Something I can’t avoid

So yeah, my bitch and dear friend Kiki (ButterflyPrincess) was saying how she can’t bear to look at any more flood footage, and it got me thinking – she’s absolutely right.  I am so over it as well.  You’re probably over it.  It’s a disaster that’s happened and there’s not much that can be done about.  I keep seeing all these images and videos from friends, and pictures of my beloved family farm that is back under water for the second time in as many weeks.  It really is heartbreaking.  My last two entries were my own personal pictures of the flood as I saw them, both walking home from work and this morning when the peak hit.  It’s purely for my own documentation and a page for the history books when I’m grey and old and can’t remember an event like this ever actually occuring in my life-time.  Well, at least I guess now I have proof that it did happen.  I wasn’t around in 1974 to see the biggest floods of Brisbane, nor was I around in 1893, when according to record’s, the river peaked at an astonishing 8.something meters.  I mean, this peak was only 4.7 around abouts.  I can’t IMAGINE what that one was like!!  The one in 1974 was 5.5 meters, so thankfully the record wasn’t broken, and it’s good to hear that they have slowed down the release of water from Wivenhoe Dam.

I am relieved that, at this stage, they have managed to save the Mogill Ferry and The Island party boat.  I had one of my work Christmas parties on that boat!  Unfortunately, my beloved River-Walk is no more 🙁  The torrent of the river ripped it to shreds, and most of it is now headed out to Moreton Bay, if not there already.  It used to be so much fun walking and running along there, and feeling a little seasick as the walkway moved beneath me.  Now, it’s a distant memory.  Part of me hopes they can locate the parts that were washed away and reconnect them at some point, but even if that happens, there’s a shitload more that needs to be prioritized first.

I guess for the next month or so, I’ll be hearing about this.  When the flood passes one place, it prepares to hit another.  It’s like a destruction that just keeps on happening.  Latest news is that it’s about to his Goondiwindi, another town that’s dear to my heart, being the next closest town to Millmerran, my hometown.

The death toll is at 14.  I’m amazed and astonished at the story of that Jordan Rice kid, whom saved his little brother and got swept away to his death in doing so.  Definitely put a tear in my eye.  I’m thankful that I live in an area that is high up, although close to the river, I haven’t even seen any water around my place other than when it rains.  Thanfully we’ve had pure blue skies the last two days, but anyone who flew in here and hadn’t heard anything would think a war had just taken place.  I’m sure you’ve seen the images and videos as much as I have.  I live in the middle of it all, sure, but it’s not something I really wanted my city put on the map for.

Talking to friends has been difficult, hearing their pain and their worry for their family and friends.  There’s still a few more people I need to talk to, and hopefully soon, everything will be back to normal and we’ll look back on the last week on December and the second week of January as one of the worst ever.