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