'Inland tsunami' hits Queensland towns

[canetoad]

Source: The Age (Melbourne)

At least eight confirmed dead, 11 missing, as 'inland tsunami' hits Queensland towns
January 11, 2011 - 7:58AM

At least eight people have died in the latest wave of flooding in Queensland - described as an "inland tsunami" - and dozens more are missing.

Others are stranded on rooftops waiting for rescues that could not start before first light today.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh this morning said eight people had died in the Toowoomba area and another 11 were missing. She said wet weather was hampering the rescue efforts and the search for the 11 missing people.

A woman and a boy were found dead in the Toowoomba CBD and a man and a boy were killed at nearby Murphys Creek after a massive body of water from weeks of heavy rain tore through Toowoomba, 125km west

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/at-least-eight-confirmed-dead-11-missing-as-inland-tsunami-hits-queensland-towns-20110111-19ldz.html

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Live on the news here; 8 people confirmed dead and 71 are missing.

[dhill926]

1. just unbelievable..........

and more rain on the way.

[lovuian]

2. this is a testimony to Global warming

and it is going to get worse

[starroute]

3. Towoomba

[canetoad]

4. A note about Toowoomba

The city is at the top of the Dividing Range and is 700m (2,300') above sea level. This puts the magnitude of the floods in perspective.

Edit to add:

IT came without warning and, within minutes, the sea of murky brown water that swept through the main street of Toowoomba was gone.

In its wake was a trail of death and destruction that devastated the picturesque city perched on top of the Darling Downs and stunned a state exhausted and stretched by its worst natural disaster in decades.

For more than a month, Queenslanders have been battling floods. In most cases, the water has been slow-rising, allowing authorities plenty of time to issue detailed warnings to residents and business owners.

But no one came close to predicting the wall of water that swept through Toowoomba just after lunchtime yesterday.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/toowoomba-torrent-no-one-knew-was-coming/story-fn59niix-1225985261999

[StarsInHerHair]

8. yeah that pic up above I could clearly see is uphill, 2,300 ft above

sea level puts it in frightening perspective. Discover just Tweeted "scientists think sea levels will rise by 13 feet by year 3000". I think they need to update their knowledge base and put this into their calculations.

[forty6]

6. WOW!!! All I can say. My thoughts to the victims there, too! n/t

[grahamhgreen]

5. The current weather on the planet has nothing to do with global warming

:sarcasm:

[Violet_Crumble]

7. Brisbane warned of flood threat

Brisbane residents are being warned to prepare for flooding in low-lying areas tomorrow.

Much of the rain that fell in the Toowoomba region, causing devastating flash floods, is making its way into the Brisbane River.

The water is expected to move into the catchment of the Wivenhoe Dam system that feeds Brisbane.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is warning residents to listen to radio reports.

She says more water will be released from Wivenhoe Dam today to try and reduce the flood threat.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/11/3110326.htm

[StarsInHerHair]

9. hover craft should become a normal back-up vehicle for police and

other rescue teams, like fire fighters, etc. Looking at this story reminds me so much of a recurring nightmare........I first started having it when living at 0 ft above sea level, just off the coast BUT it has followed me into the valleys of California. It goes like this, my nightmare: "there is the sea, there is something hostile IN that sea, that hostile thing is attacking me and others on land. It does this by magnifying the waves, thru its' hatred it also makes the sea levels rise up and attack the land". This was long before I had heard or seen of tsunamis.


finally I can hit recommend! awhile earlier I couldn't even sign in-it kept saying I was in offline mode, so I went and signed on to Twitter...........which gives me the creeps about Comcast, my service provider.........if you know what I mean...

[bikebloke]

10. Been through there.

I bike trekked up the east coast of Australia, through a lot of towns mentioned as flooded. Seeing the videos of roads underwater, it's hard to believe I rode over them.

[Downwinder]

11. This is the "Wet" that I read about in Nevil Shute's books.

The News says this is the worst in 50 years. Is that when records start or was there worse flooding 50 years ago?