Merged: Queensland Floods
 

I was just watching TV about the flooding at Towoomba, they showed an aircraft, Cessna 206 or similar, floating down stream.
I am assuming that it probably started at the main airport and therefore there are probably other aircraft damaged?

How did all the War Birds fare?

Absolutely shocking events there yesterday. I wonder if the death toll will continue to rise from the estimated 8 at the moment.

The relatively "slow" floods that half the state is in the grip of at the moment are nothing compared to what those folk went through.

I saw what looked like a Jabiru floating and I am guessing that was from further down the hill towards Gatton.

Some interesting comments reference dam levels and water release volumes etc over at Marohasy's - Jennifer Marohasy Brisbane Valley Being Evaculated


Edit to add - To put the current TWB floods in context do a search of "trove.nla.gov.au", enter "floods toowoomba"

"... Toowoomba, February 18, (1893) It has rained incessantly in torrents here from Thursday afternoon until 6 o'clock last night, when the floodwaters reached the highest level ever known at Toowoomba.

Not only in Russell street was the flood higher than ever known before, but on East Swamp the waters, unprecedentedly their height, broke over Ruthven-street bridge, and the torrent of water caused a breakdown to occur on the bridge on the western side.

McCook's store, the Fruit Preserving Company's premises, and Stirling's coach factory are all flooded, and Stirling has suffered great loss. In Russell street one house collapsed, and in another building the inmates were rescued from the balcony. The destruction to roads and bridges is very great. On West Swamp five bridges collapsed, and the water came down, the western slopes of the main range 3 ft. deep.

Yesterday afternoon a landslip occurred on the main range. Hoppermann House slipped down a gully 200 yards, and other houses are in jeopardy. The forked railway bridge entering Toowoomba is declared to be unsafe, as its approaches are damaged The waterpipes are cut off at East Swamp, and the town is now without water..."

Newspaper Page




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There is a strip near Withcott at the bottom of the range, A/C may be from there. Parachute strip [with Cessna 182?] further east is on floodplain as well!
Isn't there an Airpark at Gatton?
Unfortunately floodplains make good airfields.
Lets hope the wivenhoe engineers did a strong enough job!:ooh:

Wivenhoe passed 170% capacity now :mad:

That Jabiru should float ok though. They can pick it up down stream or out in the bay in a few days.

just heard from our friends at Oakey, Brisbane river has broken its banks, and the dam is at 170% and rising, even with the emergency spillway at full capacity.

brisbane is about to get very wet indeed. especially looking at the radar with heavy rainfall been continuous now for 3 hrs and showing no sign of letting up.

http://a.yfrog.com/img619/7546/mm5bs.jpg
10 mins ago

Yes, Brisbane itself is now under threat too, mass evacuations of low lying areas, talk of stopping all public transport, and it is expected to get much worse tomorrow and Thursday.

PS... Just to keep it aviation related, talk also that they may even have to close Brisbane Airport.

Time to fill the water jugs up and check the larder.




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Im just wondering what the staff at the desal plant will be doing for a while.

Hope they have a large stock of DVD's.

Staff at the desal plant - That cracked me up :D

Rises to greater than 1974 now expected. Hold on folks.:{

Looks like a Jab 230, they float really well, especially if the wing fuel-tanks are empty. Owner can collect once floods abate, hose off, wash inside engine-bay, pull plugs, turn over by hand to see if any water inside, if not should be good to go.

If water in engine it can join my engine at Jabiru for a rebuild. :(

As silly as it sounds, clean fresh water is actually in short supply during a flood.

...What's the status of the Virgin offices? They are pretty close to the creek (and isn't there an underground carpark?)

8 drown in flash floods in Australia - CNN.com
Four army choppers is hardly enough. I hope the civies are helping at this time of crisis. Our government must throw all the usual rules out the window and act fast.

How is Amberley going. How far above the flood threat is that.

Amberley should be fine but isolated due highway cut. About 100 Air Force cadets and staff stuck there along with PAF staff.

TWB resources
 

Mate....

Far more resources avbl than 4 blackhawks. Seakings and GA have been working for weeks.

Catseye

Rob,

No NOTAM as yet, where did you hear this?

My whiz-bang flight tracker still shows movements happening at YBBN.
And as Ando1Bar said, No NOTAM indicates such a situation.

Still seeing aircraft passing overhead on departure..hope it doesn't close as I have a red-eye flight out of Brisbane in the morning. Actually getting to the airport might be the problem now though!

Brisbane is definitely still open, there was no flooding today beyond some standing water on the aprons. They are anticipating flooding on some of the commercial southern airport land tonight or tomorrow, but not the runway or vital TWYs. I heard that Amberley is closed.

All the best to people in the Toowoomba district. There are some dreadful scenes on TV. :sad:

I hate to say it but the availablity of avgas and A1 will be a problem in the next few days in these flood effected areas. Hopefully this won't effect the rescue efforts to much.

Maybe not yet, but possibly tomorrow or even Thursday afternoon which will be the peak of the flooding.

The old airport was closed in 1974 for the floods and these are supposed to be going to be worse than the 1974 ones by Thursday. :(

Brisbane airport to stay open:

Brisbane Airport to stay open amid Queensland flood crisis | Latest news on the Queensland Floods | News.com.au

Anyone know why the Army isn't using the Chinooks to help with the large scale evacs?

The old airport was to the south west of the new airport on lower ground (in the vicinity of P TWY and south of Lomandra Drive) and that land is expected to flood. I understand that it was one of the reasons that the new runways were built further north and higher. 01/19 is supposed to be Armageddon proof (just ask the engineers :}) and even if there is flooding on some taxiways there should still be a route to both major aprons.

Anways, fingers crossed for YBBN!

Hope all is well Grogmonster....

Most of the chooks are in the sand pit AFAIK.

Thanks Critical Reynolds, I thought there were only 2 over there.

Disaster recovery assistance for communities affected by flooding, severe storms and fires - Initiatives - The Premier of Queensland



Interesting to see Etihad has donated (or pledged to) $1,000,000 and Qantas $500,000.

Here is the project flooding map expected on Thursday.
Just heared they have just closed the Port of Brisbane.
http://lexiphanic.com/floodmaps/floo...d_flag_map.pdf

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7167616_n.jpg

note the roundabout up the top there..
24 hrs later
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6455828_n.jpg

this evening, just downstream of the wivenhoe
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6267650_n.jpg

the street lamp also helps gives perspective...
wonder if the bridge will survive?

Gold Coast to Sunny Coast??
 

Flown into Toowoomba, and totally amazed as to how that place could flood like that??!!!!!!! I have a couple of associates and friends there - they're ok - but I've heard some crazy stories already.

Is anyone flying from Goldie to Sunny Coast in next few days?? And could fit a female passenger in. She desperately wants to get home, but without her car on Goldie, and all trains/buses on stop for a week, and I believe that Caboolture highway closed nearby. PM me please if you maybe flying up there to Maroochydore and wouldn't mind a cute girl who loves a chat for your flight. Thanx KP

Great perspective of the depth. Quite incredible!

Wow! To put a bit more perspective on the pictures above I have found a picture of Mount Crosby Weir in quieter times.
http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/...CrosbyWeir.jpg

Brisbane Floods
 

YBBN should be right but YBAF is possibly going to be affected.

You need to zoom in a bit!

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201101/r700545_5364857.pdf

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201101/r700540_5364790.pdf

Thank goodness my prayers have been answered since my previous post #17: Defence to bring in more helicopters