10 January 2011

Floods

For weeks, many communities on our state have been suffering from the effects of flooding.  We have had more rain than I can ever remember, a true answer to prayer for our drought-stricken land, but as often happens, when it rains, it pours.  Literally.

Today it was our town's turn to see the floods.  Rain came heavily, quickly, onto ground that was too soaked from the last two months of rain and couldn't take any more.  But the worst was not the Venice-like canal at the side of our house ...


... which had come from the forest behind, tore through my gardens washing away soil and mulch and I-don't-know-which-plants ...


 ... causing a huge back-up of water to well up at our side gate (where is the rest of our retaining wall?) ...


... and come a scary few inches from flooding our house (that's the top step there) ...


... and continue through our side gate, racing through my front gardens dragging soil and mulch onto the front lawn ...


... creating white water rapids down my little garden path ...


...oh no, that wasn't the worst of it.

The worst was what happened downtown.  Mr de Elba took some breathtaking footage from his window at work of one of a few local creeks, growing from a river 100 times its usual trickle, to a torrent swollen beyond all recognition.  Here is his photo of the back of the bus station where I picked up Emily Sue when she came to visit.  We're supposed to be looking at two roads divided by parkland.


This is a carpark where I parked that day.  Of the line of cars parked there, half were swept away one by one (Mr de Elba videoed all this!) and the other half were smashed up against each other at one end of the carpark.

And after the waters began to recede, this is what confronted the people who were able to locate their cars (many couldn't).


If that blows you away, you should see the footage of half-sunken cars with white water splashing around inside the closed windows, only to slightly loosen their grip on the road, shift a little, and then break free to sail apparently peacefully downstream.  One car was seen on the footage to smash into a footbridge and then disappear as it became sucked underneath the bridge, only to reappear bobbing up and down on the other side before being washed away.

However in lower-lying communities around us, whole houses are under water.  In many towns, the floods haven't peaked yet, and there is a general feeling of more hardship to come.

14 comments:

Emily Sue said...

SHIT. Sorry. It's very scary to look at a scene I actually KNOW (kind of) and know how very, very wrong that picture looks. Even more scary when you live there. Prayers for safety. And less rain. Hoping Crazy Sister is okay too. xx

Emily Sue said...

Also... where was Mr de Elba parked??

Jodie said...

Wow stay safe up there. My Friend up there was not so lucky when it came to the torrent coming down the street. She ended up with 2 inches in her house.

We will know in the next 24 hours how we will fair.

Givinya De Elba said...

Love your response Emily Sue! Crazy Sister is holidaying in NSW and hasn't replied to my text that the floods are terrible and we can't go to check her house out because there was a land slip on the road out there today. Either her phone is off or she's playing it really cool. Or she is body-rocking in the corner of a motel room somewhere.

Mr de Elba parked, for a change, out the front of his work because the grass out the back (directly under the window he took the photos from) was a little bit long.

We are so blessed to have our lives, house, cars and stuff all safe. Many are not so lucky.

Hey Jodie, we will stay safe! The worst that happened today was the children were cranky with cabin fever and went mental, and I was cranky with cabin fever and did a lot of yelling.

Hippomanic Jen said...

Good to hear from you. That does not look fun with the raging torrents rushing past your house, or the raging torrents in town.

mamahasspoken said...

Your floods have been making our nation news over here and was wondering if you were part of it. Thank goodness all is safe and well for you and your family. It could have been worse, it could have gotten into your house. The clean-up outside is a lot easier than inside.

Unknown said...

That's crazy and amazing! So glad your house is ok.

Joy said...

Oh my goodness. Those pictures are a sad sight. I can't believe how the water was rushing thru your garden with such force. Thankfully it rushed by and kept going.
I was wondering if the flooding had affected you all most of it I saw seemed to be on the other side of the country, but I guess it did get to you. Where we live it floods very easy because it is so flat and there isn't anywhere for the water to run too. Everytime it rains hard they tell people DO NOT DRIVE THRU WATER that has collected on the roads. Never fails someone gets swept away in their car because they misjudged the depth of the water. Stay safe.

♥ Joy

Tracy P. said...

Wow! Praying for you and others in your area. That is scary! But those little cascading rapids in your garden path would be gorgeous if they had been planned.

Maybe Mr. deE could make a little money selling his footage to the TV station?

The Accidental Housewife said...

Gosh, SO glad you're all safe. To be honest, when I saw the news footage of your town this morning I freaked out a little on your behalf. Crazy that Mr d E was able to watch it, hopefully that's a once in a lifetime sight! And here I am bitching about being unable to line dry my clothes...

Heather said...

So glad that you and yours are doing okay and are, at least indoors-wise, dry. Hope the same is true for Crazy Sister's house.

I've been thinking of you all in the floody bits of Australia every time I hear it on the news. Will continue thinking dry thoughts for you and keep you (as a whole but also all kith and kin of the de Elbas in specific) in my prayers.

xo

Alison said...

How awful for those who have been affected. I'm glad your family and your possessions are safe, and will hope that Crazy Sister's house is all right too.

Anonymous said...

I have a newly found 'cousin' and family who live in Robertson and have been watching the rising water there on her Facebook photos, even including aviit to the beach and a sea full of floodwater. The whole place was cut off ay one point, and food became scarce.
Make an escape route for the water down the side of your house.
Very scarey. Good luck. Will be thinking of you all.

Anne UK

CGDK said...

Gosh, I didn't realise I 'knew'(even just a little) anyone up there on the hill. So glad you are all safe and sound.