Sunday, January 9, 2011

The threat of flooding

The rain over the last two days has been torrential and relentless. We have had 250mm (10inches) from 9am-6pm alone today.


The house is dry and to this point the terraces and retaining walls are working. But as you can see from the photos there is a lot of water. We have never before had water flowing down our rock river but we have today: and the water is literally spraying out of the retaining wall in front of our house.



The local river, the Obi Obi, is now rising fast and pushing up against the bridge that crosses the river near our library. Fiona and I were called out tonight to join a bunch of other people (about 20) to get all the lower books,  furniture, computer etc onto tables out of harms way.



The dark photos show the water pushing against the sides on the bridge and submerging a sign that is normally beside a walkway under the bridge (2m high); and also over the small trees that are on the banks of the river.
Fiona's phone shots -tree
Fiona's phone shots bridge and sign
The water is lapping the bottom of the walkway outside the library. Hoping the rain eases tonight and the library gets a reprieve. Of course we are not suffering the flooding that so many are experiencing in our State. An area the size of France and Germany combined is now badly flooded. Very strange weather pattern.

8 comments:

  1. barry, I've been enjoying your blog for some time! today I wished I could come help you all move books! we,too, are having too much weather, but not like Australia. I hope for your country the rain will stop and the sun will shine soon!

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  2. L- Thanks for checking out the blog and for your offer to help with the library etc. As you indicate it is a big globe and there are lots of things happening ion so many places weather wise - many stories out there. Go well. B

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  3. oh dear oh dear ... hope the rain will stop soon! the global weather is becoming really weird! europe was covered in snow and not this ... what next ...

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  4. i just feel like the weather is out of control (of course it is) but in a way that is devastating. take care.

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  5. Barry, I hope you and Fiona are out of harm's way and that no one sustains any damage from the torrential rains....it's so unnerving when the weather goes haywire... as it seems to do with more frequency..

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  6. Barry, good to see the garden standing up to the strain. I hope it continues to stay strong as we wait to see what will happen next. After seeing Toowoomba on TV yesterday I think all Australians are shocked and hold you all in our thoughts.

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  7. Such odd weather everywhere. It's still raining steadily here but nothing like Australia. Stay safe, you two.

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  8. All - thanks for your thoughts. We are OK but a bit sad for the situation that is unfolding around us. B

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.