the past few days have been surreal. i feel the next collection of words will not do the situation justice. only visual explanations can begin to describe the floods that have left 75% of queensland declared a disater zone.
i flew into brisbane from hobart on monday evening. while waiting to disembark, i saw footage of the tsunami-like flash flooding that had hit toowoomba earlier in the day. i won't say i was on a high from the impending trip; i was quite peaceful. but something in me broke a little. landing was pretty precarious. the weather was foul. we went to bed that evening knowing that the flood would hit brisbane on the following day.
brisbane woke to ferocious weather. it was dark , muggy, constant storms, while a niagra of rain belted from the sky. channel 9 was already covering the unfolding flood crisis. so i sat and watched. i was asked to head across town to work to help lift the computers to higher ground, as mariana was the only one in the office. i knew if i did go there may have been a chance that the roads would close. i stayed put. and followed it on the news and twitter [i had been getting updates from a friend in hobart, and wondering why he knew more than me. hello twitter. turns out you are good for something]. i had hoped to get out and about, but shopping centres and supermarkets were closing from lunch, as shelves were stripped bare and employees left to see to their homes.
the city centre began emptying at midday as people evacuated and inevitable panic saw chaos on the roads. rumours were flying round that public transport would cease very soon, thus causing further worry. calm did not exist on tuesday. until early evening when the river bank was ribboned by curious onlookers. we watched pontoon after pontoon drift down the tormenting water. boats had lost moorings and followed suit, along with kayaks, a jet ski, a fridge, and garbage bins. a house boat swiftly passed our viewing point, fairy lights ablaze, beer in hand, as they cheerfully announced they were heading out to straddie [stradbroke island]. yes. probably a little more safe there. a little back from the river in toowong, a park had flooded. five youths had wandered down with beers, an inflatable boat and some body boards. may as well enjoy it while you can.
i was up early on wednesday. a clear sky revealed a harsh sun. my way to the river's edge, via swann road, was now blocked. i sauntered through back streets to access the damage. what i was greeted with was heart-breaking. the surreal nature of the flood that morning around taringa/toowong leaves me with few words to describe it. the water was dead calm, unlike its source a few hundred metres away, which was growling with much force. there was no wind. you could see the edge very slowly creep up the road. many people had evacuated throughout the night. some had not been so lucky. residents waded through water, anywhere from ankle deep to chest deep, as they collected and protected belongings. entire families sat on the kurbs, not knowing what to do. neighbours rallied to help out, from carrying bits and pieces to offering a car or a bed on higher ground. there was no panic. everyone just got on with what they were doing, and what needed doing. there were some cars buried in the water, revealing the varying depth in places. street signs and bus stops were rudundant.
i headed home for a bite to eat and a cuppa, and went back out with my house mate and a friend of his. i had my car, paul had his van. on the way back down the road, 'cold water' by damien rice came on. ahn do was being interviewed by margaret throsby, and explained that the song remined him of the boat trip he and his family took from vietnam via malaysia. it had moved him to tears. it is my favourite rice song and i had cried when i saw him perform it live in 2007. the song suddenly had new meaning for me. i cried once again.
we drove round asking people if they required assistance - we sandbagged, loaded trailers, lent an ear, cried, laughed. watching people rally together and keep spirits high under such horrendous circumstances was amazing. it wasn't sudden, it creeped. a devastating, silent creep nonetheless. power was slowly being cut off throughout the city, as substations came under threat from rising waters. 119,000 people were without power this morning. for some, it will be several more days before it is restored. and given the humid weather, there will be some very tired, agitated individual very soon. and the calm of yesterday will be forgotten.
the cleanup is what saddens me the most. here i am, sitting at the airport, having arrived six hours early for my flight. i am in a safe, cool, calm place. far away, it seems, from the chaotic world on a few kilometres away. a world that will resemble a war-zone in a few days. a world that will not look dissimilar to the tsunami footage we saw on boxing day 2004. images from toowoomba and the lokyear valley are testiment to this foreign scene in a world-class city. i slept very little last night. the sirens and constant helicopter presence reminded me too vividly of the port arthur massacre - a tragedy i watched unfold many years ago. a similar heart-break fills me now.
all this morning i thought about the clean-up. the bit that may well break some people. it's going to be a long next few months, as all the river infrastructure has disappeared or is severely damaged - including the city cat ferry terminals. roads are going to be ruined. not to mention the debris. and so many homes lost. the water has raw sewerage in it, so the clean up is going to be very unpleasant. an outbreak of mozzie disease is expected, as well as gastro. i want to stay here, in brisbane, and lend a hand. and my immediate life in uganda will be better than the one i am leaving behind. but i am helpless. like all the times i have seen natural disasters unfold in far-away places - places i cannot just go to to help. now that disaster it is at home. and i am leaving. and by the time i return, the city will be functioning again. people will still be homeless, but there will be a sense of normalcy.
but i will be watching + listening over the following months. and if you are in brisbane, please register to help with the clean up. they will need as many hands as possible. otherwise, please donate to the flood appeal, and any old clothes or household items that no longer have sentimental value - drag them out, bag them up and throw them towards those who have lost so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment