[Vision2020] 200, 000 Affected by Massive Australian Flooding in Area Larger Than Texas

[Ted Moffett]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/world/asia/01australia.html

By J. DAVID GOODMAN
Published: December 31, 2010

Rising waters have knocked out roads and several highways in
northeastern Australia, trapping motorists, marooning entire towns and
driving thousands from their homes as flooding stretched into its
second week on Saturday. More than 200,000 people have been affected
so far by the floods, local news media reported.

The dangerous flood waters that have spread across roughly half the
state of Queensland, on the continent’s northeastern coast, showed no
sign of retreating on Saturday as river surges continued to make their
way toward the sea.

On Friday, the city of Rockhampton, near the coast, was bracing for
major flooding, with officials warning that the Fitzroy River, which
runs through the city’s center, could reach levels not seen since 1918
by Tuesday. Roughly 30,000 residents in Rockhampton could be affected,
officials said.

Mayor Brad Carter urged people to evacuate, and news reports said
hundreds already had.

The flooding began last week as Cyclone Tasha crashed into the
northeastern coast. While the heaviest rains have abated, wet weather
continued in parts of the state on Saturday and the Australian Bureau
of Meteorology forecast little reprieve. Flood warnings were in effect
for a dozen rivers around the northeastern Australian state into the
New Year.

“This disaster is a long way from over,” said Anna Bligh, the
Queensland premier, as she toured flood-ravaged areas with Prime
Minister Julia Gillard on Friday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Ms. Bligh warned that some towns could remain flooded for days and
that cleanup efforts could cost billions of dollars.

About 300,000 square miles, an area larger than the state of Texas,
have been affected by the flooding, officials told the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation.

The government has sent Blackhawk helicopters and other military
aircraft to assist in the evacuation and relief effort, dropping
supplies to trapped towns, officials said.

At an evacuation center in the town of Bundaberg, where hundreds of
homes and businesses were inundated, Ms. Gillard announced disaster
relief payments — $1,000 per adult and $400 per child — for families
whose homes had been damaged by the floods, The Associated Press
reported Friday.

The flooding also affected Queensland’s inland coal mines, damaging
one of Australia’s major export industries. High waters cut road and
rail links and forced the mining giant Rio Tinto to declare emergency
exemptions from some sales contracts.

The heavy rain may have had its origins in colder waters gathering in
the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean, a regularly occurring
event known as La Niña that alters weather patterns, said Anthony J.
Broccoli, a professor of climate and environmental sciences at Rutgers
University. “Northeastern Australia tends to be wetter during La Niña
events,” he said.

The disaster risked hampering New Year celebrations for thousands, and
the police urged revelers to be on their best behavior.

“It would be a tragedy to have to divert critical resources away from
the flood event to respond to irresponsible behavior,” said Brett
Pointing, assistant commissioner of the Queensland Police Service.

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett