Australian flood update - QLD and NSW

[KaptainRob]

Southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales have been hit with unprecedented rain falls resulting in some of the worst flooding in a decade, even approaching the worst in over 50 years for some locations.

Brisbane's dams are releasing excess water as they are well over-capacity ~ 170 to 200% in some cases, and this adds to the volume of water flowing toward the Brisbane river.  Whole suburbs are under water.   

Gympie, a rural town about an hour north of Brisbane is completely inundated after the Mary river rose to ~23 metres!

The Gold Coast is also affected and it's still raining.  See helicopter footage, towards the end of the video, over Carrara/Robina floodplains - always the worst affected areas.

 

[Smithydog]

It reminds me of 2011 and 1974 in Brisbane. I am sure the "Mud Army" will rise again and help them all get back on their feet.

The usual areas seem to copping it. The Town of Cooran up in the area behind the Sunshine Coast has had over a metre of rain in the last 7 days!

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/rainfall/station-rainfall.shtml

That footage of the houseboat crashing into the ferry jetty on the various news reports just showed how strong the river current can be.

And I see we have the usual idiots out doing stupid things in floodwaters without any thought as to the consequences for them or others as a result.

[KaptainRob]

21 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

That footage of the houseboat crashing into the ferry jetty on the various news reports just showed how strong the river current can be.

I used one of our smallest VMR rescue craft, with a 150hp Honda on the back to patrol the Nerang river in similar floods - can't recall which year, but I was pulling pontoons out from bridge supports, rescuing runaway boats and responding to any Police emergency.

The 150hp Honda at 3/4 throttle kept the boat stationary against flood waters, full throttle provided only slow progress up river!  Couldn't use our twin engined craft as there was insufficient clearance under road bridges.   In open (ICW) waters we were busy raising swamped/sunken runabouts and towing them to safety.

[KaptainRob]

Lismore NSW under water and massive evacuations underway >

 

[Marble-eye]

Just messaged my mate in or around Brisbane and this is the message he sent me.

"If you look on a map I’m in Hervey Bay so heading back to Brisbane next town Maryborough under water then next town Gympie under water then Sunshine Coast majority under water then Brisbane under water then the goldcoast under water and many surrounding areas."

[Poolie]

Jeez, it's a different world. I have some old mates in Brissy that I havent heard from for years. Hope they're alright.

[Smithydog]

I went through 2011 and 1974 floods in Brisbane and this is very different but just as damaging as they were for so many. 

But nothing compares to Gympie and Lismore. The water in Lismore is just scary and kudos to all those people doing rescues and supporting others.

The term being used of "rain bomb" seems to be very applicable. The rainfall numbers are incredible in parts.

Prayers go out to all affected.

[Thaidup]

20 hours ago, Smithydog said:

It reminds me of 2011 and 1974 in Brisbane.

I lived in Leichardt Ipswich in 1974, We were cut off for a week.

[KaptainRob]

And the drama continues ... further south in New South Wales with 1,000's of homes under water >

 

[Smithydog]

I have friends in the northern rivers area and whilst they are used to flooding and rain in that area, it is something none of them has ever seen, and one is in her 80s!

Thankfully they are mostly ok. One has water in his shop but his house is ok. Some have water all round but not in their houses as yet. Still have concerns for the house of a family member in Grafton and another mate in Ballina where the water is still coming down from the inland areas,

One town had over a metre of rain in 48 hours....wow. A mate who is in the SES said it is like a huge inland sea has suddenly appeared.

They say they had more rain in Brisbane than the 1974 floods and have really only been saved by the Wivenhoe dam which was built after 1974 with flood mitigation areas. Where the water has risen to is greater than 2011 but often in different areas.

I see they are forming up the volunteer "mud army 2.0" to help clean up the houses and streets and hope they get the same response as they had in 2011.

[Smithydog]

Ballina is under serious threat now as that mass of water across 2 river systems moves towards Ballina, affecting so many of the smaller communities around there.

Major operations underway to get food and water to isolated areas. Just seeing a report where the local community in the Tweed area are collecting food drops and delivering by personal boats through the river system.

Great community spirit on display!

[KaptainRob]

2 hours ago, Smithydog said:

Ballina is under serious threat now as that mass of water across 2 river systems moves towards Ballina, affecting so many of the smaller communities around there.

Major operations underway to get food and water to isolated areas. Just seeing a report where the local community in the Tweed area are collecting food drops and delivering by personal boats through the river system.

Great community spirit on display!

Lismore looks like Atlantis and the overall damage is in the many millions, much of private property lost is uninsured. 

Friends on southside of Brisbane said supermarkets are empty of all foodstuff and supplies can't get in to most areas yet.  The Pacific Highway impassable, underwater, and the New England Highway probably jammed with transport which can't deliver in to the coastal areas.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

20 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

And the drama continues ... further south in New South Wales with 1,000's of homes under water >

I suppose they HAD to say that, because the used the 100 year flood in 2018.

https://www.jbarisk.com/flood-services/event-response/1-in-100-year-rainfall-causes-flooding-in-sydney/

shall they go for  1 in a Million year flood in 2026? I suppose though they have to say this as it lets the Govt and councils off the hook for poor planning in regards to flood control. 

 

[PBS]

22 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Lismore looks like Atlantis and the overall damage is in the many millions, much of private property lost is uninsured. 

Friends on southside of Brisbane said supermarkets are empty of all foodstuff and supplies can't get in to most areas yet.  The Pacific Highway impassable, underwater, and the New England Highway probably jammed with transport which can't deliver in to the coastal areas.

The current death toll for this weather event is 10 across Queensland and NSW, expectation there will be more deaths announced as flooded homes are searched when water receeds, Still have roads closed from flooding where I live in the Noosa area.

[KaptainRob]

54 minutes ago, PBS said:

The current death toll for this weather event is 10 across Queensland and NSW, expectation there will be more deaths announced as flooded homes are searched when water receeds, Still have roads closed from flooding where I live in the Noosa area.

That number will rise as there's still people missing.  Stock losses also huge and infrastructure repairs will take a long while.  Many without fresh water and power for several days even after the water has subsided.

[Smithydog]

3 hours ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

I suppose they HAD to say that, because the used the 100 year flood in 2018.

https://www.jbarisk.com/flood-services/event-response/1-in-100-year-rainfall-causes-flooding-in-sydney/

shall they go for  1 in a Million year flood in 2026? I suppose though they have to say this as it lets the Govt and councils off the hook for poor planning in regards to flood control. 
 

Flood Control? You do realise, for example that Wivenhoe Dam outside Brisbane built after the 1974 floods as a flood mitigation project has twice the capacity of Sydney Harbour. Without that alone, considering the amount of rain that fell, the flood levels would have far exceeded the 1974 floods and probably would have challenged the worst ever floods.

In Northern NSW the governments have built levees and done associated work across what amounts to a flood plain covering 1,000 square kms, since the 1960s. The levee, just one example, in Lismore was breached to the point the boats could easily float over it. Now some water had receded and those same levees are producing a blockage!

https://rous.nsw.gov.au/floodplains-and-floods

But the sheer amount of rain and the speed of its delivery challenged any preparations or time they had. For example, Coraki had over a metre of rain in 48 hours, falling on ground that was already substantially wet from other high levels of recent rains. This is close to the total annual rainfall they normally get in a year!

"Dunoon, a small village located roughly 20km north of Lismore, registered a whopping 775mm of rain during the 24 hours ending at 9am on Monday."

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/03/01/hundreds-left-stranded-on-rooftops-in-unprecedented-nsw-floods/

Blaming governments in an opinion is easy. Defeating mother nature is far harder.

[KaptainRob]

2 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

This is close to the total annual rainfall they normally get in a year!

One metre of rainfall in a day or so is not normal!

2 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Blaming governments in an opinion is easy. Defeating mother nature is far harder.

Can't beat nature.  Move to higher ground or build your house on poles.

[Smithydog]

2 hours ago, PBS said:

The current death toll for this weather event is 10 across Queensland and NSW, expectation there will be more deaths announced as flooded homes are searched when water receeds, Still have roads closed from flooding where I live in the Noosa area.

Hope you came through all right.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

35 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Blaming governments in an opinion is easy. Defeating mother nature is far harder.

Or Blame people that buy houses on a flood plane, or blame government or council for allowing houses to be built their in the first place.

Soon it will be hard to insure your home in a flood plane in Australia if these floods become a four yearly event. All documented, so insurance companies and government in Australia knows the risk.

https://www.iag.com.au/sites/default/files/Documents/Climate action/IAG-Flood-Fact-Sheet.pdf

or is it an act of god, and people sue the church for restitution (as the church is gods representation on earth ).

[KaptainRob]

3 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

or is it an act of god, and people sue the church for restitution (as the church is gods representation on earth ).

Great idea.  

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

5 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Great idea.  

“The Man Who Sued God” 2001 starring Billy Connolly.

Filmed in Australia. I can’t take credit for that idea.

[Smithydog]

11 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Or Blame people that buy houses on a flood plane, or blame government or council for allowing houses to be built their in the first place.

Soon it will be hard to insure your home in a flood plane in Australia if these floods become a four yearly event. All documented, so insurance companies and government in Australia knows the risk.

https://www.iag.com.au/sites/default/files/Documents/Climate action/IAG-Flood-Fact-Sheet.pdf

or is it an act of god, and people sue the church for restitution (as the church is gods representation on earth ).

Good document.

I especially liked the comment "As floodwaters rise, properties with lower floor levels will be affected first"

I wonder which how much university study was required to work that out!

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

I wonder which how much university study was required to work that out!

Maybe a governmental study over the period of 30 or so years to provide something so factual. I can imagine the money used to pay for such a survey

[Smithydog]

14 minutes ago, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Maybe a governmental study over the period of 30 or so years to provide something so factual. I can imagine the money used to pay for such a survey

Does make you wonder sometimes!

I don't think I will ever forget reading a similar statement in a draft government safety code I was involved with from a private enterprise side of consultation. Stuck in the mind after all these years. In its definitions it said "Hot water is hot and cold water is not hot"

Thankfully they agreed to remove that one.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

3 minutes ago, Smithydog said:

Stuck in the mind after all these years. In its definitions it said "Hot water is hot and cold water is not hot"

Thankfully they agreed to remove that one.

By doing that I wonder how many politicians were confused when the came across hot water, and worse still, cold water! You may have just got some revenge for the publics sake, without realising it