Savage Storm
 

On Sunday night, a massive storm cell passed over Brisbane and the southeast region of my home state.

Over 4000 homes have been damaged structurally and so far 30 have been condemned.

Fortunately all we got in our area was beautiful drenching rain which has continued over the last couple of days, but it's a disaster for so many people.

Here's a photo gallery from the local paper, and this is the weblink for the articles on the devastation.

In Northeast US, the savage storm is called a nor'ester. What is the description of a savage Aussy storm?

savage storm

Wicked. I'm so glad you all are OK!

In that photo gallery, the damage looks very much like it was caused by microbursts.

The damage map also matches the profile of a couple of microbursts.

:lol2:

You got mean rain, we got fires dotted all around us. Smoke from the fires is hazing the horizon around all points of the compass except due north. Numerous houses destroyed. Some injuries, no deaths IIRC. Touch wood. Preferably wood that is not on fire.

The worst of the storm cut a path through the Gold Coast hinterland which isn't indicated on the damage map, and continued north through the western suburbs. The reason there's those two particular areas noted is because they're really the highest density population. I don't know if they were microburst or not. What I do know is that the damage has been compared to that of a bad cyclone which is our equivalent of your hurricanes.

We've now also had a housefire after a resident who was cooking dinner when the power failed and last night when it came back on at about 6:30 and no one was there, the kitchen caught on fire.

It's quite terrible what the people are going through in the area. We're giving to the relief fund, but I wish there was more I could do. I thought of loading my car up with pizza's and just delivering them to the road crews or something, but that seemed a bit ostentatious, not to mention that I might get in the way anyway.

Anyway, there's only 1000 homes without power now, so that's a pretty good effort. The PM has already toured the area and the Premier (our equivalent of a governor) and the Mayor of course.

My heart goes out to the people affected by this tragedy. So many people have lost their homes. Luckily, it's unusual for people in Australia not to insure their homes, so most will at least have something to begin again with.

ETA: Oh and we had another 3 inches or more of rain last night on some of the affected areas. Not good.

I thought Australians called that a party.

Well I guess you thought wrong then tw.

Are you sure they don't call such storms Aliantha?

Yes...I'm pretty sure about that.

eta: Are you trying to be cute with me tw?

I don't have to try. I have the cutest black face you ever saw.

My Uncle and family are in Brisbane, so we've been following the news. Really shocked to hear about how hard it's hit. Good for you that you were considering on the ground help - I'd say if you could do it - do, do it. But you're pregnant, have kids and Dazza is away - funds are the best you can do in my opinion.

Glad you and yours are safe - I mentioned you to Mum as soon as we heard (I'm always hazy on where people are in Oz due to the HUGE geography). I also mentioned UG when I heard of the California fires, but the news (perhaps incorrectly) implied it was the multi million pound households that were going up - my sympathy to them of course, but they are far better suited to starting again than the average man in the street.

What does the colour of your face have to do with it?

So you can't see me blushing when I am embarassed that you mispelled color.

Thanks SG. We're all fine here though, although I'm hoping I'll be able to travel into Bris ok this arvy to get the kids (and go shopping with my g/f before that. lol)

If I wasn't preggers I'd be over helping out. Even if i was under normal circumstances I would but apparently I have ligament damage (thanks to the bad cold I had a month or so ago) in my stomach area so no lifting at all for me anyway.

Well, you must be pretty dark then. My boys have darkish skin but it's pretty clear when they're blushing. ;)

Did I also mention I am blue blooded?

So you're a reptile? lol

Everyone thinks I am blue blooded, including my parents - Mum called me a changeling tonight on the phone, after a misunderstanding with the heating system. she said, "You've been without heating since we left?!" (on Sunday)

I only called her because I was worried about their OAP cat.

Now we're getting somewhere!!!

OMG! TW IS A NIGERIAN PRICE!

Actually, I'm only Nigerian below the belt and above the knees

See what this thread has done to me. Now I'm black and blue. And even spawned posts from 'bizarro tw.'

Did anybody notice bad weather off SE Australia?

Some areas of Brisbane recieved up to a further 10 inches last night. I don't think we would have had quite that much, but if we get the storms that are forecast for tonight, our little villiage will be cut off which means no school for the kids tomorrow.

I can't tell you how much they're praying for rain today.

On the up side, even though there was a lot of rain last night, there was no where near the devastation caused by the high winds we had on Sunday.

Is there a difference?







JUST KIDDING!

I've just looked up what rain we had last night, and it was somewhere between 4 and 5 inches.

It never rains, but it pours in Australia.

Wet enough for ya?

Well if you were getting ten inches a night you'd want it pretty wet too, I reckon.

Yeph. Bizzaro tw. has pinko commie blood. He blushes. I don't.

How far inland is that rain going? Is it addressing any droughts?

Well... Bizarro-tw. has that mole...

It's been going about 200 - 300 km inland, but mostly that's where it comes from. Builds over land behind the range and then heads back out towards sea. Something like this:

Water evaporates from the ocean and ends up in the warm air which is pushed inland by easterly sea breezes which then hits cool air coming off the desert at night and voila...you have a thunderstorm.

To answer your question though, a lot of rain has fallen in the catchments for our dams, which is in an area known as 'the salad bowl'. Obviously a lot of vegetables grown there.

So yes, the rain has helped somewhat with some drought areas and overall things are looking pretty good if you don't count all the homes that've been damaged in the city.

It's wet enough here. During last nights rain it was so heavy so consistantly that all the gutters were overflowing as if they didn't even exist...and it's not because they're blocked in any way. For one thing, because we rely on the water we catch from the roof, we keep them pretty tidy and for seconds, I climbed up and had a look at all the downpipes this morning and they were clear.

My plants are happy, and the row of pawpaw seeds I planted a couple of weeks ago are all sprouting, so I'll be able to pot them up or move them around soon. :)

Hall of fame material there - ROFLOL !! !! !! !!

The area has now been declared a disaster zone.

More storms expected tonight.

I finally got through by phone to my Sister - just east of Ipswich - this evening.

The dry creek bed below their home is rapidly flowing for the first time in many years. They were swimming in it yesterday evening. Last time i saw it - 2 years ago, you could not get your big toe wet.

They are being flooded, they live in what we call a Queenslander - two stories and the bottom level is mostly living area , the bedrooms etc. are on the first floor.

They are building a catamaran - she says she's gonna get real worried when she sees a line-up of pairs of animals at the boat.

BTW:
Oz: COLOUR
US: COLOR

Ewe guys need to learn how to spell the Queen's English
:rolleyes:

Here's a pic of one of the flooded cane fields up the road from my house.

Luckily we didn't get too much rain out of last nights storm, but Aden's teacher had a tree blown over in her front yard last night. She lives close to the city. About 50km from us.

Attachment 20461

The celebrities in I'm A Celebrity... had to spend Wednesday night in the Bush Telegraph (the hut where they communicate via camera) because it was the only part of the camp on higher ground. There was a danger of flash floods which might have washed the camp away. Tonight they'll be showing how they coped on Thursday, but I know they all survived as there was a live trial yesterday and they were all there. Of course if they were in any real danger, the producers would have removed them from the bush entirely - they're just being super-careful.

It's pretty rotten weather by everything I've been seeing and hearing. Any sign of a let up yet?

But they aren't really celebrities, are they?

They earn their living in the public eye, that's as good a definition as any I suppose.

I dunno - I wouldn't turn up to watch any of them open a supermarket, even if it was at the bottom of the road. But then if I had the money I'd travel anywhere in the UK to see a member of The League of Gentlemen, so I know my tastes don't coincide with the GBP.

Australia now has rice farmers.

Paddy Erwin

Australia has had rice farms for years. In fact, my brothers father in law recently sold one that he'd owned most of his life.

In a country that dry? Where does he get the water?

He and everyone else suck it out of the Murry Darling basin.

I think rice farming should be illegal here because the water requirement is too high, but unfortunately I don't get to make those rules. I believe that at least they should just have them in the tropics where the seasonal rain is enough to water the crop.

Australia is HUGE tw. It's not far off the size of the contiguous United States.

Rugby players doing some work.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pict...8.html?image=7

Could that be why the All Blacks thrashed them?
(We don't mention the Springboks, thanks)

Thousands of fans were already streaming towards the car parks as Bryan Habana touched down with the final play of the day to seal a 42-6 victory for South Africa.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rug...gby-Union.html

Go Boks! :D

That was the Broncos helping out some neighbours near their training paddock which happened to be in one of the suburbs that was flooded by the second storm.

It's a shame we lost last night, but after having the trophy for so many years, it's not so bad to see it go to our cousins anyway. :) I'm sure there'll be a fierce competition next time round.

Wow, Bruce. Amazing footage.

Holy cow!

Now do you lot believe me???

Wow. Where I am, the rain (what little we get) come downwards, not sideways. You freaky Queenslanders.

About what?
Obviously filmed on a sound stage. The accents were so not Australian. They never even said Cobber.