Amazing Toowoomba Flash Flood Videos from today!!!!

[ballaratdragons]

These videos are all from today as Toowoomba was hit by a flash flood. Pretty dramatic stuff!!!

Unfortunately about 4 people died.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKrvQ3UhOuM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7rD5soo-vg

Amazing also to think all this happened just a few hours ago!

[h0ughy]

the thing to note here is the fact that the previous 24h they already got 80mm, then in the space of about an hour they got 70mm, 35mm within 25min

10/02:30pm 20.9 20.2 20.2 96 0.5 E 24 33 13 18 1008.8 - 74.4
10/02:20pm 20.4 20.4 19.7 96 0.5 E 19 24 10 13 1008.9 - 74.4
10/02:00pm 20.1 18.2 19.4 96 0.5 SE 28 37 15 20 1008.9 - 71.8
10/01:55pm 20.0 18.1 19.3 96 0.5 ESE 28 37 15 20 1009.1 - 69.6
10/01:30pm 20.4 22.3 19.7 96 0.5 SE 9 17 5 9 1009.6 - 34.6
10/01:07pm 20.6 18.9 19.8 95 0.5 E 28 46 15 25 1009.5 - 15.4
10/01:00pm 20.6 17.6 19.9 96 0.5 E 35 46 19 25 1009.4 - 11.6
10/12:43pm 20.8 17.5 20.1 96 0.5 E 37 46 20 25 1009.5 - 4.8
10/12:31pm 20.7 13.6 20.0 96 0.5 E 57 76 31 41 1008.0 - 4.0

what a tragic loss of life

[ballaratdragons]

This guy sums up the total amazement of how heavy the rain was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh1IgdMNsus

and some people trapped in shops:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6PcZJdXcvI

and look how fast it's running in this street!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLs2EmdTMY8

[jjjnettie]

It's hard to comprehend the scale of this disaster.
We have IIS members that live up on the range. Hope they are safe.

[ballaratdragons]

Yes jj, and I think more members will be affected yet as the storms continue.
I'm sure more people than just me have Relatives in these areas getting flooded!.

I have 2 sisters and a Mother-in-Law all in the path of the floods.

[casstony]

It's not often that Australian news gives me that sense of morbid curiousity experienced when watching disasters/war stories from other parts of the world. Things are looking grim in S.E. QLD.

[Ric]

As one person put it on those links "That's insane"

I don't think anyone was prepared for that amount of water.

[rogerg]

That is amazing. Very very scary. Just hate to think about being trapped with that water pushing you wherever it wants. Like others, really hope all IIS'ers are ok.

[alan meehan]

This is scary i have relatives in toowoomba, all this water is very hard to believe,hope everyone stays safe.

[supernova1965]

PLEASE ALL BE SAFE:scared::jawdrop:

[multiweb]

Saw that on the news. The loss of lives is very distressing.

[Liz]

Devastating stuff for Toowoomba - couldnt believe it when saw on the news yesterday. Reminded me of the tsunami type scenes from years ago.
So sad with the loss of life, and seeing people trapped in cars, on roofs, clinging to trees, and the poor horses and other lifestock. :sad:
More predicted today, take care everyone!!

[GrahamL]

When we left the high country around stanthorpe wednesday
there were pockets of torrential rain already falling , the elderly owner of the garage we stopped at was alarmed at the possibility of what was coming over the weekend .

When I checked the rainfall records over the area when we got home thursday it showed almost nothing, yet all the little creeks and streams were raging torrents up on the range .

A terrible tragedy , hope all our members up there are safe and well .

[iceman]

Our thoughts are with those affected by the floods in Toowoomba and other areas in Queensland. Such terrible scenes on the news today!

I hope all our IceInSpace members and friends are staying safe!

[wasyoungonce]

This is a disaster of biblical proportions...my heart goes out them.

[mozzie]

stay safe all in those flood affected areas!!!!

[[1ponders]]

A terrible tragedy. It has be unbelievable here in SE Qld. Long term residents of my area have never seen the creeks like it.

Take care everybody, and please don't do driving its not worth the risk. I just spoke to my sister and she tells me there are more than 70 people missing.

[Kal]

Woke up this morning and the news is now reporting the death toll at 8 confirmed dead and 11 missing. Some of the photo's and videos are quite startling, and as Liz mentioned, it looked very much like a Tsunami with such a rapid buildup of fast moving water.

My parents live in Brisbane, relatively safe ontop of a hill, but this is a reminder of just how fast a situation can change, and you can be out shopping one minute and in quite alot of danger the next.

[Barrykgerdes]

My sister and family live in Toowoomba. I checked their address on google maps and they are on the banks of a creek. However I got through by phone this morning and they are OK. The water did not enter their property.

Barry

[hotspur]

Indeed,last night I felt fear-the rain was just so heavy,the thunder and lightening was fierce.

We just knew when we got up this morning there would be loss of life.

Some of these images are frightening,parts of Nanango are been evacuated.

There are also going to be long term effects here,no income,just wonder how everyone is going to go forward.

The QLD premier said "this is a freak of nature",that about sums it up.

Chris

[h0ughy]

not good news at all chris.

i just visited the wivenhoe dam web page - its at 160% capacity and rising sharply - when will this go on and flood the valley below?

I am also trying to picture the brisbane river near Duckadang, how high would it be there?

[Sharnbrook]

Wivenhoe Dam is presently at about 175% of its water storage (supply) capacity, and about 80% of its total design capacity, which includes flood mitigation. Releases at present are 236,000 megalitres per day, which equates to 2.73ML per second. That means that they are releasing Brisbane's total daily consumption every 30 seconds or so.

With more torrential rain presently falling in the Upper Brisbane Valley, I would think that the Dam will be just about at its absolute limit in a day or so, notwithstanding the current releases.

Anyone in the low-lying parts of Brisbane really ought to be aware of this, and prepared for every eventuality. Lets hope it abates soon.

To see the data on the dams, Google "SEQWater", or visit these links

http://www.seqwater.com.au/public/home
http://www.seqwater.com.au/public/catch-store-treat/dams/wivenhoe-dam

[hotspur]

Yes David,its hard to believe that about just over a year ago that great dam had about 15% of water.I am sure Duckadung will still be there for Astrofest David,Be interesting to see the water going through,I cant get down to take photos,the Blackbutt Range is closed due to mud slide.

Like Mike says,anyone in low lying areas of Brisbane be aware there is a serious
amount of water on the way.

Here on the Blackbutt Range,we have no phones,no food supplies.and have just had to help rescue some elderly people in distress.

We have had some loss,but noting compared to some in the local area.

Hopefully,the weather will clear soon.

Chris

[AstralTraveller]

Well ... yes and no. Rain of this intensity is certainly natural but not as 'freaky' (uncommon) as you might think. It is really hard to get good information on small, brief, high intensity rainfall events and so they tend to be underestimated in the weather statistics. The other thing is that while the rainfall is natural the effect isn't natural. We have cleared agricultural land and covered cities with hard, non-absorbing surfaces. Both of these changes increase the size of flash floods. I've been caught in storms that had water flowing 30cm deep down the road in farm country and yet 2km away in a national park the creek hadn't even started to flow. The vegetation and leaf litter held the water back and so it had time to seep into the soil. The difference between natural landscapes and cities is even more dramatic. Even small storms will start water flowing down streets when natural landscapes will have no run-off.

There will be a few people blaiming all this on global warming - which is only a very minor culprit at the best (I think not a culprit at all but I could be wrong) - and yet remain oblivious to the much larger contribution our alteration of the landscape plays in exaserbating these natural events.

[erick]

It's from 24 hr ending 9am Jan 10, two days ago, but GULP!

[BakerStreet]

I sat the storm out near the Toowoomba airport yesterday and then tried to drive home through the wreckage. I ended up staying for several hours with a friend who's parents live at Helidon. We watched as the news came through of the flooding down the range and spent a couple of stressful hours trying to contact family members.

My wife was at home as 50cm of water ran under our house yesterday, as it drained from Toowoomba. We had lifted everything up in the shed that could get damaged so only the tide makes on buildings and loss of our driveway are the damage we have suffered.

A lot of people including friends of mine that work for the emergency services have been dealing with the floods now for weeks and all require a break to recover but it looks like it still a way off.

[erick]

Thanks for the news and keep safe, Allan.

[gary]

Ron Knight (aka astroron) who is at Cambroon at the headwaters of the Mary River reports
he is doing fine and that since he is so far upstream and since his property is
up high, he has avoided inundation. However, he is without power and the roads
are cut off and they anticipate to be that way for the next four days. However, he has
plenty of provisions and is preparing a big gas BBQ cook-up of the
contents of the defrosting fridge.

He has also been in communication with Paul and Suzy.

[[1ponders]]

Cheers Gary.

Same for Jeanette. She's well but stranded on Kilcoy Island without power and internet (currently trawling the medicine cabinet for some sedatives :lol: ;) :poke: ).

[gary]

Thanks for the update on Jeanette and great to hear everyone is checking up
on one another.

And to think most of us would dream of living on our own island in Qld ... but not
quite like that!

[mozzie]

wow thanks paul..and everyone for the updates.it seems to be one hell of a mess...

[iceman]

I found this on Facebook, and have since shared it.

It's the most incredible footage I've seen of the rising water.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY

[ballaratdragons]

Sadly the new official death toll is 9 :(

Reported by Anna Bligh live on News

Also reported is that the water levels are on the rise, not falling. Expected to exceed the devastating 1974 flood.

[AstralTraveller]

Apparently the Brisbane CBD has been evacuated.

Mike, I saw that flood video and can't help but wonder where the car owners were as the creek rose. It must have been pretty obvious what was about to happen.

Glad to hear the all IIS members are coping. I know a couple of people in Towoomba that I will check on tonight.

Here's wishing everyone the best.

[erick]

Just tried to call a company in Adelaide Street, Brissie - no-one answering the phones. :sadeyes:

[that_guy]

Thank god its just raining atm here in Gold Coast and no major flooding..... :/ im tempted to go to the dvd store a few blocks off but these vids are not very reassuring :P

[ballaratdragons]

Watching the Weather Channel and all this flooding rain is going to head across NSW and eastern South Australia causing flooding and then Thursday and Friday is north-western and western Victoria's turn to flood.
On top of all that, a cyclone is forming off the northwest coast of Western Australia.
Looks like weather is going to affect almost all of us.
Head Meteorologist says all this wild flooding weather may last for another 2 months.

[ballaratdragons]

I rang my sister in Brisbane and she said they started evacuating Brisbane CBD at 12 midday.
News reporter says Brisbane is like a ghost town.

[danielsun]

O.M.G !! Have been watching the news and this is amazing and yet very tragic.
A wall of water has wiped out the town of Grantham. Brisbane and Ipswitch flooding is expected to exceed the 1974 floods.

[ballaratdragons]

. . . and the News just reported that we here in Victoria are about to get it too. BIG floods coming in the next few days, possibly starting tomorrow.
My back yard is already under water from the non-stop heavy rain today.:shrug:
My paddocks are also already starting to flood.

We are going into Ballarat tonight to stock up a bit coz we got cut off in the last flood a few weeks ago and it was nothing compared to what is about to hit us.

11 years of drought, and now this!

QLD, and now us. Wierd!

[danielsun]

Yep, Good idea ken, stock up mate. Just watched it too Ken and we have heavy rain due for the next three days with the flood warnings.

[[1ponders]]

I've just remembered that Mark Hodson (mch62) lives at Glenore Grove. I hope he and his family are ok. :(

[Colin_Fraser]

The loss of life is tragic.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Here's a screen capture from channel 7 news on the Toowoomba floods.

Could not but notice the missing wheels, mudguards and plates and NO debris.
Looks like a car wreckers to me. So much for news integrity.

[[1ponders]]

Its not a care wreckers. Its the result of the Toowoomba flash flood. If you want to see the full thing go back a page and click on Mikes link

[jjjnettie]

I don't know, when rain is falling at rates of up to 3" per hour for hours on end over such a vast area, that's pretty bloody "freaky" to me.
I assure you that the Authorities are NOT exaggerating this event.

[Colin_Fraser]

Yes I saw that video. It is not the same as the one on channel 7
http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/-/watch/23808195/toowoomba-remains-isolated/
Devastating as it is, the water did not remove the number plates mudguards and wheels.

[[1ponders]]

my apologise Colin, I should have checked you post more carefully.

[Tandum]

He means Ch7 is using stock footage of a car wreckers.

Paul, do you have Marks phone number? I lost it.

[jjjnettie]

fair nuff, post removed.

[hotspur]

Have to agree with jjj's comment,I too felt Astotravlers comment a little

insensitive.The rain falling in Toowoomba 150 mm in just under a hour,on top

of ground that was previously at saturation point,according to the weather

guru's gave the effect of 300 mm in the same time.I'd call that a freak event.

Chris

[Jeeps]

We're flooded in at the upper Logan river. Rathdowney and round mountain are above major flood levels so those areas downstream, Jimboomba and Logan, are in for it in the next 2 days. Here's a video i took this afternoon at 4.30pm. The second part of the first video, logan river, was 1 metro over about 1 hour after i took this video. Boonah is as usual cutoff so there are no roads that divert.

YouTube video - upper logan Flooding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBKhuhNRos)

And here's our backyard! YouTube video - my backyard (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47UK-Q__-BE)


We're stocked up and high and dry ;)

Cheers

[h0ughy]

which is your video?

[Jeeps]

I filmed both ;)

Cheers

[h0ughy]

so you are whitelightbringer ?

[Jeeps]

Ooops, bad links. Sorry! Try them again ;)

cheers

[h0ughy]

thanks - certainly shows some different perspectives

[firstlight]

Although I was 14 during the 1974 flood, I do not have a lot of memories of the devastation it brought as I lived in an area that was not flooded, we did not have a car to go ghouling at other peoples misery, and our view of it was limited to 4 tv stations. All the same since that time I have spoken to people that were affected and working for the water board I grew to understand somewhat of the events. I did not expect to ever be a witness to such an event as the flooding of Brisbane.

That last statement was a bit silly wasn't it? History has shown that flooding of river systems is inevitable. In fact, the oft quoted 1974 floods were not even near the largest recorded flood in Brisbane... that title belongs to the 1893 flood, which rose to 10' (about 3m?) higher than the 1890 flood which in turn was 18' (close to 6m?) higher than the 1887 flood. Our short lives don't allow us the perspective to see that these events are frequent (on a broader timescale... we understand that as astronomers, don't we?) and very much natural.

While manipulating our environment must contribute to the the devastation... just think of all those creeks and streams that have become fixed in their courses and not allowed to meander as they have done for millions of years... the fact remains that such devastation has occurred even before major deforestation, agriculture and urbanisation, and will occur again (its only natural). I don't think that AstralTraveller was being insensitive, he was just pointing out that just because we have not experienced something it is not unnatural or freakish.

I hope that everybody; IISers, their families, friends, people they pass in the street, even Trekkies and cat people are kept safe and receive help if they need it.

[firstlight]

I've just come across a reference that the 1841 flood was 70mm higher than the 1893 flood.

Some interesting reading:
http://www.bom.gov.au/hydro/flood/qld/fld_history/brisbane_history.shtml

[mangrovedutch]

G'day Sam, Looks like Jimboomba will be cut off again, the last time that was cut off (a couple of years ago) there was a guy fishing there, and he ended up pulling out a 10KG+ Carp. I can't believe how much rain we are getting, I'm guessing Maroon and Moogerah dams are overflowing as well.
Be smart people, and stay alive, don't cross anything that has fast moving water over it. Too many have lost their lives already.
That is an interesting read, Tony. Something tells me that it isn't over yet. We are yet to see a cyclone this way this year.
Regards, Dutch

[Kal]

Latest update has the following information: "Releases will be reduced slowly throughout the night to track dropping levels. First reduction has been to around 610,000 megalitres per day."

The amount of water that they are releasing is quite astounding, almost difficult to comprehend. That is almost 1/3 of Sydney's Warragamba dam capacity being released every day at that rate.

[h0ughy]

http://lexiphanic.com/floodmaps/ link to flood maps for brisbane

[gary]

Computer animation of 3m and 7m flood scenarios for Brisbane
produced as a demonstration last year by AAN using spatial data and appearing
on Sydney Morning Herald web site. The SMH suggests an expected peak of 5.5m
http://media.smh.com.au/technology/tech-talk/how-the-floods-could-hit-brisbane-2129874.html

[h0ughy]

well for those that look forward to Duckadang and Astrofest each year take note - it is good to note that the camp is safe - but not getting there:
Hi David,

Sorry it has taken so long to get back to you.

The road is certainly well washed away at all 3 causeways. Bill and Anne received a food drop last Friday, fortunately they had purchased quite a bit of stock for an incoming camp to no avail, Power went out on Sunday 9th and is still out, not sure when roads will be restored.

Bill and Anne are out and taking a well-earned break.

I understand that they have some photographs but they lost their video camera with a lot of video on it.

I am going up on Sunday to survey the road damage and take some pictures.

Cheers
Doug Evans
TreasurerT: 0413 528 473
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Hough" To: "info@duckadang.org.au"
Sent: Monday, 10 January, 2011 7:13:56 AM GMT +10:00 Brisbane
Subject: how is the campsite going?


Hi,

I am one of the astro imagers that regularly comes up for Queensland Astrofest. Just inquireing how you guys are going with all this rain and flooding up there, knowing how many river crossings there are to get out there? Hope all are safe, would be interested if you have any photos?



David Hough


I will try to keep informed;)

[Jen]

:eyepop: wow this all seems so surreal everywhere you look there is water everywhere :help: Hope all IIS members, families and friends are all ok :sadeyes:

[Jeeps]

Here's a photo of the main hwy coming down the Toowoomba range heading towards Brisbane. That's 2 lanes eastbound that are underwater:



cheers

[iceman]

Wow nice photo!

[h0ughy]

WOW - note the centre drainage of the road is virtually dry - that flash flood must be travelling extremely fast - did it eventually overtop the New jersey barriers?

[Jeeps]

I don't know - i didn't take the pic, but you can easily imagine that with such a large amount of water coming down at speed together with already flooded areas below plus rain still falling... it just created a snowball effect.

cheers