last night, I heard the storm get worse.  
I really do hate it when storms like these get really bad; especially at night.  When it's during the day, I'm not so worried as you can see what's happening and it's less stressful.  But at night, when it's dark, that's when it gets scary.  Noises seem louder and the wind seems to sound freakier and it just grates on my nerves.  Quite often I can't sleep all that great and so I find myself tossing and turning and waking the next morning from a really bad night's sleep and nightmares.  This happened when the floods were around too.

Last night, friends of mine had electricity at Thorneside.  This morning, though, they didn't.  They contacted me through a text and I almost invited them over to stay with me; but thought better of it as it's not safe on the roads.  So, I texted that I survived the night with electicity still going and hoping it still would. 
However, my Aunt from Mansfield lost power last night and her television blew up and they spent the night digging trenches and building up their driveway so the water didn't get down to their house (which is built lower than the road).  When I wrote late last night that I still had power but had my waterproof torch next to me just waiting for it to go off, I didn't think anything of it.  But this morning, I saw a horrible comment on Facebook from her which smacked of sarcasm and lack of sleep.  She had been up since 5:30am without power, water or gas and she tried to make me feel horrible.  So, I snapped back at her about how terrified storms like these make me... the darkness, the wind and the fear; and yet, she forgets that she's got people around her to talk to whereas I don't.  I haven't heard back from her yet.  But then, I don't think I will.

Fear and lack of sleep can make people do really unusual things; and say strange things too - especially on Facebook.  I'm usually very careful about what I say on there, but if somebody insults me and there's weather like this around, I'm not backwards in coming forwards; particularly if we're all in it together.  Yes, I haven't lost power or gas or water... but I am scared.  I don't like these storms as I don't sleep well and when I don't sleep well, I feel horrible and sick due to the lack of sleep.

The only thing I wish is for this to clear up and the sun to come out again.  Yes, we needed the rain, but cyclonic rain is different.  It's more depressing.  It keeps us inside and it's more damaging due to the winds.  My only hope is that my friends - as well as anyone else out there - is keeping safe.  I have noticed no birds are around and I haven't seen any lizards around either.  So, to my friends who are out there and and caught in this weather, keep safe.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm/cool and remember, I'm always here.     

Long Weekend of Rain

It's the Australia Day Long Weekend and it seems that none of us here in Brisbane or Queensland are having a lovely time of it.  Since Thursday, it's been raining almost non-stop and although I'm happy the rain has finally arrived, it never fails to amaze me how incredibly bored I get in so short-a time when it does arrive.

Our gardens were dying and dried out and it was so very dry around here.  However once Tropical Cyclone Oswald hit Cooktown, we knew we were in for some rain as it turned into a depression.  
I'm kind of enjoying the cooler weather but it's the mess I have to deal with too.  I have to do the laundry; which means getting out the clothes horse.  This takes up space as I have to move some handbags onto the lounge.  Most of the downstairs has to be closed up as the rain gets in all the time and I'm feeling a little closed in.  But that's not too bad seeing I've got the internet to fiddle with.  And if that goes out (as it's been known to do) I can always edit and write some of my books and poetry. 

I do have other things to do around the house to keep me busy as well.  But once they're done, I'll be bored again and end up just reading or watching 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' dvds... yep, my usual go-to shows when it rains like this; as I always knows the storyline; and there's no surprises.  There's always the shopping list to finish up, or the hand-washing to get done... or the office to clean up... or... well... just anything to keep me from getting bored from looking at the rain.  I guess you guys know what I mean.
So, what do you do when the weather has kept you indoors?  When it doesn't allow you to head out to the movies or to a friend's house?  Is it the internet you jump on?  Or do you curl up with a cup of tea or coffee and a good book or movie?  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here.  

Wet, Long Weekend Coming Up!

This weekend is the Australia Day long Weekend.  We usually have sunshine, BBQ's and lots of fun.  However the weather forecast is for rain and wind; and lots of it thanks to a tropical cyclone which has been battering Far North Queensland - up near Cookstown.
And seeing this is going to happen, it's got me thinking about what you all do on these weekends when your best laid plans have to either be postponed or cancelled because of the weather.  For me, it's a matter of staying home and getting into my housework and cleaning out.  Yes, thankfully, it'll be nice and cool enough for that; and so I'll be able to do everything I need to do inside... well most of the time.  So, washing the floors, laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom and dusting will be all on the list of tasks this weekend.

But there won't be just work around the house, I'll be also having a bit of fun around here.  I'm hoping to start sorting through the handbags I wish to sell and the ones I'm going to keep.  Then, I'll probably also get in an enjoy the garden again too as it's beginning to green up again.
Reading is another thing I'm hoping to indulge in too.  I've been struggling to keep myself interested in a book lately; and I think it's the weather.  However, I am working on doing what I can.  I'm also writing again; and working on my Fry Nelson books; so that is another reason why I sometimes stop reading and begin doing other things too.  

So, what are you getting up to this weekend?  I hear it's the Grand Final for the Superbowl Season this weekend too in the USA.  This makes this weekend a big one for everyone everywhere.  Until my next post, take care, keep safe and warm and remember, I'm always here. 
  

Drying Out

Well, at last, Brisbane, Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley are all drying out from the most dreadful floods South-East Queensland has ever seen.  We've had the most rainfall since 1974 and a week on, the clean-up goes on.  Volunteers Queensland has been inundated with people who are showing up in Wellingtons with brooms, buckets dressed in hats smothered in sunscreen and ready to work from dawn til dusk to get Brisbane and Ipswich back to the way it was.  This flood has taken away to much and killed up to 20 people; with many more still missing.  But there's still hope in the air.  

The CBD is beginning to work again as the surrounding area of Southbank, Milton, Auchenflower and other inner-Brisbane suburbs are being cleaned up.  Schools are being cleaned up; getting ready for school to start next week.  And for the ones that can't open until a few weeks for now?  Well, they Education Department will place the students with sister schools until their schools are up to scratch.  But it will take up to year for this flood to be clean up and a lot of money; along with much more planning to make sure a flood like this doesn't destroy this much so quickly again.

Meanwhile, for the people who didn't have their houses taken by the flood, there are the problems of wondering if the shopping centres will have enough food to go around.  Will my next shopping day be like my last one?  Or will I have to go without some things?  Will Coles and Woolworths' shelves be half-empty, or will they be fully-stocked?  Who knows until I get there.  

This has been a really stressful time for not just people here in Brisbane; but anyone who has been affected by the floods all over Queensland.  And now, they're being affected by floods in Victoria; and my heart and prayers go to those people who are being displaced there by them.

The one place I find it's most distressing is in Rockhampton.  I received a phone call from a friend of mine the other day who lives out in Gracemere.  He told me that they weren't getting any food from Rockhampton; nor were any of the other regional centres.  Rockhampton got all the food drops and is inundated with so much food that its shops are too full from it all.. so they're selling food for less than a dollar; not thinking that there's people who are cut off from the town centre who can't get to them.  I really wish I could get onto somebody who can help get through to their mayor so they can get some food before they run out.  

Well, this is all from me.  This week hasn't been all that exciting personally.  I'm getting into reading two books, my laundry again and playing the piano is more enjoyable as it's dried out enough to play it now; and it doesn't sound horrible from the wet weather.  Otherwise, the citizens of Queensland and Brisbane are all taking each day as it comes... good things keep happening to us as we face our city going from a place of disaster to a place of beauty again.  Until my next post, keep safe and I'll still be here.

Brisbane River Flood Peak

The flood marker at the Power House, New Farm

At 4am this morning, the Brisbane River peaked at 4.4m.  I was awake at around 3:30 am and felt a little concerned about what was going on before in the city before going back to sleep.

However on waking up, the sun was shining again; however things were still going on in the river.  The Riverwalk that runs along the Botanical Gardens has had large 300 tonne chunks break away and float down the river; running into the pylons of the Gateway Bridge.  The good thing is that the pylons didn't move and the bridge wasn't damaged; seeing how heavy these chunks are and how fast they were traveling. 

'Drift' the famous restaurant was seen being taken by the currents of the Brisbane River by the Triple M Morning Crew (The Cage) watched it go as they sat out on their balcony and debriefed from the show that day.  They were said that it was a spectacular view seeing it going by; doing exactly what its name suggested.

This morning, 'The Cage' crew on Triple M asked the owner of 'Drift' if he was okay about it taking off down the river.  He said not really; but he couldn't really do much about it; and seeing he didn't have flood insurance didn't really help.  Anyway, he said, 'Drift' will be reopening at some point in the future somewhere around Stradbroke Island or Tangalooma.  First, though, they have to get the water out of the barge the restaurant sits on.

One of my friends has started up a group on Facebook for anyone who is without accommodation.  He and his wife live at Thorneside and are willing to take in people who need a place to stay until their houses are good to live in again.  If you're on facebook, and you're in one of the crisis centres look up Geoff Treagus on the search box and go to his groups; it'll be there.

A lot of people are still missing out in the Lockyer Valley.  There's 12 dead and a number of families missing.  150,000 homes and businesses around Brisbane and Ipswich are still without power.  But the good thing out of this is that the drinking water is still okay to drink; however the Brisbane City Council has said to use the water sparingly in case that changes.  The crisis accommodation is at the RNA Showgrounds, QE2 Stadium at Nathan (where the 1982 Commonwealth Games were held); and three more emergency accommodation places have opened:

• St Catherine Anglican Church, McFarlane Street, Middle Park
• Good New Lutheran Church, Horizon Drive, Jamboree Heights
• Salvation Army Church, Lalian Street, Middle Park

Residents are urged to bring their own supplies to these centres; or as much as they can.  The flood levels will stay around Brisbane for the next 14 - 18 hours before they recede; then the clean up will begin.  I hope you have all stayed safe during this time; and have found the centres you've needed to be.  Otherwise until my next post, stay safe and dry; and I'll still be here.

Today's Update

This morning, I woke to strange blue skies and the sun.  After so long having nothing but wet days and dull clouds, it felt really weird to have to grab the sunglasses to go outside.  But really, I got up early to go and get the paper before they were sold out; I bought two, one for Mum and Dad and one for me.  The front page alone spoke volumes as did the inside; all about how many people had been evacuated, how had suffered and who had died.

So far, 19,700 properties have been flooded, there are 50,000 homes without electricity and around 3,000 businesses are underwater in Brisbane.  And that's before High Tide has arrived today at around 3:15pm; where the Brisbane River will rise to 4.5m.

There's isn't much more I tell you.  We're thankful that the rain has eased for now; but we're in for more (as they tell us) over the next few days.  People have been stocking up on food and others have been volunteering to help with whatever they can.  Aussies are being Aussies, if we're not in the danger zone of the flood (or even if we are), we're all trying to help.

Triple M Brisbane (a major rock'n'roll station here in Australia) was broadcast nationally today in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and anywhere else they could to let people in other states know, who have relative here in Brisbane, that they're okay; and how the city is doing.  They even put out their phone number so they could all get in and phone to see which suburbs were evacuated.  So, that's all for now.  Until my next post, stay dry, keep safe and I'll still be here.

Flood Update

It's late and I've been watching the ABC24 News channel; and it seems they are showing the same pictures over and over... so I had to turn it off as it can do your head in if you keep watching it all the time.  What I can tell you all is that Brisbane City is suffering from the worse floods since 1974.  Today, the Brisbane River rose 2metres at high tide; and tomorrow it will do it again.  On Thursday, it will peak at 3metres as we have a King Tide and all the water from Monday will be coming out; as well as the water that was released from Wivenhoe Dam.  

In the Lockyer Valley, the death toll has risen to 10 people with 78 people - including families - missing.  The power grid is out across the Lockyer Valley, Darling Downs and Toowoomba.  Major roads coming into Brisbane are cut, so is the Gateway Motorway and the Ipswich Motorway.  

Ipswich City itself is also flooded as badly as it was in 1974.  And all the mayors of our towns and cities have told us not to go out unless we really have to; even then, it's probably best to stay indoors.  And if we have to evacuate through the advice of the SES, it's best we follow that advice.  Otherwise, stay home and just keep our eye on the news. 

This has been one of the worse natural disasters that has hit this state in a very long time.  I'm keeping in mind all those people who have lost anyone to these floods, who are looking for missing family and friends, who have lost all their belongings and who are staying in evacuation crisis centres tonight.  They are all in my thoughts and prayers; as they've lost everything to something they had absolutely no control over so soon into the New Year; and until their lives are back to normal, nothing will feel right to them for a long time.  Until my next post, keep safe, stay dry and I'll still be here.

Today's Rain

I'm getting to hate this rain; there's been so much of it.  The fences around the unit complex are falling down and the swimming pool is full - almost overflowing actually.  I went for a walk out onto the footpath and took a filming of what it all looks like; and it's not good.  

I've been worried about a lot of things and have found it hard to get to sleep at night lately.  I haven't been to my parent's house as I really can't get over there or back in this weather; and so don't really know how bad their place is.  The piano is sounding really bad; as the moisture in the air isn't good for it, I can't get outside to do anything, I'm reading my third book this year and am running out of things to do inside that don't include making popcorn and getting out a dvd from my collection, putting a cd/vinyl or reading a book.

But then, there's all those people who have been devastated by the inland Tsunami, the floods up north and the rising Brisbane River; and I think my problems a really small.  I'm not sure if they are or not; but I think it's because I'm alone right now and don't really have anyone to talk to about this.  Also the last time this kind of flood hit Brisbane, I was only 3 months old.  But looking at the pictures from then I can get an idea of what this can do to our city.

Right now, I'm hoping my friends find higher ground, as do other people, I hope the rain goes away, I hope the Brisbane River doesn't rise much further... and I think that all we can do; hope.  I just feel so helpless at the moment; that I can't help anyone and I wish I could.  So, I hope the news links work well for you all on the sidebar and what I write for you here is okay.  I'll try to keep you all as up-to-date as I can.  Until my next post, stay safe, keep dry and I'm still here. 

Flood Crisis Worsens in Queensland

Yesterday, I turned on the television at around 6pm, I watched in shock to find that the Lockyer Valley, out near the Darling Downs, below the Garden City of Toowoomba was hit by an 8 metre wall of water.  Entire towns of Helidon, Withcott and Grantham were inundated by the water so fast that the residents were forced to climb onto the roofs of their homes and wait until they were rescued.

Cars from Murphy's Creek upstreams ended up in trees kilometres downstream; and houses were shifted off their foundations; looking like they had been bulldozered.  This sudden flooding took these people by such surprise that some have been found clinging to trees and 50 were up on higher land in the primary school.  Everyone in these communities have lost everything in such a short length of time and so soon after Christmas too.

However, there have been casualties of eight people; and there are still people to be found, and it's believed that 70 people are still missing.  

Our State Premier, Anna Bligh, has said that this is our darkest hour of the flood crisis of the last fortnight; and that what has unfolded in the Lockyer Valley will test our already stretched rescue teams.  

Queensland Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson said, "What hit Toowoomba could be best described as an inland instant tsunami.  We're doing all we can but we won't have a full appreciation of what's happened until during the day (Tuesday)."

I've been listening to the radio this morning and heard that Laidley, Forrest Hill and Gatton are going to be evacuated today as the water from the Lockyer Valley makes it way to the Brisbane River.  Today, the Brisbane River will rise 2 metres with the high tide; and 3 metres tomorrow.  Otherwise, until the next news on this flood crisis, stay safe, dry and I'll still be here keeping you all updated.

Bucketing Down Cats'n'Dogs!

Yep, it's raining so much around here, it's not hard to step in a poodle of water; or a river that's streaming down the footpath.  I had to roll up the legs of my old painting jeans and wear thongs/flip-flops to the post office just so that my good pair of sneakers wouldn't get soaked.  And all I wanted to do was post off a parcel to the USA.  On the way there, I found out my umbrella had sprung a leak in the most unlikely place:  right in the top handle piece where it opens out... water was running down it onto my hands.  I felt like a wet duck by the time I got home from the post office and the servo next door (I had to get some milk.  No way was I going out again just for milk today!).

Once home, I kept the house closed up because the rain has been coming from all angles and keeping the gutters and drains filling up.  The rain gauge was showing 61mm before I emptied it at 9:30am; and I'm wondering how much more we'll be getting.  But I'm more concerned about the north of Brisbane; as they're getting well over 100mm and a lot of roads have been closed up near Caboolture, Caloundra and around those areas.  I heard on the news that the Brisbane City Council has offered up free sandbags for people who are worried about their homes being flooded when the Brisbane River hits the high tide mark over the next few days due to the amount of rain we've had.  This is also because Wivenhoe Dam has had its floodgates opened as well and there'll be excess water.  

Flooded Brisbane Streets in 1974

This rain is supposed to stick around until Autumn; and petter out by Winter.  We've had this kind of thing before - just as bad - in 1974 when Brisbane flooded really bad.  However, I don't remember it because I was only a few months old and we didn't live that close to the CBD.  But this weather pattern was around at that time; and it caused all kinds of havoc everywhere; just as it's causing the same kind of havoc now.  

So, if you're on holidays and coming home, please be careful while you're driving our wet roads.  If you've suffered through the floods in Emerald, Rockhampton, Townsville, St. George, Injune, Warwick or anywhere else we haven't heard about yet, I hope you can return your homes back some kind of normal as soon as possible; and celebrate a belated Christmas at least (seeing a lot of you didn't get a chance to do that).  Otherwise, if you're staying put, don't go out unless you absolutely have to... and even then, be careful how you go; even on foot can be disastrous.

For me, the next few days, I'm going to be sticking around the house, reading some mighty fine books from my Mt TBR, playing the piano, listening to music and watching dvds at my leisure.  This is my idea of a good day in out of the rain; but I'd much prefer to read a book outside... such a bummer I can't right now.  Until my next post, take care, stay dry and don't go out unless you absolutely need to.