Warning! Flash Flooding Toowoomba,Ipswich

TC16 · January 19, 2011

we got so lucky in the floods thought for sure the water was gonna come in but it drained away just in time. I live in Wamuran apparantly its alot higher up than Caboolture

JiP · January 20, 2011

One word WOW. It has been nuts. The Saturday before the floods I made a big gamble, I moved all my possessions, spent thousands of dollars and moved out of dry old Logan to the riverside suburb of Yeronga :S

Tuesday I was in Roacklea and the SES shut down the Bunnings I was in and I had to go home.

From then onwards I stayed home. Leaving my place wasn't very easy. The new tennis centre was under so I couldn't get to work via Fairfield Road. They shut off my power so all i could do was wait and watch the water rise. The police were catching looters so I refused to evac. They also shut off the only way into the areas so if I left I wouldn't be able to return as I had no documentation saying I lived there.

The 94 year old lady next door informed me that the water levels hadn't gotten to her in 74, so I knew I was safe.

My family were skitzing out, thinking the dam would burst and I'd get wiped out. I was tempted to park my car down the hill with hope that I could get a new one lOl.

I was lucky I did a massive shop for food the Sunday before the floods, and most of it was in the freezer. So all that food got me through as it slowly defrosted over the next 3 days while the power was cut. Up my street there were a few mansions that had massive generators running around the clock. Was quite a site seeing extension cords linking rows of houses up with each other. Now that is how neighbours should be like. The man down the road offered some of his power to charge my phone, or some space in his fridge but I politely declined. I was hoping to ride it out. I was managing charging my phone in my car and placing it on power saving mode to conserve energy. The tenants downstairs and my housemate all evac'd. It was a lonely few days and I couldn't get anyone in.

Once the water went down it was an amazing site to see. Firstly the smell. Different areas had certain smells. Ours was of the tip. So many people helping out clearing rubbish. Soon the park down the road became a huge tipface. They had so much rubbish the car park at the train station became another storage spot for the smelling rubbish.

I felt bad for not helping out, I wanted to so I went to my brother in laws mothers house in Roacklea with my high pressure cleaner and my mates generator. I must say this is something I'll remember for a long time. The smell, the site of everyone's belongings piled up on the footpaths, and the amazing generosity of the local people of Brisbane. Strangers helping out one another. Others bringing free food and beverages. It was amazing.

Brisbane, I honestly think I would never want to leave. its amazing how people can pull in together and help. I love this city!!

Now a days i am seeing so many army vehicles around here. I have taken a lot of photos but sadly my phone went in for repairs today. So maybe next week I'll post what I saw.

Glad to hear that everyone here is okay. Has anyone heard from rolladude? (Andrew)?

JiP · January 20, 2011

Must admit Brisbane City council you suck!!

The red circle is a set of three towers that the city council has allowed to be built in this floodable area. The majority of Yeronga/Fairfield that flooded were parks. I'd assume the reasoning to why they have never been inhabited is this that they flood. I've worked on a job site in the past that consisted of 5 towers like these. I wondered where the builder got the land from. Turns out in the street directory the land was a swamp/park. Seems if you have money, you can build anywhere. Feel sorry for the owners of those units.

The green circle is where all the rubbish was/is dumped. :)

PHATKE20S · January 20, 2011

well i managed to txt andrew and he said his houes is fine and so is the family but they are completely cut off

glad to hear he is alright

Undertaker sms'd him back on the 12th but no word since then....

Maybe he hasn't had power or internet.

PHATKE20S · January 20, 2011

Must admit Brisbane City council you suck!!

Yeah I think they owe a lot of residents an explaination..... :bash:

towe001 · January 20, 2011

I was tempted to park my car down the hill with hope that I could get a new one lOl.

:lol:

I was lucky I did a massive shop for food the Sunday before the floods, and most of it was in the freezer. So all that food got me through as it slowly defrosted over the next 3 days while the power was cut.

We did a bit of food shopping a few days after it hit here and people were just plainly going stupid with buying up stuff. We spent a tiny $80 on shopping while the woman that was in front of us spent the time looking at our trolley and shaking her head as her $400-500 of groceries got tallied up.

We spied an old lady walking through the isles with something like 10-12 bags of tampons :blinks:

Amber was talking to a couple from Leyburn today and they've been evacuated again today. So makes me wonder if its over or if its coming back again.

Maybe i should convert the corolla into a boat....... Paint the body green and the roof brown with black squiggly lines. And call it Donatello....

Undertaker_is_the_best · January 20, 2011

Glad to hear that everyone here is okay. Has anyone heard from rolladude? (Andrew)?

Undertaker sms'd him back on the 12th but no word since then....

Maybe he hasn't had power or internet.

i havent txted him since but i noticed at 8pm today roladude aka andrew was online and bumped up his for sale thread might send him a PM now

Edited January 20, 2011 by Undertaker_is_the_best

philbey · January 20, 2011

We spied an old lady walking through the isles with something like 10-12 bags of tampons :blinks:

ultra absorbent ones? Probably thought she had an innovative way to prevent the floodwaters rising.

ke70dave · January 20, 2011

yeah the whole thing where people are going crazy at the supermarkets is quite rediculous.

out here at wynnum, we didnt get any flooding at all. localised maybe, like a backyard, it was actually quite sureal, everything was just "normal". where 15mins away peoples homes were under water....

howeever....at the shops, all milk gone, both fresh and UHT, all bread gone, any sort of canned meal (baked beans)..all gone...people buying 100's of dollars of panic food. now i know supplies to these things were cut off for a few days there, but this was before it all happened (in brisbane anyway). panic panic panic.

i walk into coles to get an ice coffee, and people are running around screaming fighting over the last loaf of bread.

i mean c'mon people! if anything leave the food for people that actually need it!

JiP · January 21, 2011

apparently at Kenmore Coles there was a lady who had a whole trolley full of milk. She was told by the operator she couldn't have that much. So she chucked up a stink. The police were eventually called and she was removed. Its amazing how some people are so selfish.