Brisbane: The City that Drowned

[marmar]

from the Independent UK:






Brisbane is drowning. The usually placid river that winds through its heart has become an angry torrent swallowing up large chunks of the city and triggering the worst floods in the Queensland capital for nearly 40 years.

About 27,000 homes were inundated overnight – 12,000 fully submerged – as the Brisbane River, swollen by weeks of heavy rain, reached a height of 17ft. When the river peaked at around 5.15am (7.15pm last night GMT), it was almost 3ft lower than had been feared – lower than the last great flood of 1974, a date etched in Brisbanites' memories.

"I haven't seen this since I was a girl," said one woman, surveying the swirling waters engulfing her neighbourhood.

The Queensland premier, Anna Bligh, said this morning that the state was facing a reconstruction effort of "post-war proportions". She said that people in evacuation centres would be unlikely to be able to move back in to their homes for "many months". ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/brisbane-the-city-that-drowned-2183247.html

[kickysnana]

1. Are they shooting looters yet? Oh wait its not America. n/t

:sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Actually they were having problems with looters

we really need to work, not just in the US, world wide, on a principle that if you are "stealing bread" to survive that is not looting. IF you are stealing a TV... then we agree that is looting.

[Matilda]

3. I believe they caught a couple of guys who were trying to steal boats.

Purely opportunistic, and I think the penalties should be very high. As if people haven't got enough heartbreak...

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. If it is bread, and water, and other essentials

by all means... boats... well falls in the same category as tv's (Unless this is critical of a qualifier, they meant to do an immediate rescue)

You doing ok?

[Matilda]

8. I'm in Sydney,

and while we've had an extraordinary amount of rain, we're well away from floods. I have a good friend in Queensland, but as she lives on a mountain top, she's safe.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Good. Keep safe

And your friend might need some support given the size and scope of this. Keep in touch with her.

[HEyHEY]

7. But suppose your family don't like bread. THey like... cigarettes...

[HEyHEY]

6. I'd be more worried about the crocodiles and swimming knives.

[some guy]

5. k n r

[arbusto_baboso]

10. But there's no such thing as global climate change.

Move along, nothing to see here....

[OneGrassRoot]

13. Speaking of which, I just saw this....

The Australian floods are like a crystal ball. Climate change has played a role in creating them. Looking at both this role and how people respond could tell us volumes about our future.

http://www.justmeans.com/Australia-s-Floods-A-Climate-Change-Opportunity/42486.html

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. my friend in Bulimba has managed to not go under somehow

i am not familiar with the terrain but i was pretty sure Bulimba is just on the southeast side of the river that runs through town...but reports are that her flat is dry...

sP

[KamaAina]

12. I trust it'll be fully rebuilt well within five years

seeing as how it isn't America, and mostly white folks live there anyway. :sarcasm: