The Brisbane floods are expected to peak around 4am overnight. Nobody is exactly sure how high the water will get, although solid predictions are for it to be well above the level of the huge 1974 Brisbane Floods, when flood levels got to 4.5 meters.
The Bureau of Meteorology has revised down its prediction for the Brisbane River a little from 5.5 meters, with water levels now expected to peak at around 5.2 meters. This is still almost a meter about the level reached this afternoon.
To give you some idea of what these water levels mean on the ground, here is a good before and after comparison image posted earlier on Twitpic by Pattycam of the Brisbane River today. Wow.
Below is a computer simulation of an extreme flooding scenario in Brisbane. The simulation shows the river at 3.5 meters, which it was already well above today. It then shows the river at an extreme 7 meters, which it should not get to under current predictions. So don’t be too alarmed by that.
It doesn’t does make me wonder though, about the even more severe storms and flooding predicted with future climate change.
And then there is this. A little humor goes a long way in these disaster situations, and you have to admire the typical Aussie larrikinism of dressing up a beloved statue in a mask, snorkel and floaties. The image below was posted on Twitpic by mackiemarsellos.
Stay safe Brisvenice, we’re thinking of you.
Here a the details for donations to the flood relief appeal: qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html.
UPDATE: Fortunately (if you can call it that), the flood waters of the Brisbane River at 4am peaked at about 4.45 meters, which is just below the level of the 1974 flood. This does not mean there has been little impact on the city. Here are some flickr images captured by Jono Haysom from Brisbane. He is continually updating the flickrstream as the disaster unfolds, and it’s not over yet by any means. It’s incredible to see Brisbane in this current state. Once the flood waters recede, that clean-up effort is going to be huge.
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