SEQ & NE NSW: Rain event & Flood tragedy - Jan 2011

[Blackee]

Can you explain the red warning.
Does that mean ring a bell. or Siren.?

Straight from the BoM website

The SEWS is a distinctive audio signal that has been adopted to alert the community to the broadcast of an urgent safety message relating to a major emergency/disaster. It is intended for use as an alert signal to be played on public media (such as radio, television, public address systems, mobile sirens), to draw listeners' attention to a following emergency warning. It is meant to attract listeners' attention to the fact that they should take notice of the emergency message.

[Australis(Shell3155)]

Brother spoke to a mate in Toowoomba who is safe,
mentioned was 80 ppl missing.

Thanks Sniper..

[wolfcat]

From QLD Police Media Twitter account

72 people missing in Toowomba/Lockyer Creek

[norfolk]

The parallels between Qld today and Victoria in Feb 09 are strikingly similar... Some hard questions will need to be asked.

Was going to mention that mate.
Very eerie feeling indeed.

Someone once told me that bushfires are worse than floods since at least with floods the water helps the land while fires devastate the land. I think one can say that what this proves is that it doesn't matter what the weather event it, we all need to be as prepared as possible. But then by the sounds of it, no one was prepared for this.

Scary scary pictures coming through from Toowoomba and the valley

[Australis(Shell3155)]

I'm not putting TV back on.

Puts Golf Balls in the back of throat.

[Meso]

Yeah, it seems to get worse everytime I put the news on. Weather girl on ABC was just saying another 100mm expected in SE QLD too. Pretty devastating. Hope those missing turn up ok.

[Blackee]

Wivenhoe Dam only 23cm from the 74m mark.

I have a very bad feeling about this!!!!

[HarleyB]

What happens when it gets over 74m Wes?

This is my first post from this thread. I am absolutely speechless at some of the footage. I hope most people can escape safely.

[Blackee]

Last 1hr falls in excess of 50mm still occurring with 85mm @ Savages Crossing.

You can add another 92mm @ Savages Crossing. 177mm in the last 2 hours.

FOR THOSE BELOW THE WIVENHOE DAM, PLEASE EVACUATE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY. ENORMOUS INFLOW CONTINUE UPSTREAM AND WIVENHOE RELEASES SHOULD BE AT CAPACITY.

I REPEAT EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY

[Meso]

Watching all the people on their roofs reminded me of Katrina. The scary thing is there is no cyclone involved in this and they are sure to cop a decent one before the summer is out.

[HarleyB]

The main line is now moving above Wivenhoe dam, and heading straight for the main affected areas of yesterday. This is deteoriating even further just currently

[johnno]

The BOM now expect the Lower reaches of the Brisbane river to reach Major flood levels now Tomorrow and even higher Thursday

[Blackee]

And I quote Premier Bligh.
'The crisis is set to deepen'.

[I_Love_Storms]

I have a very bad feeling about this as well. The dam can't cope any longer. This is/will be SE QLD's biggest flood since at least the 1890's, so in 120 years.

Brisbane could be in a LOT of trouble.

LIVE COVERAGE/CHAT ON COURIER MAIL http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/toow ... 5985290369" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Blackee]

24hr rainfall to 9am.

IDQ65126.gif (19.04 KiB) Viewed 5832 times

[Lily]

ABC Radio are appealing for people NOT to ring to donate to the Premier's Flood Appeal today as the telephone operators have been put onto alternative duties answering emergency calls. They're also asking for rubber neckers to stay away as they are hampering rescue efforts and clogging roads.

Earlier on ABC Radio, they were saying that Wivenhoe is fine and if not for the Dam this would be as bad as 1974 floods (the dam was built in response to these floods that devastated Brisbane). I haven't heard anything to say that the dam will not hold... unless of course it's catchment capacity is exceeded

Watching this unfold is as bad as Black Saturday, just devastating news all round.

[Blackee]

Latest SEQ Incident updates

Reports of 7 Cars Trapped in Floodwaters Brisbane Valley Highway Near Fernvale Rescue Crews having difficulty with access

Reports of Van and Car with Children on board caught in Floodwaters Crews Unable to Access Helicopter Required Marburg Rosewood Rd Marburg

Reports of 2 Adults 1 Child Trapped by Floodwaters Roseville Rd Hiddenvale Rd Calvert Helicopter responding

Reports of Swift Water Surge Expected to come through Gatton Emergency Services Units to move to higher ground

[Blackee]

What happens when it gets over 74m Wes?.

Harley, this is the $64,000 question.
I don't know. Ask many people up there, they don't know.

Have they tested the build at full flood capacity?
What happens if a flood surge impacts the area?
If it does fail, what area fails first?

All these questions are being asked. This is unprecedented! This set-up was post-74, and has not been tested like this before.

Everything that I can cross is crossed.

[I_Love_Storms]

Unconfirmed reports that Western Brisbane CBD is being evacuated.

[eegs]

Brisbane wholesale market evacuating at present. Some major players included. In 1974 the market area was fully swamped and looks like at least a full repeat is imminent.