Flooding in australia.

[JERRY2KONE]

Been watching over the news in Australia with all of the flooding. Man is it horrific. Best wishes to you guys down under for a speedy recovery. The funny thing that has come to mind watching the way the Ausies go about there business in such a huge disaster is how different their state of mind is compared to what happened in New Orleans. I remember watching everyone collecting at the Dome and other places asking where the Gov was and who was going to help them out of such a horrible experience as if it was the Gov responsibility for the flooding in the first place. I still do not get why they are rebuilding New Orleans on teh same low lying areas knowing that it will happen again down the road. Why not redesign the area and build up using fill to create a whole new higher platform to work from? Yes we all know it would be expensive, but how many lives have already been lost in the last three floods in the region?

In Australia the people have just moved what they are able to get out, and evacuated the low lying areas knowing that when they come home things will be pretty difficult to deal with. No one is asking what the Gov is going to do for them, or who is going to pay for all of the devistation. Most already know they will have to regroup and rebuild their lives relizing that this is just the cycle of life living in the land down under. I remember years ago when America used to deal with things like this in much the same way. NYC seemed to do fine when the towers were hit, and Florida gets hit with huricanes every year, and still they find a way to move forward. Tornado alley is a death trap for horrid weather and yet they still continue to make progress without huge Gov bail outs. And lets look at Hatti and whats happening down there. Why are these people sitting around waiting on someone else to help them out of their disaster? Get off your butts and fix things. My how things have changed.

[PBO]

Jerry, we Australians are very proud of how we cope with adversity & you could almost write a book about the cliches that we use to describe that attitude. While most of us live within 100kms of the ocean (where the living is relatively easy) we used to live inland where life in considerably harder

The bottom line is most people live by a general mantra; you always help a mate & everyone's a mate in a crisis (except for looters - they get strung up by their testicles)

Most Aussies get a bit misty eyed at this - especially in times like these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceWKrsJX9N4

This is a picture of suncorp stadium. It's a rugby/soccer/football stadium in brisbane and is only about 1km from the Brisbane river. The pic below shows that even in the face of this disaster people can still have a laugh. I found it to be a somewhat uplift compared to seeing people with water above their roofs.

Also the water in the stadium is about 4~5 feet deep.

[JERRY2KONE]

Oh thats what I was trying to point out. I even noticed that same sentiment in some of the interviews being shown on the news. Taking care of their mates. Realizing that they will have to not only deal with their own losses, but also stating that they will do what they can to assist their neighbors to rebuild and recover from such a disaster. There is still that same feeling in some areas in teh USA, but not like it once was. People have become greedy and selfish as to what they will gain in the way of free assistance, and who will pay for their losses. We are still seeing reports of people who are waiting for someone else to come in and fix their homes and pay for their damages. I am truly sorry to see such a huge scale disaster happening to the land of the kuala bear, but I bet within the year that things will be pretty much back to normal down there. Great spirit. Hats off to you.

Just another example of what I am talking about. NYC received a huge snowstorm last week that burried the city for a few days. People were complaining about why the City Gov was not digging them out fast enough. What the hell is wrong with people? Get off your butt and start digging. I saw communities on the local news standing in the snow covered streets looking at the snow as if it was supposed to disappear on its own. In China when they are hit with high snowfall levels the Gov orders the entire community to get out and start shoveling snow to clear the sidewalks and streets so things can get back to normal ASAP. I thought that is what communities were supposed to do anyway in order to help each other out. It just amazes me how lazy people have become in general expecting Gov orgnaizations to answer for every natural disaster that comes our way.

[fastbaja5b]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpk...layer_embedded

To give you an idea how quick the flood came up in some parts.

[JERRY2KONE]

Don't get me wrong here I love my country. The USA is still my home and always will be. Traveling around the world allows us to see how other folks live and get to know the feelings and attitudes that dwell in other places. There is still a prideful feeling throughout the United States, but there are some people who have become so lazy and irrisponsible expecting everyone else to carry them through life, and tough times. We have not seen any of this during this disaster in Aussie land. I wish more people would watch what is going on down there and see how things should be handled from every aspect of society. This is not about comparing one disaster to another, but more about the level of resolve within the people itself.

We feel just terrible about what you and others around the world are dealing with right now. Sri Lanka once again is dealing with yet another disaster as their lands flood and their homes are swallowed up by the rains. These poor people just cannot catch a break. With water levels rising in our seas and ice caps melting that have been held captive for hundreds of years in places away from our homelands it is time for people to start getting smarter about where they build. I have shared with my family that we will not live below 50 feet above sea level no matter where we may end up. Why would anyone want to place their lives and their families in harms way knowing that the water is coming. Nature will not be stopped, and personally I believe reclaiming land that is under water is just plain stupid. Either build it up above sea levels to a point where it will not be in jepordy by flooding, or move. With scientific predictions of flooding over the next several decades up to 25 feet above where sea level is now, why in the world would anyone want to live lower than those calculations? Let us all please wise up. Even if the levels never reach that point why take the chance? From what we are seeing in many countries around the globe right now things are getting bad. Something is happening and we have to use the brain that the good Lord provided for us and stop the madness. Just my two cents.

[PBO]

Kind of says it all...



Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has shed tears at a media conference as she described the trail of flood destruction and heartbreak that now stretches to the capital.
Brisbane avoided record flooding today but a man’s body has been found in the Lockyer Valley, taking the official death toll to 14, while more than 15,000 properties were inundated.

An at times emotional Ms Bligh this morning assured residents of every flood-hit town in Queensland, no matter how small, that they would not be forgotten.
‘‘As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are,’’ she told reporters in Brisbane.

‘‘We are Queenslanders."
‘‘We’re the people that they breed tough, north of the border.
‘‘We’re the ones that they knock down, and we get up again.’’
Earlier this week, Ms Bligh warned the disaster would be heartbreaking.
‘‘It’s doing that, but it will not break our will,’’ she said.
‘‘In the coming weeks and the coming months we are going to prove that beyond any doubt.
‘‘Together we can pull through this and that’s what I’m determined to do, with your help, we can achieve it.’’


http://www.smh.com.au/environment/we...113-19oxt.html

[rabosi]

I think our welfare system contributes to the sense of entitlement some people have. When you get a government handout without some form of reciprocation, I think eventually some people will get lazy and some will scam. Haiti has been getting world aid for so long it appears that is all they know.
I think the New York city snow was an entirely different issue though. For one thing if you pay for a service (snow cleanup) via taxes then it is reasonable to expect that service be performed. Probably folks could have tried digging their streets out but with over 20 inches on the ground probably not practical especially considering people in the US are generally not conditioned for it.

[JERRY2KONE]

Originally Posted by rabosi

I think our welfare system contributes to the sense of entitlement some people have. When you get a government handout without some form of reciprocation, I think eventually some people will get lazy and some will scam. Haiti has been getting world aid for so long it appears that is all they know.
I think the New York city snow was an entirely different issue though. For one thing if you pay for a service (snow cleanup) via taxes then it is reasonable to expect that service be performed. Probably folks could have tried digging their streets out but with over 20 inches on the ground probably not practical especially considering people in the US are generally not conditioned for it.

And thats exactly my point. We as a nation have become so lazy expecting the Gov system to do everything for us. There should be some level of ownership for our reputation as a country to jump in and do whatever needs to be done in order to get things back on track. Just because we pay taxes does not mean that there is enough equipment in the City arsanol to handle a natural disaster/snowfall of that magnitude and have it cleared up in 24 hours like people were trying to demand. That is just rediculous to expect any Gov services to be that good.

[PBO]

Just as a small aside. The affected area in Australia is aprox 4 times the area Katrina devestated - & growing

Unconfirmed reports of Bull sharks swimming around streets also!

[fastbaja5b]

Yep the floods have been a result of weather over a period of 3-4 months, not just one event. Areas further south are getting flooded now, and there is a Cyclone brewing in the north which could very well venture south in the next week or so and dump even more rain on an already soaked sponge.

[JERRY2KONE]

Like I stated previously this is not about comparing one event to another. It is about the resolve within the Australian people as a whole that shines through the storm. Just for another example today there were people from all over jumping in to help out food and shop owners clean up and get back up and runing so they could get food on the tables for people to eat. Everyone just steps up and lends a hand for whatever is needed. Great Character and a national pride that is infectious. Very well done.

It was incredible watching this build up over the last two weeks with heavy rains in the North that just slowly flowed south. I bet it won't take a year or more to get it cleaned up and have people back in rebuilding their lives without Gov assistance. Just watch the news of Haiti with overweight people collecting Gov rice while the sit around waiting for someone else to clean up their nation. Its a mess and no one is doing squat to get it back to normal. They want everyone else to do it for them.

[Finnster]

Wow, heard about it, but didn't see any pix. That vid PBO posted is crazy.

I hope you all stay safe and recover quickly

If anyone wants to see some pics here's a link.

About half way down the page are some different albums of pics from across SE QLD.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/phot...114-19qco.html

[JERRY2KONE]

Luckily for us we receive the Australian TV network here in Korea and we get to see the reports right up to the minute. This event is surely another world of nature wonders that leave us nothing to say, but WOW. Hang in there it will get better. The one thing we know for sure is that over time anything is overcome. Soon you will be back on top of the world. While Haiti and Sri Lanka are still struggling year after year after year. I wish that I could be there to help out. We do hope to visit Aussie land some day.