Australia - Brisbane Flood Disaster - Citizen Journalism - Updated

[yamahonkawazuki]

Update Jan 16, Sun.

Another sunny day.

The "authorities" have set up "helper stations" where people who want to volunteer their time to help clean up can come, register, get on a bus and be taken to an area. The response to these centers has been so overwhelming that more Areas had to be scheduled in for assistance. See this video http://video.couriermail.com.au/1744122309/Sludge-Army

In addition to these Official helping stations, other people have been doing things on their own bat...

One guy I know loaded a high-pressure cleaner into his car, drove through Hungry Jacks (Burger King), bought ten whoppers, drove to an area, gave the burgers to the first ten workers he could see - and - while they ate he hooked up his washer and began blasting the sludge off the house.

Another guy I know put on a sausage sizzle for those random people who came to help in an industrial estate. They went through 60kg (132lbs) of sausages!

A guy I know whose house went under half way up the ground floor - and he lost his bike! - said he's had people just randomly come into the street and start helping cleaning.

I rode past the train station whose photos appear above. Not only were the roads open (you saw how the road was covered in the photos above), they were clean - must have been working around the clock with water tankers to hose all the slime off the road. Anyway. The train station in question was having the final coat of new paint being applied to it. Not only has that station been cleaned since the water went down, it has nearly finished being painted already!

Already in my town/city (Ipswich) all roads have been cleaned and are open to traffic. As far as I know only one set of traffic lights is out and that road has been blocked off so no need for the lights anyway. Tippers and bobcats are all over. Bobcats are picking up the debris and stripped out shop junk and loading it onto tippers to be carted away.

The Speed at which the city has mobilized to fix itself is overwhelming. 

As for Flood Figures. last I heard, 10 people have been charged with Looting and face up to ten years jail. I second our mayor's opinion (use the looters as flood markers).

Death toll stands at 18 with grave fears held for 12. Those 12 were all seen to be washed away or last seen in homes that are maybe still standing but they are gone. most of these are from when the flash flood (as it has been called Inland Tsunami) ripped through the area. One such person is a 23 month old tot. So you'd have to assume these 12 are actually deceased but just await confirmation with a body. Which would put the death toll to 30 as a minimum. Other people are still missing on top of these 12.

The area in the state effected by flooding stood at 500,000 sq km (312,500 sq m). The population within the 51 areas declared as disaster zone is 2.1 million.

Michael

i know when the big KAT came through the gulf, i spent 1100 bought the truckload of food for the pizza place i worked iat, , rented a truck, and took it to MS. was there for several days

[Adfalchius]

Thanks for the all the updates- it's really inspiring to hear the stories of so many people trying to help.  I'll keep you all in my thoughts!

[XLAR8]

someone has to say.... some of these helpers are just plain idiots!!!

we were helping the other day after work and their are throwing every thing out  its like stop look at what you are doing, knife forks plates cups wood tables out door settings there is noting wrong with these item (just a little muddy, can be hosed off).

too many people are throwing to much stuff out...