Videos: Deadly flash floods in Australia

[Tale]

This happened today. Death toll 7 and rising. Lots of insane videos emerging ... and the water is proceeding towards other towns.

http://youtu.be/D7HLvwPmles

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/10/3109884.htm

It's up in the northeast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Basically an area the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined is already underwater, so everywhere is soaked and the ground cannot hold more water. Then they had a massive downpour and this was the result. The water is currently heading towards the city of Brisbane, with river levels higher than any previous records and the main dam already overflowing.

Here's a graph of a river level downstream: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_VWM_Sxd-tCw/TSrnXS0bBfI/AAAAAAAAACE/-A6F4fGPN0c/s640/flood.JPG (before the measuring station failed, presumably washed away)

[Tale]

This is escalating rapidly. The number of missing is growing and more towns are involved.

Police say they are "tracking the movement of what's described as an inland tsunami."

Photo of the flash flood in the videos above: http://i.imgur.com/nEq8p.jpg

[RhyssaFireheart]

Holy cow - that's just crazy, Tale.   

[UnSub]

It really is insane. We've got floods AND drought here in WA while Queensland went from drought to enough water for a bumper crop to everything is underwater.

At least one politician has leapt on this event as a reason that planned water management schemes for a major river system are unneeded, ignoring the facts that these floods are unprecedented and we don't know if / when they'll repeat.

[WayAbvPar]

Climate change is a myth propagated by the liberal media!

[Tale]

Now 8 dead, 72 missing.

Best coverage here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/

[WayAbvPar]

Was the storm some sort of cyclone remnant, or something more localized?

[lamaros]

Was the storm some sort of cyclone remnant, or something more localized?

Lots of rain, everywhere. The government is offering flood relief (social service payments) to 5 states last I heard. And this country is big with only a few states.

[Tale]

Amazing pictures in the second half of the video on this page (after the reporter with the Road Closed sign).

http://skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=562944&vId=2089515&cId=Top%20Stories&play=true

[UnSub]

Was the storm some sort of cyclone remnant, or something more localized?

Of the top of my head, these are flash floods, where a lot of rain gets dumped quickly onto the land. The soil turns to surface mud and propels the water in large quantities through river systems, creek beds, etc. It's one of the reasons campers are warned not to set-up in dry creek beds because rain several kms away can easily suddenly appear as a wall of water that fills that creek.

Qld was already suffering from massive floods due to this dumping of water; these flash floods are hitting some new areas.

[Tale]

Lots of cars getting destroyed (ignore the annoying voiceover): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY

[Tale]

Was the storm some sort of cyclone remnant, or something more localized?

There has been an unbelievable amount of rain for weeks, after years of drought. The ground is waterlogged and massive areas are flooded - it's visible from space, like a giant inland sea.

The flash floods are occurring south of that massive flood, where all the rivers and dams were already full, and then there was another massive sudden downpour. They are still having heavy rain today.

Australia and South America are affected by Pacific weather patterns called El Nino (which brings dry and drought) and La Nina (which brings wet weather). We've just had years of El Nino, with some dam levels down to 8% and talk of trucking in water, and now La Nina is back with a vengeance. These water levels are higher than anything in recorded history.

It's having major economic effects. There's a lot of mining in that area and all the mines are full of water. The miners are helping with flood emergency work because there's nothing else to do. The price of coal has shot up internationally. The crops and herds of livestock on the farms are destroyed. Snakes and other fleeing wildlife are all up in everything, in people's roofs, etc.

[UnSub]

Following on: despite being summer in tropical Queensland, those impacted by floods can't leave doors / windows open unless they have a security screens because otherwise the local wildlife will enter, seeking respite from the water. An overview of the snakes of Queensland.

Mosquitoes are also starting to breed, particularly as the water drops a bit and stagnant pools develop.

[Sand]

Wow. What a tragedy.
Mother nature is a scary chick sometimes.

Hope none of you guys posting from down under are at risk.

Anyone find any shots from space?

[Tale]

The ABC (our BBC equivalent) has removed the geoblock on its 24-hour news channel streaming.

You should be able to watch this live: http://www.abc.net.au/news/abcnews24/

[UnSub]

Some pictures from NASA, but I'm not sure they show things that well (or might mean more to someone who has seen more of them than I have).

Brisbane - capital of Queenland - is facing a flood for the first time since 1974, but get this: not only is there a flood, but the dams are full AND Queensland is seeing king tides. There's nowhere for the water to flow away to quickly.

[Raging Turtle]

The video of the family trapped in the minivan in the middle of what looks like a lake was hard to watch.

I have no idea how common crocodiles are in this part of Australia but this picture seems like something out of a suburban nightmare

[ghost]

Watching these videos is totally creepy.  Also, I found this quote on my quote-of-the-day page I use at work, which I found to be equally creepy.

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia.
Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000)

[Sand]

A crocodile in a down town park is creepy!
Like I said I hope all the posters from down under are safe, as well as any family/loved ones.

[Tale]

Frogs are riding snakes to safety.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?&id=8195243&mch=snlink&cmp=art_8195243&mch=snlink&cmp=art_8195243

[Sand]

Tale Im pretty sure that last picture belongs in the anti-christ thread. Its one of the seven signs of the apocalypse or something.

[Fordel]

I had no idea the flooding was this serious. I saw the clip of some cars being washed away in the parking lot and just assumed it was a weird local flooding thing... but apparently like a quarter of Australia is now underwater 

[Tale]

A bull shark was seen swimming up the main street of suburban Goodna, near Brisbane.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/12/3111496.htm

[NowhereMan]

Australia built that Ark thing right?

[Tale]

[Tale]

I thought it might be safe to look at some of the comments on CNN's Australia floods story. Here are the first few ...

ilobos
Yeah I believe in natural cycles of flood and drought - have a look at history before jumping on the "Climate Change" bandwagon (or maybe you like to put money in the elites pockets).

LoudSilence
Why does some of the people look yellow (like picture #4). Reminds me of the Simpsons!

Desjardins
They eat too much mustard

alimaqbool
how cmoe there is no cry for help to australian victims. or is it only muslim victims that get help.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Oh gods that picture!    Please tell me those aren't 2 storey houses at least.

And I'm firmly convinced that most news articles/posts/anything like that would survive just fine if commenting weren't allowed.  Otherwise, it's just safest to not read the stupid crazy.

[Fordel]

Those look like bungalows, but that's still like, 4+ meters of water at least. 

[Tale]

Photo taken by phone company repairman doing post-flood work: http://twitpic.com/3phfi9

[Fordel]

Shit, I didn't even realize what those coils were till I read the caption!

[Raging Turtle]

I'm just going to assume those snakes are extremely venomous because, you know, Australia. 

[pants]

I'm just going to assume those snakes are extremely venomous because, you know, Australia. 

Correct assumption.  Red belly black snakes are deadly.

[Tale]

I'm just going to assume those snakes are extremely venomous because, you know, Australia.  

Correct assumption.  Red belly black snakes are deadly.

They're extremely venomous, but not one of the most deadly. People usually survive red-bellied black snake bites. But you don't want to be bitten.

They usually flee humans. I do a lot of cycling and I sometimes see red-bellied black snakes on the road ahead of me. Often they're dead due to getting run over, but three times I've realised quick enough that they are live snakes, basking in the sun. I get off the bike some distance away, stamp the metal cleats of my cycling shoes on the road until the snake feels the vibrations, and it always panics and flees.

[Tale]

Next!


HIGH SEAS WEATHER WARNING FOR METAREA 10 ISSUED BY THE
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE BRISBANE
AT 0200UTC 13 JANUARY 2011

GALE WARNING FOR NORTH EASTERN AREA

SITUATION
At 0000 UTC a Tropical Low was centred within 90 nautical miles of
 latitude fourteen decimal seven south (14.7S)
 longitude one hundred and forty nine decimal nine east (149.9E)
Recent movement : northwest at 6 knots
Maximum winds   : 25 knots
Central pressure: 1000 hPa
The low may develop into a tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours.

[pants]

I'm just going to assume those snakes are extremely venomous because, you know, Australia.  

Correct assumption.  Red belly black snakes are deadly.

They're extremely venomous, but not one of the most deadly. People usually survive red-bellied black snake bites. But you don't want to be bitten.

They usually flee humans. I do a lot of cycling and I sometimes see red-bellied black snakes on the road ahead of me. Often they're dead due to getting run over, but three times I've realised quick enough that they are live snakes, basking in the sun. I get off the bike some distance away, stamp the metal cleats of my cycling shoes on the road until the snake feels the vibrations, and it always panics and flees.

There you go.  I always thought they were deadly.  You learn something every day.

And yes, they are scardeycats.  Although the time I found one in my back yard I'm not sure who jumped higher in shock - me or it.