And the rains came, too much, too quickly, too often. And the results are devastating.
What a time this is for this vast country we now call home. And, it isn't over yet. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia are all in the grips of that element of nature we call water. Each of these States has experienced flooding to some degree.
There is so much I want to say about the recent floods (and yes, I do know that there has been significant loss of life in floods in other parts of the world this week), but I cannot get past the images that are stuck in my head.
Toowoomba residents found themselves looking at a wall of muddly water. An inland Tsunami! A deadly flash flood that took out houses as though they were toys. It arrived with absolutely no warning and the clean up is proving to be truly horrendous for those involved.
You can click on this link here if you'd like to read more, or watch some of the latest footage. There are incredible stories of survival and heroism. Some people have given their lives to save strangers.
If you'd like to help in some small way, you can click here. This country is going to need a lot of help to dig itself out of the mud and debris and devastation that has been left behind. Queensland in particular, it would seem.
So, yes... I am grateful that our family and friends in Queensland have escaped unscathed. I am grateful that they've remained dry and safe. It would seem that they have a lot to be thankful for.
April Blackbird
14 January 2011
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2 comments:
Great to see some ways to help - thank you! The loss of life is so sad, yes and the devastation of having all one's things damp and muddy or being displaced from one's home.
BB
It's been quite something to watch how moved the Premier (Anna Bligh) and the Governor General (Quentin Bryce) were by the unravelling tragedies around them.
Quite refreshing to watch politicians humbly crying in sympathy with their fellow countrymen. Kevin Rudd might not be female, and he might not have been caught crying, but he did get down and dirty with his community and landed up with a foot infection (filthy mud!).
So good to watch the ongoing community spirit.
So sad to watch Brazil, South Africa, Sri Lanka.... this list seems to go on endlessly at the moment. Big floods everywhere.
Always, it seems, the poorest folk are the worst hit.
AB
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