Weather warnings in Australia

Pat, We have been out of town, with pretty bad Internet, and no newsgroups. I saw the terrible cyclone in Queensland, and wondered about Trish's family , there are some up there, I think. Also Johnno, who says he lives on high ground in Brisbane. OK in flooding...but winds?? I hope we hear that everyone is safe and sound very soon.

Gill

Back home, with REAL computer and internet!

Hi to all. Yes, I'm in Brisbane, but the cyclone was in the north of the state, so there was nothing here. What amazed me was that it was still something like Category 2 when it got as far west as Mt Isa, and I think even Alice Springs will get the effects of the rain depression. There was a Category 5 cyclone in north Queensland several years ago, but the sheer size of this one was extraordinary. Towns in the path of the cyclone were badly damaged, though places built to withstand Category 5 seemed to manage. What's worse, though, is that vast areas of farm land were wiped out, and rain forest was stripped bare. Many of the native animals will recover, but this may be a final blow for the cassowaries.

TV news of the Brisbane flood could easily give the impression that the entire city was under water. There were plenty of people living in other Australian cities who got that impression. In fact the flood affected the low-lying areas adjacent to the river, which admittedly was something like 40 thousand properties, though only a very small percentage of the city as a whole. Brisbane has a population of 2 million, and sprawls over a vast area. (This is not to minimise the great suffering of those many people who lost literally everything in the flood.)

Most lives were lost in the towns west of Brisbane. The town of Grantham is in the middle of a large agricultural area, and it was just about wiped off the map. Their flood was a huge wall of water that washed even whole houses away. The Brisbane flood was caused by the rising of the river, so many people had time to grab the essentials and move out.

Trish and her family live in Newcastle, which is a long way south of here. They were well out of harm's way.

Johnno

And I should add - thank you for your concern!

Johnno

I was really worried for you guys. I live in Central Florida, and have seen hurricanes ( three at a time) bear down us. Nothing compared to the ferocity of yours.

Happy all is well.

Gillian, between Orlando and Tampa