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Rain, rain, and then ... more rain! 6/9/2007 4:03:35 AM
It appears the drought along the eastern coast of southern Queensland and NSW may be eased by the rain we have been enduring for the past 48 hours or so. In the catchment area of Warragamba, Sydney, some 70mm of rain has fallen, that's about 3 inches on the old scale. This is phenominal rain compared to what we have had in the last couple of years and the front itself is the worst for 3 decades, according to all reports on the radio and TV.
There is major damage along the NSW coast with people being washed away in cars, and killed, and others missing believed dead. Homes are flooded by deep water, cars are stranded almost underneath the floodwaters and boats are floundering or washed up on the shores or rocks.
Trees have been falling through houses and the emergency crews have been working non stop to try and help people in trouble in the high winds and torrential downpours of rain. We have been living in a country where we are alarmed at the lack of water, the falling levels of our dams, the fear that we may run out of water. And now we are all ankle deep (if we are lucky that is) in it around our yards, whilst others are waist deep in it inside their homes.
Australia is a land of stark contrasts ... droughts and floods, fires and snow. Yes, it's been snowing at Armidale, not only up in the hills but also down on the flat lands. The most snow they have seen for many years; in fact more than some have ever seen in that area. Armidale is north west of Sydney (well that's where I see it placed and I could well be wrong).
So tonight, Saturday, there are many people homeless, many people grieving loved ones that have died, or are missing. My thoughts are with them all as they must be feeling so lost and unable to work out what on earth has happened to their lives and so quickly. Nothing much can equal what they are suffering and any whines out of those not affected should not be tolerated as being reasonable or humane.
I can hear a party up the road somewhere with loud music and loud voices. Obviously they aren't affected by what is going on around them or the plight of others. But that's today's society - all for one and the one is me!
Woops I better go before I get off on one of my mood swings.
Take care and spare some thoughts for those in need tonight, as there are many of them. Also think about those 3 little children that died with their parents in a car that was washed off a roadway that collapsed early Friday evening. So sad :( And the elderly couple that died in their car when it was swept off the road. May they all rest in peace.
