Aussie friends, what is the scoop?

[Heron]

Hey Birdy
Is it dry yet?
Another 72 deaths in Rio last night . . . Updated to 105 . . .
Still muggy and drippy!
Lots of bridges are now floating down rivers.
Heron
http://noticias.uol.com.br/album/110112_chuvanorio_album.jhtm?abrefoto=18#fotoNav=23

 

[HobbyCAD]

The only Aussie scoop we now have is scooping water !! My wife and kids are stuck in Brisbane, I'm stuck in Hervey Bay. Floods have cut the major highways, alternate routes washed away. Hopefully I can fly them in on a charter today.

 

[oldsparky]

sorry to hear of these tragedys in Aus and Brasil.
Our sympathy to all affected. It is easy to say ok, its happened, harden up, get on with life as we have been told after our earthquake, but it doesnt work like that.
And our earthquake was nothing compared to serious flooding, even though it will be another couple of years before we are back in our house.
We did not have any deaths, although the lady over the road died in her sleep a few days later, 50 yrs, and an 80 y lady died and her brother who lived with her topped himself, and that was only in my small town.

I have done a bit of work in oz and in the Lokyer valley so might have to come out of retirement and help out if they need sparkeys.
Heron, good luck , hope you will be ok.
cheers all
Bruce

 

[Heron]

Where I live this thing does not happen often, but you have to stay away from some areas when it is raining. Engineers done a bad job here . . .
The count has raised to more than 230 dead so far.
Every year is the same thing, they don´t want to move from those hillside homes, until . . .a big bolder comes rolling . . .
Many towns are now counting their losses. Man made all the way disaster, it pisses me off!
Heron
Australia also keeps getting hit, but news say it is on mending now . . .

 

[birdy]

Hey Birdy
Is it dry yet?
Was Heron.
Been 6 weeks since we had rain.
But just had 3" over nite.

It is easy to say ok, its happened, harden up, get on with life as we have been told after our earthquake, but it doesnt work like that.
Snot easy, but so's life.

Engineers done a bad job here . . .
The count has raised to more than 230 dead so far.
Every year is the same thing, they don´t want to move from those hillside homes, until . . .a big bolder comes rolling . . .
Many towns are now counting their losses. Man made all the way disaster, it pisses me off!
Ya spoton Heron.
For a supposed inteligent critter, we make sum dum decisions.

 

[Heron]

The area been hit (yes it will continue) is large and all up in the mountains, this is going to be a big one . . .
This is the 8 o´clock news and they keep coming.
After that comes the epidemics, Nile fever doubled from last year´s rain and carries a 1%fatality rate, there was 700.000 infected and 7.000 dead. Iraq is here!
So far about 20 cities got hit hard Rio the worst.
WE need education real bad . . .
Heron

 

[Mark E]

Flash floods

Flash floods

The floods in Toowoomba (Queensland, Australia) were quite a shock.

The city is about 600 meters above sea level, on the highest edge of a plateau, but had some 80 mm of rain in less than an hour on already saturated ground. So it was not a rising flood but a wall of water in low lying parts of town. Rescuers tell of cars going from bumper deep to overturning in minutes.

Of course, the flash floods in some areas are just part of a bigger disaster.

Hats off to the emergency workers. These guys are mostly part-timers and they are doing an incredible job.

 

[birdy]

Was talkn to a mate over there, recons it only took 20 mins to dump 6" in his rain gauge.
Wundern if he wasnt p1ssn init.

 

[Heron]

Distribution . . .
While down south they are going to emergency due to a draught, the southeast is drowning in instant floods.
Called my friend Diego in Teresopolis, just in the middle of the mess, when they finish digging the bodies, the count will be unprecedent.
It rained here most of the day and night and I am 400 miles from the problem area.
Heron

 

[All_In]

Stay dry and stay safe, only park your car on high ground. I've seen videos of cars and even a airplane floating down rivers.

I feel so sorry for the folks who had a car/airplane just a minute ago!

 

[Heron]

A wealthy enclosed community was swept away entirely, people thinking they are safe at their homes . . .
A big boulder rolled in to the river bed, soon, the creek turned a monster 24 feet deep and the water found a way to get out, a tsunami of mud, stones, trees and whatnot came down like a wall and 3 story buldings just desappeared . . .
Some families lost up to 15 members in minutes.
Heron

 

[Mark E]

Was talkn to a mate over there, recons it only took 20 mins to dump 6" in his rain gauge.
Wundern if he wasnt p1ssn init.

There must have been something like that fall, Birdy, I thought those places would never flood.

But luck's a fortune - my Dad's house is right on the creek bank in Withcott, just east of Toowoomba and a few hundred metres lower... when I heard the road, petrol station, some houses and a few truck yards were washed away near there I tried to contact him. Of course, could not get through for a day and a half because the phones were out, and at first could not get someone to check him because of wrecked roads.

But, he was fine, completely unworried and no damage to the house. He is the complete optimist; he told me the creek was raging on his doorstep out the back, and 200 metres away in front he could see a 2 meter standing wave where another stream was crossing the highway, but it all just went around him.

I asked him if he was worried, and, as usual, he said "Of course not, this house is high enough, and never will go under!" I'm not sure what he bases that logic on, but then again, he has lasted long enough to make 84 years of age.

Checked the insurance on the house after the event. Yep, all covered. Except flooding.

Heron, it sounds even worse in Brazil.

 

[Heron]

It is bad . . . more than 500 bodies now!
The usual suspects are all out, hugging people, promising support, liberating financial resources but in no way they can ressurrect the dead!
Last year, same time, same tragedy, same promises and those homes hanging from the hill are nothing but votes to collect.
People have the government they deserve . . .
Australia is most flood, the terrain looks plain in Brisbane, the river is meandric and slow, but in Rio the sharp falls created lots of energy for destruction.
IN any case is a tragedy and people will not move away.
Heron

 

[Heron]

Home town Bauru yesterday afternoon
Not a big one but it has been continuous.
The worry down south is Paraguay and Argentina, the big dams up here are a threat if one ruptures it will be a mess . . .
Parana River took its name from native language meaning Sea River or Small Ocean.
Heron

 

[Heron]

The heavy rain bands moved over to our side here, last night lots of damage in the area. No hill tops or landslides though, just rivers overflowing, roads messed up, bridges destroyed.
It will linger some more . . .
Heron