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Lilywhite

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Can everyone please keep the people of Queensland in their thoughts? They're suffering from such horrendous floods that I don't even know where to start describing all that has been happening. The floods cover an area the size of France and Germany combined, if that gives you any indication.

 

Most recently, an 'inland tsunami' ripped through one city and has killed at least 8 people.

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Thanks Chrissy. It's going to hit the capital city, Brisbane, tomorrow, and it has also moved into NSW. In fact, there'll be so much rain in the next few days that they're expecting 5 states to be flooded.

 

I feel so helpless watching it on TV. I'm in a volunteer organisation that helps out with these types of things, but there's nothing anyone can do at the moment except wait until it's all over so the cleanup can begin. :(

 

The devastation caused to property is unbelievable and very scary. Dozens of people have been killed. :(

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Have just been on facebook and I think everyone is okay. Moana said she is very wet and soggy but her house is ok - not sure if they have evacuated. She has two small children so that adds a complication. I always feels sorry for people's pets as well when disasters like this happen.

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I have a very good friend out in Brisbane who has shared photos of his old backyard creek in Biloela back on Boxing day and that looked like Chinese rice fields.

 

I hope this subsides very quickly and the people of Queensland don't lose any more people. Thoughts are with you all.

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Incredible amount of water. The office in which I work in the CBD is under a metre of water and it is going to get worse tomorrow. Feeling for all the people that have lost their houses to the flood and moreso for those that have lost their lives. Horrific scenes from Toowoomba especially, water is just so powerful.

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I'm glad you're OK Dan. I assume your house is too and you haven't had to be evacuated or anything? It's just crazy what's happening up there. So terrible. :(

 

friends0.gif to you all. You're all constantly in my thoughts.

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I cannot even imagine the cleanup that will be taking place. The cost and effort involved in getting so many thousands of lives and businesses back into some semblance of normality. Where would one even begin? ohmy.gif

 

I was somewhat heartened to see that people are already picking themselves back up and starting to rebuild their businesses. I think I would just go to pieces. I really love how Aussies get together and help out in these times.

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My uncle and his family live in Toowoomba and I think my second cousin Moana does too. My mum is going to ring this evening to see if they are all ok.

I have ALOT of family in Brisbane so I really hope it stears clear of there.

 

I truly hope your family is doing okay. My thought go to all of you who has family or live in the area. Living so far away I feel I want to do something to help and I found this if anyone feels like doing something even though we do not live there and can help on location.

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

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I cannot even imagine the cleanup that will be taking place. The cost and effort involved in getting so many thousands of lives and businesses back into some semblance of normality. Where would one even begin? ohmy.gif

 

I was somewhat heartened to see that people are already picking themselves back up and starting to rebuild their businesses. I think I would just go to pieces. I really love how Aussies get together and help out in these times.

 

I hope they do a better job than the US did in New Orleans.

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Unfortunately all of Australia has a lot of experience in big-scale natural disasters, so we'll do all right.

 

I got permission from work to go and help out but I missed the first call for teams going up tomorrow. I'm really bummed that I can't go straight away and help. Maybe next week they'll want to send a fresh team.

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Unfortunately all of Australia has a lot of experience in big-scale natural disasters, so we'll do all right.

 

I got permission from work to go and help out but I missed the first call for teams going up tomorrow. I'm really bummed that I can't go straight away and help. Maybe next week they'll want to send a fresh team.

 

^ I suspect there will be plenty of work to go around over the coming weeks/months.

 

Very good of you to volunteer though!

Edited by Raven
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I hope they do a better job than the US did in New Orleans.

 

I think it would be hard to do worse. I'm not quite sure what your government was thinking - with George W at the helm there probably wasn't any thinking going on at all.

 

By the way I think American people are generally wonderful people but I think your leaders are really a bit nuts. Just wanted to let you know that in case you thought I was entirely anti-American.

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I think it would be hard to do worse. I'm not quite sure what your government was thinking - with George W at the helm there probably wasn't any thinking going on at all.

 

By the way I think American people are generally wonderful people but I think your leaders are really a bit nuts. Just wanted to let you know that in case you thought I was entirely anti-American.

 

Not my goverment, I'm British!

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I think it would be hard to do worse. I'm not quite sure what your government was thinking - with George W at the helm there probably wasn't any thinking going on at all.

 

By the way I think American people are generally wonderful people but I think your leaders are really a bit nuts. Just wanted to let you know that in case you thought I was entirely anti-American.

 

No worries. Most Americans are disgusted with the way New Orleans has been abandoned. After more than 5 years, whole neighborhoods are still in shambles and people haven't been able to return to their homes. I really hope that things are able to return to normal in Australia ASAP!

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By the way I think American people are generally wonderful people but I think your leaders are really a bit nuts. Just wanted to let you know that in case you thought I was entirely anti-American.

 

Why thank you, LadyMacB, that's nice of you!

 

Part of the reason that the disaster was escalated down there in LA is that the poverty rate is so high (it's one of the top eight poorest states in the US), so people's home's just couldn't withstand the horrible winds and rain. Add to that the fact that their levee system wasn't even built to withstand such force and well, it all turns out very badly. What the govt did to help afterwards made everything worse - I hold FEMA, the administration of the time and the local New Orleans officials responsible. I think that if this had happened in Florida or up the east coast it would be an entirely different story, which is sad.

 

Has anyone heard much about the floods and mudslides they are having in Brazil? I honestly had no idea that the death toll had risen up past 500. It sounds too like that's another place where the govt has responded so disappointingly.

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I've been watching the clean-up taking place in the last couple of days. Thousands upon thousands of people have been turning up with shovels etc and they've been bussed out to the towns to start the clean-up. Dozens of people have been turning up to each house to clean out the water and mud and remove the ruined contents. It's amazing how everyone has come together. I can't believe how much they've accomplished already! I feel so proud to be Australian at the moment. :)

 

We're so lucky, in a way, that Australia is so sparsely populated. An area the size of France and Germany was flooded. Can you imagine if Queensland had the populations of those countries? huh.gif And if we had the poor infrastructure of developing countries, the death toll and destruction would be so much higher.

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