Wednesday, January 30

Floods

We've just had a very exciting start to our week with torrential rain and damaging winds that caused some very extensive flooding... some say it was the worst flood our area has seen in 60 years!  Our town was completely cut off by rising flood water that peaked when the high tide forced even more water up the river.  Thankfully no houses were actually inundated and no one in our town was hurt, but sadly there were six deaths recorded in the region.
 
We lost power on Sunday evening after uprooted trees and falling branches took out a lot of the power lines in the district, and since we live in a rural area and collect our own water in tanks (cisterns) that are attached to electric pumps, we also lost running water to the house.  Our power was restored to us this afternoon at 4pm, 67 hours after it went off.
 
Needless to say, we're very thankful the flood water is starting to recede and that our family and friends are safe and well.  It's certainly been an eventful start to the year!
 
 
This is the river that runs alongside our little town.  The banks of the river are usually at the base of the trees.

 
The police sealed off the road when it got too deep for people to drive through.  This is the western exit from our town.

 
The bridge out of town.  The water you see in the foreground is supposed to be a paddock!  The river bank is supposed to be on the opposite side of the trees you can see at the right hand edge of the photo.

 
No primary school for two days!  The high school that our oldest daughter attends is closed until Monday.

 
This is the northern exit out of town.  What looks like a river on the left hand side of the photo is actually an access road.

12 comments:

Grenouille Greetings said...

Poor you! I do hope those waters continue to recede. Hugs, Lesley

Unknown said...

Sure was horrific Beccy. Glad you are ok. We had heaps here in Newcastle too but we personally were fine...just had to empty the pool around 12 times as it was overflowing...
Keep safe...look forward to your new surprise in Feb...luv aNNIe

A Consuming Passion said...

Bad on the Mid North Coast too. The river in front of us burst it's banks but nothing like what happened in Queensland! Thinking of you all and hope the clean up gets into full swing to get people back home.

Eret said...

I'm really happy to hear from you, Beccy. I was very worried. I knew you planned to realise a new digi on Monday and then it wasn't uploaded I thought that something bad has happened with you. I'm really glad that you and your falmily ar ok.
Hugs
Eret

Teresa said...

Wow! Stay safe!

Donna Ellis said...

Oh, Beccy - it always hurts my heart to see natural disasters - we are so helpless to them. But I am very grateful that you are safe, as are those who are close to you. Please be safe hugs, de

karin said...

Oh my goodness ! And we're complaining here when it rains two days after eachother ! Hope you're safe now.

SiskiyouSue said...

I'm so sorry. I heard about your floods on the news, only a few weeks after hearing about the fires in other parts of Australia. You can't win, can you?

Glenda Atkins said...

Wow Beccy that looks scary, so glad no one was hurt in your town! The kid's probably like the closed school scenario:), but do take care and I hope everyone remains safe!
hugs
glenda

happyglitzygirl said...

Good to hear that all your loved ones are safe and well. Tragic, especially after the last time, which still has bad memories for a lot of people, praying for you. I am on the north side of Sydney, thankfully all we got was heavy rains. It was only just a couple of weeks ago when all of Australia was burning. Hang in there, blessings Hilde

Marianne said...

Glad to hear you and your loved ones were safe. It really is a strange world with fires one week and floods the next. Tomorrow also marks the 50th anniversary of the floods in the south-western part of the Netherlands where my husband was born. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953. My husband, aged 6 at the time, had to flee the house with the entire family in the middle of the night. They were all unharmed, but they never returned to their old home.

Viv said...

What terrible weather and flooding Beccy, so pleased you are all safe.First fires and now flooding,......stay safe :) Viv xx