Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Flooding and my Emergency Survival List.

While no one really reads this blog yet, I am going to type an account of the flooding so I have something to link worried family and friends to.

Queensland, Australia, is going through it's worst flooding since 1974 right now. I'm told news coverage is now international, and I wish I could say it was being over-dramatic like usual, but unfortunately this time it is not. My husband and I found ourselves caught yesterday, as the inner city was officially evacuated yesterday afternoon. This is a major event. To understand the severity you have to realise that Australia is sparsely populated. There are a lot of towns around, but only a handful of true 'cities', Brisbane being the 3rd largest. Despite having a river run right through the middle of it, Brisbane was thought to be near floodproof after the 1974 floods caused council to biuld a very big dam as a buffer. That dam is now overfilled to the point that they have no choice but to release water. Even this wouldn't be such a big deal, except that the massive amount of water that has fallen further north is flowing into Brisbane at the same time. Up north they had what can only really be described as an inland tsunami, as a wall of water 2 meters high hit the township of Toowomba without warning. The flood affected areas are reported to be larger than the state of Texas (You Americans really like comparing things to Texas don't you?) 

It was amazing to see the river break it's banks, and the city evacuate yesterday, so many people! We were at the hospital due to pregnancy complications, and saw doctors and nurses packing up and rushing home to families before they were flooded in. Only a core staff remains there, and the families from the homes nearby have been sent to the emergency shelter. We are very thankful to the Lord that we were able to be seen yesterday, and got home before we were completely cut off. We're now on our own and praying the Lord watches over us, that nothing gets worse in the pregnancy until the roads reopen. We are on high ground, and even had sun today, but we are completely cut off from all family right now, made worse by the fact that at least two of those households are flooded in because of water along their own driveways (rural towns, these driveways are a few hundred yards each)

They have stopped comparing it to the 1974 floods now, and have instead begun comparing it to the 1890's flooding, an event we do not even have living memory of anymore.

But we are safe, and very fortunate as it turns out. Even though the local river has also burst it's banks, it would take a lot more water to make it to us personally, though some friends are begining to get antsy as the water creeps nearer. Prayer for the families of those who have already lost their lives in the floodwater, especially the children, would be much appriciated by all. Also, prayers for the many people still missing, and the emergency services risking their lives to find stranded survivors, especially up north, where the worst of the devestation remains.

1 comment:

  1. Yes, we have certainly been mindful of you in Qld and praying for you all. Thanks for sharing.

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