Australian Floods

[Legbreaker]

Swimming in crocodile infested waters isn't all that dangerous actually, provided you have a dog...
Toss the dog in first. If it survives the first minute, there's no crocs about (salties apparently prefer dog over human).

For the first 21 years of my life I lived in a town where it flooded annually. Fortunately the flood levees kept the worst of it out, but local rain still caused some issues within the levees. I went back in March 2010 for a few days and was completely flabbergasted to see buildings constructed in a MAJOR floodway. I've seen logs a metre or more in diameter sweeping through and just can't understand the logic behind spending a million dollars plus (per building) to develop such a risky location.

Although the floods up north are covering a large area, locations which haven't even seen rain in years, hundreds of kilometers away are being effected. With road and rail links cut, even washed away, supplies haven't been able to get through.

One of the big problems, which has barely been touched upon in the media over here, is disease and parasites. With all the stagnant water laying about, and the heat of an Australian summer, it's likely to be a bacterial and mosquito heaven in short order...

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

For the first 21 years of my life I lived in a town where it flooded annually. Fortunately the flood levees kept the worst of it out, but local rain still caused some issues within the levees. I went back in March 2010 for a few days and was completely flabbergasted to see buildings constructed in a MAJOR floodway. I've seen logs a metre or more in diameter sweeping through and just can't understand the logic behind spending a million dollars plus (per building) to develop such a risky location.

I can't say for the logic but their answer might be the same than the one which was given to us in Draguignan a few month ago: "what happened is beyond imagination and there were no ways to see it coming".

Of course, take me for a fool on top of that.

In the case of Draguignan and the flooded areas next to my place the facts were:
- The flooded areas had seen worse floods sometimes in the past. Of course, such major flood occur about once every century (the last recorded one had occured a century before). Ooops!!
- The flooded area had plenty of housing. No more than thirty years ago it was farmland. The few housing made there had their living quarters on the top floor. Wander why?
- Freelee available on internet (state run websites) I had access to the various risk evaluations established in 2005 (the flood occured in 2010). They exactly described what finally happened (but obviously nobody could imagine such an important flood). For my part, I now doubt that our politicians know how to read.
- The best is to come. In order to prevent the various risks in Draguignan, the authorities had built a coordination center fully equipped to help the relief efforts... in the middle of the floodable area. That center was flooded early with 2 meters of water and the officer in charge of the relief effort along with the city mayor almost died in this.

- We keep voting for them.

[Mohoender]

Just one last add about Draguignan. Here is the map showing the risk and established in 2005.

To help:
The red line reprensent the maximum recorded flood
Maison d'arrêt = jail
Maison de retraîte = retirement home
Sécurité Civile = relief coordination center.

When the flood occured in 2010, the "sécurité civile" center had been expended to include the main fire station and the firemen HQ. Of course, we, the French, are the brightest and most inteligent people on the planet (Obvious, )

[kcdusk]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Swimming in crocodile infested waters isn't all that dangerous actually, provided you have a dog...
Toss the dog in first. If it survives the first minute, there's no crocs about (salties apparently prefer dog over human).

Its common for surfers to take there dogs surfing with them, and camp on the beach. Rule #1 is never let your dog sleep on your wetsuit.

I'm in South Australia. No floods where i am. Just a big dry.