Flood Watch

Until today all the record breaking floods have been well north of us.  However, now Brisbane itself is on a flood watch.  The river is already over it's banks, and it's supposed to rise for two days.  The flood is projected to by worse than the infamous 1974 flood, which put the entire city underwater.

It's amazing to see - there were literally "inland tsunamis" that swept away homes, cars, and trees as rivers overflowed.  From our apartment near the inner city, Mark and I have been watching the scene on the river all day.  Entire docks have been floating downstream - one pier rushed by with a boat still tied to it.   

The Australians have done a great job of staying on top of the crisis.  The news has been following updates all day, and although there is always some sensationalism, they've offered lots of useful information.  The State Emergency Service (SES), a group of rescue-trained volunteers, has been working non-stop airlifting people who have been cut off by water.  In general, I've really got the feeling that the state, federal, and local governments are working hard to stay one step ahead of the disaster, rather than responding to it after the fact, like we sometimes see at home.

Mark and I live right on the river, but we're up a steep hill, so we'll be fine.  Right now we've got the perfect spot for watching everything unfold - we saw the CBD (Central Business District, ie, downtown) empty out at noon as employees were sent home while the roads were still passable, and have been watching police boats patrol the river all evening.  If anything, the most threatening thing we should have to deal with is being confined to a studio apartment, but for some areas around us it could be a very tough few days.

In fact, even the New York Times has taken notice of Brisbane, with this front page article on their website: Australia's Third-Largest City At Risk From Floods

An ocean tug to help boats pull out against the current.

Mark where a walkway should be.