jitkaau

Queensland is Australia's second largest state measuring more than 1.72 million square kilometers, 25% of Australia's land mass, which is four times the size of Japan, nearly six times the size of the UK and more than twice the size of Texas in the US.

I usually stay with friends from before Christmas until after New Year, but came home early so that mutual friends from Bundaberg in Queensland, could stay in my stead. Apart from humanitarian and economic reasons, we are all going to be affected in some way as the waters move south.

It appears that World News is picking up on this and other problems around the Globe. A time for all of us to pull together and forget about petty differences. Will hopefully post good news in future.

Caer Urfa

The devastation is unbelievable. I was around in the 1974 floods and the river has peaked to just below those levels but there is a much larger population now, thousands forced out of their homes in a lot of areas. The worst is the lives lost in the tsunami. We have just been on our favourite walk along the Shorncliffe shoreline and there is a huge amount of debris washed up including lounge suites, two big pontoons, trees, all sorts of rubbish and it is now starting to smell awful. Son and grandson spent two nights at the university near the river sandbagging and pumping water out but still damage to several buildings. The river is running at 30 knots in the middle - so my grandson tells me - and there have been so many pontoons with luxury boats attached racing down the river along with all sorts of other things. One smashed into one of the major bridges and just sank. We have always admired the beautiful homes and apartments along the river's edge and nearby but are now thankful that we can only afford to live in a modest house on a hill in the 'burbs.

Crlyn

Although we have a beautiful sunny day here today you almost feel guilty to be enjoying the simple sunshine when you know just 40 minutes away there is such devastion happening from the floods.

14 dead and 70 missing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-BEMTwh4hI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5EscR312jM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0SjPV_aRkw

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/11/3110273.htm

pstoner

not sure you can hear (read) me today. Please all of our Austrailian members please be safe.

cheryl rearick

Prayers are with you, So sad these things have to happen. (((hugs)))

willpene

The first part of that clip was at Granthem where my SIL and BIL were trapped in their house sitting on an upturned fridge until 10.00pm when help arrived.2 of the lucky ones, 74 and 64 years of age. The second part was where I lived for 12 years and my best friend still is but is ok. I also have a son who lives in a small town near Toowoomba.

Patchworkmarion

I live in Ipswich,a city near Brisbane,that had 1/3 of the homes flooded.Thankfully we live on a hill and did not get flooded.We have lost power though.We have taken in a family that was in the flooded area.
We have a dear friend at Grantham,who lost his 2 year old grandaughter.She was walking with her Mother,and the Mother tripped,and the little girl slipped from her grasp.Mum is due to have her second child in April. It is so awful.
So far there are 15 drowned,and lots more missing.

Lynnc

Didn't your country have masive fires a year or two ago? Was this the same area? I don't watch the TV news (too depressing) so I'm not sure if it is. If anyone needs quilts to sleep with I will donate what I can. Just give me an address.

peonyblue

I am in Ipswich, Qld. We were evacuated from our seniors village on Tuesday to the local Showgrounds. My son manageed to get home from Brisbane City and told s to go there as there wasn't any flood there at Bundamba. The power went off yesterday lunchtime so we just arrived at a friends house who still had power. We dont know how our units fared, only that the com0plex yhas no power or water. Having nightmares over all my stuff (especialoly when I think of all my material, (lol). Oh well we're safe, thats the main thing. May need suggestions if material is waterlogged.

tweetee

Yes, we did Lynn, that was down here in Victoria though, about 3000 km south from Queensland. That was bad enough, now this