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Devastating Floods


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#76 _UCV80_

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Posted 15 January 2011 - 10:14 AM

The Aussie spirit is absolutely unreal, I had a team of about 25 people that i didn't know help me clean my mums house. People were dropping off food and bottled water off all day for the workers. Taking loads of washing and offering furniture and electricals.

The mud left behind smells so bad, alot of people are happy to get dirty to help others.

#77 _pipjones_

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Posted 15 January 2011 - 01:43 PM

Tyler you are a true champion and im sure your mum and dad are so proud of you for doing that great deed in giving your clothes and that money for the flood victims. I am proud to be an australian, when stuff like this happens and we all come together to help in times of need. I too have donated to the flood victims all i could possibly afford at the time, and im sure if we all do what young Tyler has done and give just a little , the poor buggers will be up and running asap..Great work little fella..you are a champion..

cheers..phil

#78 GML-31

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 10:15 AM

anyone who has driven up the Toowoomba range road will know this would be a scary sight, now you know what helped form part of the wave that crushed the lower towns.

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#79 _bunkerjest_

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 12:23 PM

my workshop went underwater pretty much upto the roof and am goinin in tomorrow to have a look wats inside

#80 Statler

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 06:08 PM

Good luck Ben!

I hope you are prepared for the worst.

#81 enderwigginau

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 06:40 PM

Kev, I explain that ^ to people and I don't think they comprehend. That pics hasn't been shown widely enough.
THAT destroyed Withcott and picked up more debris to assail the valley towns.

Back from day two in Ipswich, yesterday morning going in the cross country route with no official routes open.
Can't adequately describe how it feels out there.
Peoples lives just laid bare on their lawns. We managed to save some but most lost everything. The house should be structurally sound but will still need to be gutted to a shell and rebuilt.
Special thanks to all those who were cruising around in mobile BBQs and the like just handing out food and drinks (in particular the Home Icecream truck and the fellas with the free beer ute - who I told to take it easy past the coppers at the end of the block :P )
More thanks to those who heard my cousins' husband on the radio and turned up in our street with ice. I was five minutes away with three bags when i heard it and people were piling in five minutes after I arrived. The whole area was very grateful. If you plan on joining any of the work crew take ice :D

Spent two hours with a friend of the family on traffic control duties keeping the route open for the trucks and firies and aiming anyone who needed a drink or a sit/chat toward our HQ where we'd finished most of the hard clearing work. The cops, council workers and emergency services guys were grateful for the assistance as it made their lives much easier. They are working their way back from the ends of streets toward the major roads.
Many of the Rural Firies have been cycled back into urban areas after being out in Lowood, Grantham, Helidon and the like and have seen some horiffic things.
Although I wouldn't shy away, I and many others are very glad we don't have to see what is out there.
From what our contacts tell us, it is worse than many of you would believe.
Also remember that to confirm a death, they not only need to find a body, but accurately identify the person by a family member or very good friend

We'll see what the coming days/weeks/months bring.

If you have a chance to give someone a helping hand, or a pat on the back, do your best like they were your family.

#82 _cruiza_

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 07:13 PM

Cheers for the up date and good work Grant

#83 _Big T_

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 12:57 AM

Just like old mate above I have come home from a second day of clean up in Brisbane. Mellisa and I did the registered volunteer thing and rocked up at one of the assembly points to sign on and jump on a bus to the worst affected areas. Both days we were at Corinda (a riverside suburb about 9kms from the CBD). We didnt really know what to expect, I mean, you see it on the tele and you expect to see water and shit everywhere but if the journey into the flood areas wasnt enough actually getting off the bus to be smacked in nose with the most god awful stench was a real awakening.

On the way in we went through Rocklea which is predominantly an industrial suburb and it was my first experience of the floods on a "non TV" level. Seeing just brown grass everywhere gave in insight to spread of the water but then seeing truck dealerships with brand new Merc Benz prime movers covered in muck showed just how high the water came up. It was an eerie feeling knowing that where the bus we were traveling on was totally submerged not a week before. And that was just a small taste of what lay ahead.

Yesterday when the bus dropped us off we made our way down to the end of cul de sac backing onto Oxley creek (a small tributary that flows into the Brisbane River). You know which houses might need help as they are the ones with a pile of stuff out the front ready for collection. The closer we got to the houses the worse the stench became and this is something that you just cant appreciate(?) on tele. It is weinering aweful. It was bearable though and of course the first order of the day is to get rid of the mud that causes it. So out with the brooms, shovels and gerni's it was. Mellisa and I concentrated our efforts on one particular house, hosing, sweeping, cleaning windows and personal effects and then loading the piles of crap onto trucks. The piles of crap or "rubbish" as referred to by the media is a funny term. I dont like to use either term as this "stuff" is\was someones possessions. It isnt like a hard rubbish collection. It is more like the disposal of items unfit to keep due to circumstance beyond ones control. I dont know what word adequately describes such a situation but "rubbish" seems to be the one used.

The house we cleaned up was in a pretty bad state when we arrived but at the end of the day and with about a dozen volunteers it was looking a little bit better. All around was the constant drone of petrol generators and high pressure cleaners among the frequent "beep beep beep" of tip trucks reversing and then the "clatter clang" of ruined stuff being loaded. Most home onwers kept up beat and many jokes were cracked. Amazingly from those who had lost a lot they still managed to have a laugh and maintain a sense of humour. I believe this to be a truly unique aspect of the Australian character and one that has shone through in past week. One other (among many) aspects of Australian-ness was the unending supply of food and drink. On both days Mellisa and I were kept well stocked with everything from Lamingtons to cold beer and everything in between. We had bought our own lunch and water expecting that food and drink would be up to ourselves to provide but the supply of replenishment's was amazing. One bloke today wandered down to the Bunnings BBQ with a carton of Smirnoff cans to add to the water bottle and cokes cans in the esky. I dont know who he was or why he provided drinks but goddamn, that can went down a treat. Yesterday the owner of the house we helped clean had an esky full of Carlton Mids, Hahn Light, Coke and Fanta. Once again, a quick beer kept spirits up and inspired us to work harder. I didnt expect a person who had suffered such a degree of financial ruin to put on a few drinks but they were only too happy to do so. It just goes to show that we, Australians, feel obliged to reward a job well done and nothing is more rewarding and appreciated than a coldie.

Ok, so Ive had a few myself by now and Im waffling but I will continue on.

Just to break it up though, here are a couple of snaps I took. Lis was a bit apprehensive about me taking photos and yeah, I understand that it can be a tad insensitive, but hey, it was smoko so I snapped off a few when I could.

Day One - Corinda
This is the house we spent the day at on Saturday.

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Round the back of the same house. I believe where the wate in the forefront of the photo (not the pool) was just a normal back yard. The swamp isnt meant to be there.

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A shot cleaning up. The water got about a foot above where the shade sail is anchored to the wall.

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Today (Sunday) we were dropped off in Corina again but not as far down as Saturday. None the less the area we assisted in was decimated. Street upon street told the same story. Water everywhere, water marks above living room windows, everything was brown and yep, that putrid stench filled the air. Oh, and piles of stuff 6 foot high plus was the norm. Most streets has barely enough room to drive a car down let alone a tip truck. Lis and I went from house to house asking if we could assist but most times we were greeted with a smile and a friendly "nah mate, we're ok. Go down further, they need help more than us" So it wasnt long until we found a few houses to help clean and cart stuff out of.

A really weird thing happened today though. Call it co-incidence, fate or just plain freaky but the following is fair dinkum.

I was on the bus on the way to where ever the bus was taking us and I got a phone call from a bloke via the QTCC website that went something like this. "Hey mate, Ive got a UC Torana that was damaged in the floods. It is a fairly stock car that was flooded and has spent the last 3 days under 3 metres of water. What do you reckon it is worth?". I replied that being a UC sedan probably not a lot. He preceeded to tell me it had rust in the doors, quarters etc,you know, the usual places and that the interior was stuffed and that his girlfriends mate or something had offered to take it off his hands. I told him it wasnt worth much at all and he was cool with that as he assumed the same. Anyway, Lis and I get off the bus and in one of the first streets we go down I spot this UC sedan sitting in front of a shed. The house had been flooded badly, up to the gutters and I said to Lis "I wonder if that is the same car I just got a call about". So I called him back and said "Is the UC you just called me about blue and located on blah blah street" Yep, was the reply. I said "Im looking at it right now, do you need a hand cleaning up?" He said he was okay and all the hard work had been done the day before but he appreciated the offer. I was blown away. A call out of the blue and I just happened to wander up his street and see this car in among all the thousands of streets in Brisbane that were affected and I chanced upon the one Torana that I had just had a call about. I still find it hard to believe.

Anyway, here is the UC. From the sounds of things it will be resurrected.

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Here is another Torry I saw but it doesnt appear to be flood damaged. Looks like it is just parked by someone helping out.

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Here are few more pics showing the amount of stuff on the streets ready to picked up.

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And here is me enjoying lunch by the pond opposite Corinda Driving Range

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As you can see the amount of work in front of Queenslanders is HUGE. These photos are of just a couple of street in one of MANY suburbs affected.

I cant stress enough how much work there is to do and how high the damage bill will come to. I have had offers of support from several in the Torana community and all I can say is that if you want to help, give to the Premiers Flood Appeal HERE Organise a Flood Run, hold a sausage sizzle, auction or just pass the hat around. I saw a mere fraction of what happened and I spoke to even less than that who were affected but the bottom line is that fellow, hard working and honest Australians need your help and cash is desperately needed.

I will end my waffle on a positive note though. What I have seen today in community spirit I never believed I will ever see. There were people on the bus getting shitty because the bus wasnt going anywhere until the roads were clear to so. All these folk wanted to do was help and when we hit the front line that is exactly what they did. The Army, Bunnings, Local Residents and the like have all really extended the hand of friendship and are carrying on with a god forsaken task.

Personally I have been trying to field QTCC calls and put fellow club in touch with others who can help.

All the best to you all, Im buggered.

L8R. T

#84 _CraigA_

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 07:54 AM

Well done mate, your story was better and more real than anything I've heard or read before.

I have travelled to Brisbane lots over the years on business and know the area enough to realise what an impact it must have had.
As you point out we can only imagine whats its like on the ground but with blokes of your attitude out there helping things are going to move in the right direction.

Yesterday I heard a guy say that its not a sprint race, but a marathon and surely he's spot on. This is going to take years to fix and I feel for those people and businesses whose homes and livelihoods have been so affected.

Good to see that the national currency (beer) is being used appropriately even at such a tough time :lol:

#85 MRLXSS

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 08:28 AM

Good onya T! Thanks for sharing your experience mate. It's the stuff you don't see that make you really understand what's happened.

I'll make another donation to the appeal! I'm trying to arrange a cruise/fundraiser with my car club in the next few weeks as well. (Details to come in the next week or so when we suss something out!)

#86 _Mondie_

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 09:30 AM

Well done Big T, the community effort to help those affected has been staggering. It is hard to comprehend the devastation these floods have caused. l spend a lot of time in Brisbane with my job so got to know the city area reasonably well, a few times we have walked around the Eagle St area and looked at the plaques attached to some of the buildings showing flood heights of previous floods and wondered what it must have been like, levels many metres above our heads. The locals felt secure that it couldnt happen again due to dam built after the '74 floods.

For the poor buggers caught up in this it must be a living nightmare. Lost all their possession, some may not have flood cover, certainly none will have it again after this disaster, their properties have devalued significantly and there is no guarantee it will not happen again next year. l cannot help but wonder what l would do in such a situation.

#87 enderwigginau

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 10:13 PM

If anyone is keeping track of the news reports they are tending towards more Ipswich and west stories than the city.

Luckily in Brisbane there are so many more ppl, so lots of people to help all over. Out west there are less so if you want to head west to help it would be most appreciated.

Thankyou to all who are out. :buttrock: If you don't think you can cope with cleaning, or aren't physically up to it, bake some scones, buy some cans, or find a BBQ to help with. Anyone with first aid training should ensure they ask everyone they meet whether they have cut or otherwise injured themselves at all. Alot of that going unnoticed.

Grant..



#88 _Big T_

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 10:49 PM

Luckily in Brisbane there are so many more ppl, so lots of people to help all over. Out west there are less so if you want to head west to help it would be most appreciated.


Word on the bus yesterday when we were waiting for somewhere with cleared roads to go to was that the volunteers who attended the Brisbane City Council assembly points would not be taken into Ipswich City areas as it was a different jurisdiction. We wanted to go to Goodna but were told the bus wasnt allowed to drop people off there. If this is true it is totally unfair.

#89 _Skapinad_

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Posted 18 January 2011 - 11:14 AM

just got this link emailed to me... move over the pictures for before and afters..... or click on the whole of brisbane one and you can zoom right in....


http://www.abc.net.a...beforeafter.htm

#90 enderwigginau

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Posted 18 January 2011 - 12:04 PM

They're going to hook into Goodna soon T.
To go to Ippy you'll need to jump in the car. They gather their groups at 7:30 and 12:30.
Do not drive to Goodna itself until they've said people can as you will be turned away, same with ANY of the valley town. DO NOT attempt to access Grantham, Heldion etc
Best bet for Brissie people is to call River FM and ask where people need help.

The truckin of the rubble of peoples live is going much slower in Ipswich than in Brissie.
Most of the backbreaking clearing of houses is complete, it's the loading of trucks that has to happen.
And less trucks and equipment available.
Unlike Brissie, all trucks are loaded by plant, with no people lifting things on. Safety-wise this is the best solution, albeit probably slower.

Those pics are pretty flash Adam.

Grant..

#91 _Pallbag_

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Posted 26 January 2011 - 08:24 AM

Well here's a piccie I took of my workplace and look where its ended up ...

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#92 _kaz from adelaide_

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Posted 01 February 2011 - 09:45 PM

just got this link emailed to me... move over the pictures for before and afters..... or click on the whole of brisbane one and you can zoom right in....


http://www.abc.net.a...beforeafter.htm



2nd installment now up.
heartbreaking

http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/qld-floods/beforeafter2.htm

xxkazxx ((((( QLD )))))

#93 enderwigginau

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Posted 02 February 2011 - 09:28 AM

Cleanup in Goodna still continuing today.




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