If you have turned on the news in the last 48 hours, anywhere in the world you will have noticed that most of Queensland has been swallowed up by record breaking flood waters. Higher than average rainfall over the Christmas period lead to flash flooding which then lead to even more widespread flooding, including what can only be described as an inland tsunami in Toowoomba.
When we were made aware of the impending disaster my housemate, her friend and myself headed off to the nearest council depot to join hundreds of other volunteers filling sandbags and distributing them to those in need. We were there for 3 hours and my arms are still sore.
The Brisbane River broke its banks on the afternoon of the 11th January and waters have continued to rise since then, peaking at around 4am on the morning of the 13th. As a result a huge number of Brisbane residents are waiting for the flood waters to recede and are about to be faced with a clean up a mammoth proportions.
Myself and my immediate family have been spared any damage and my boyfriend's family have sustained some, but not major damage. We have been some of the lucky ones. All we have to do is walk a few minutes away from our house and we are greeted with these sights:
This is the street behind (and significantly below) ours
This is the park I run in. It and the streets and houses surrounding it have completely disappeared.
This is the entrance to Coronation Drive - one of Brisbane's major thoroughfares. Closed to all traffic until the waters recede.
We weren't able to get any further down Coronation Drive, but you can see the level of Brisbane River in the distance - it's not normally visible from this point.
My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragic disaster. We are about to head off to the CWA in Spring Hill to donate spare towels and linens to help those who have lost everything get back on our feet. If you are in any position to help please do. Donate what you can, be it food, supplies or your time.
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