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| Local streets in the Centenary suburbs |
2011 had barely started and we here in Queensland (almost all of Queensland) found ourselves in the middle of a flood crisis. While there are a few parts of the state and a few parts of Brisbane and the Gold Coast that emerged unscatched, those who weren't directly affected have been involved in relief efforts, have donated, have had fears for friends or relatives, or surely know someone who has been affected.
(There are more photos at the end of the article - I had a little difficulty with the upload. All the photos are our own photos from in and around the Centenary area during the floods.)
Kiong wrote the following just after the floods:
After several years of drought, a La Nina weather pattern brought about a drenching on the Eastern seaboard of Australia. ‘Sunny’ Queensland in particular had had a very wet few months, culminating in a washed out summer.
It rained almost every day, thus the traditional summer holiday activities such as going to the beach, having BBQs and going camping were replaced by spending time indoors. The once bone dry creeks were running strong, and the ground was so soaked that much of the time it was wet and soggy. The dams that were threatening to run dry were filled to capacity, and water restrictions were lifted.
Just after Christmas large parts of Central Queensland were flooded. The floods worsened, and soon 80% of Queensland was declared a disaster zone. An area the size of France and Germany had been affected.
Monday the 11th of January was the start of the working year for most Australians. Many people in the southeast of the state, centred on the capital Brisbane, a city of two million people were involved in organising or participating in flood relief and fundraising for victims. Unbeknownst to them, they themselves were about to need assistance. Since the catastrophic floods of 1974, Brisbanites were told that the city would never again suffer from a major flood the severity of the 74’ floods. The mega-dam, Wivenhoe, had been built that would hold any amount of flood waters back. That afternoon, a freak rainstorm hit the Darling Downs just west of Brisbane, and dumped the equivalent of 10% of Malaysia’s annual rainfall in a couple of days. The run off headed to the city of Toowoomba, where flash floods hit the city centre, sweeping people away and washing cars and passengers down brown rapids in the middle of the city, killing several people. The flood water headed eastwards downstream towards small farming and rural communities such as Murphy’s Creek and Grantham, where it became ‘an inland tsunami’ that swept all in its path – everything from cars, trucks, shipping containers, even aeroplanes and houses with people inside. The rainwater headed towards Brisbane and one of its satellite cities Ipswich. The Brisbane river, already swollen by heavy rain, was now also further swollen by the flood waters from the Darling Downs. To make matters worse, Wivenhoe Dam was now dangerously full, up to 190% capacity and rapidly and dangerously approaching the maximum capacity of 225%. The Queensland government had not released the flood gates of Wivenhoe Dam when it had the chance. Now, at the worst possible time it had to release 12.000 cubic metres of water per second. The run off from the rains in Brisbane, the Darling Downs, the Wivenhoe Dam releases were further complimented by fresh run off from the continuous heavy rain. The ground was beyond saturation point, so any water that fell ran off into the waterways leading to the Brisbane River. The final straw was the king tides – extra high tides from the sea that were to push water from the mouth of the river back.
By Wednesday most Brisbanites woke to a mostly fine and even sunny day to find their suburbs and neighbourhoods cut off from other areas. More than 1000 roads were cut off by flood waters, and many areas were inundated. The authorities warned that worse was to come. The river by now a huge raging torrent of brown water had not yet peaked, and king tides were expected to bring severe flooding in the next two days. That afternoon many residents lost power as substations were flooded, to make it worse, telephone services were disrupted.
27,000 houses were fully or partly flooded in Brisbane alone, and numerous towns and cities and settlements have been hit hard in Queensland – one town has been flooded three times in three weeks. In Rockhampton on the central coast of Queensland, there have also been sightings of crocodiles in the flood waters. Some communities - especially Toowoomba, Murphy’s Creek and Grantham – all on the Darling Downs just west of Brisbane, the floods have killed quite a few people. Some people were still being evacuated in places such as Goondiwindi, four hours inland of Brisbane where waters are actually rising from a different flood.
The aftermath brought out the best in people. The Centenary suburbs of Brisbane were quite badly hit. At the house of a Malaysian in the Centenary suburb of Westlake, numerous Australian strangers came with gloves and tools to assist. The house, a huge luxurious mansion by the lake was inundated by two metres of water. Prawns and fish lay rotting inside and outside the house, the swimming pool was a muddy fish pond, and slimy, stinking mud covered everything. Volunteers including many Malaysians helped to remove all the furniture, the flooring, the fixtures such as curtains, blinds, kitchen cabinets, stoves, doors, skirting boards, cornices, all internal walls. Personal belongings such as photo albums, books, souvenirs, household decorations, tvs, even a grand piano had to be thrown out. Outside on the street, an endless line of piles of rubbish, furniture and debris piled two metres high lined the footpaths. The effort was a typically Queensland one. Strangers walked in to serve sandwiches to hungry volunteers. Volunteers and strangers did a lot of heavy lifting, scrubbing, carting out piles of material and rubbish, washed anything salvageable. One Australian had travelled for up to two hours from the Gold Coast, braving traffic jams and flood waters to get there to offer his services. Strangers brought it ice creams, soft drinks and other refreshments. The Koh family, a mixed Australian and Malaysian family worked alongside the Chen family from Singapore, and many others. Numerous Malaysians were busy providing assistance to family, friends, and strangers.
It rained almost every day, thus the traditional summer holiday activities such as going to the beach, having BBQs and going camping were replaced by spending time indoors. The once bone dry creeks were running strong, and the ground was so soaked that much of the time it was wet and soggy. The dams that were threatening to run dry were filled to capacity, and water restrictions were lifted.
Just after Christmas large parts of Central Queensland were flooded. The floods worsened, and soon 80% of Queensland was declared a disaster zone. An area the size of France and Germany had been affected.
Monday the 11th of January was the start of the working year for most Australians. Many people in the southeast of the state, centred on the capital Brisbane, a city of two million people were involved in organising or participating in flood relief and fundraising for victims. Unbeknownst to them, they themselves were about to need assistance. Since the catastrophic floods of 1974, Brisbanites were told that the city would never again suffer from a major flood the severity of the 74’ floods. The mega-dam, Wivenhoe, had been built that would hold any amount of flood waters back. That afternoon, a freak rainstorm hit the Darling Downs just west of Brisbane, and dumped the equivalent of 10% of Malaysia’s annual rainfall in a couple of days. The run off headed to the city of Toowoomba, where flash floods hit the city centre, sweeping people away and washing cars and passengers down brown rapids in the middle of the city, killing several people. The flood water headed eastwards downstream towards small farming and rural communities such as Murphy’s Creek and Grantham, where it became ‘an inland tsunami’ that swept all in its path – everything from cars, trucks, shipping containers, even aeroplanes and houses with people inside. The rainwater headed towards Brisbane and one of its satellite cities Ipswich. The Brisbane river, already swollen by heavy rain, was now also further swollen by the flood waters from the Darling Downs. To make matters worse, Wivenhoe Dam was now dangerously full, up to 190% capacity and rapidly and dangerously approaching the maximum capacity of 225%. The Queensland government had not released the flood gates of Wivenhoe Dam when it had the chance. Now, at the worst possible time it had to release 12.000 cubic metres of water per second. The run off from the rains in Brisbane, the Darling Downs, the Wivenhoe Dam releases were further complimented by fresh run off from the continuous heavy rain. The ground was beyond saturation point, so any water that fell ran off into the waterways leading to the Brisbane River. The final straw was the king tides – extra high tides from the sea that were to push water from the mouth of the river back.
By Wednesday most Brisbanites woke to a mostly fine and even sunny day to find their suburbs and neighbourhoods cut off from other areas. More than 1000 roads were cut off by flood waters, and many areas were inundated. The authorities warned that worse was to come. The river by now a huge raging torrent of brown water had not yet peaked, and king tides were expected to bring severe flooding in the next two days. That afternoon many residents lost power as substations were flooded, to make it worse, telephone services were disrupted.
27,000 houses were fully or partly flooded in Brisbane alone, and numerous towns and cities and settlements have been hit hard in Queensland – one town has been flooded three times in three weeks. In Rockhampton on the central coast of Queensland, there have also been sightings of crocodiles in the flood waters. Some communities - especially Toowoomba, Murphy’s Creek and Grantham – all on the Darling Downs just west of Brisbane, the floods have killed quite a few people. Some people were still being evacuated in places such as Goondiwindi, four hours inland of Brisbane where waters are actually rising from a different flood.
The aftermath brought out the best in people. The Centenary suburbs of Brisbane were quite badly hit. At the house of a Malaysian in the Centenary suburb of Westlake, numerous Australian strangers came with gloves and tools to assist. The house, a huge luxurious mansion by the lake was inundated by two metres of water. Prawns and fish lay rotting inside and outside the house, the swimming pool was a muddy fish pond, and slimy, stinking mud covered everything. Volunteers including many Malaysians helped to remove all the furniture, the flooring, the fixtures such as curtains, blinds, kitchen cabinets, stoves, doors, skirting boards, cornices, all internal walls. Personal belongings such as photo albums, books, souvenirs, household decorations, tvs, even a grand piano had to be thrown out. Outside on the street, an endless line of piles of rubbish, furniture and debris piled two metres high lined the footpaths. The effort was a typically Queensland one. Strangers walked in to serve sandwiches to hungry volunteers. Volunteers and strangers did a lot of heavy lifting, scrubbing, carting out piles of material and rubbish, washed anything salvageable. One Australian had travelled for up to two hours from the Gold Coast, braving traffic jams and flood waters to get there to offer his services. Strangers brought it ice creams, soft drinks and other refreshments. The Koh family, a mixed Australian and Malaysian family worked alongside the Chen family from Singapore, and many others. Numerous Malaysians were busy providing assistance to family, friends, and strangers.
The tight knit Malaysian expatriate community were keeping in touch with each other as best they could. Members of the Australia Malaysia Business Council Queensland, who were already busy with flood relief efforts for victims outside of Brisbane. The AMBCQ is newest, fastest growing and the largest of the Australia Malaysia Business Councils in Australia, with more than 50% of total Australian membership, and also the most active by far – almost 200 activities in 2010 alone, mainly in Brisbane. Members consist of Australians of all backgrounds and Malaysians, and range from ordinary business and professionals to business leaders and political leaders such as Queensland Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek MP; Scott Emerson MP, Shadow Minister for for Science, Research and Information; Communication Technology; and Rob Messenger MP. AMBCQ member Mr Langbroek was busy visiting flooded areas and providing moral and other support. AMBCQ members Helen McAlister and Tamara Foong redoubled their efforts to assist flood victims. They had already assisted victims in Rockhampton and elsewhere, and now were also helping those in Brisbane and on the Darling Downs. The Chan family had also been busy, with AMBCQ President Chan Wai Kiong and AMBCQ Senior Vice President Shona Leppänen-Gibson helping to clean houses. Chan Kim Yin and his wife Lilian Chan helped by preparing and distributing Malaysian food such as curry and rice, fried noodles, kueh and bak kut teh. Lai Peng Chan, Aileen Williams and Eric Williams were busy helping clean houses. AMBCQ members Vincent Yong who was away on business in Sabah rang up to offer assistance. Other members Paamini and Kumaran who were in Papua New Guinea at the time rang up to offer their house and facilities to those in need. Another AMBCQ member Ben Shipley who runs the largest telecommunications company in Queensland generously offered the services of his firm, and many members pledged to support fundraisers for flood victims. The AMBCQ will partner with the Tamil Association of Queensland to organise a fundraiser in Brisbane. Back in Malaysia, the AMBCQ’s counterpart the Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC) got together with the AMCHAM (American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce) and MANZA (the Malaysia Australia New Zealand Association) to conduct a major fundraiser at the KL Convention Centre on the 27th January, a day after Australia Day.
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| The mud-line shows how high the water went at Sumner Park |
As the floods were about to hit and we were helping out at my Mum and Dad’s place, our two year old daughter Ilmi ran to the bedroom and asked her grandma to “hide from the Tsunami” every time she heard thunder – I think she had been watching the news of the large wall of water (on TV, various news programmes were showing my old boss the Police Commissioner referring to it as ‘an inland Tsunami’) that hit Toowoomba and the Darling Downs. As we waited at home yesterday, our four year old son Ilkka was upset and worried about the people at my parent’s house “in case the flood water gets them”. All day and night there were military Blackhawk helicopters and other helicopters sometimes flying very low overhead, and police and fire and rescue sirens. I went for a walk in the pitch darkness last night, as it had stopped raining, and it was very strange and quiet except for helicopters, city council trucks, emergency services sirens etc. I could see helicopters with powerful beams of light. Apart from these, were was almost no other sound and no lights at all in the whole area. It was a strange and eerie experience.
The following article appeared in TheSun Daily, a major independent newspaper in Malaysia. A number of AMBCQ members were interviewed for the article.The original link is as follows, but it might not be up for long.
http://epaper.sun2surf.com/tuesday/tue_page10.html.
TheSun : 12th January 2011
Community Spirit at Work
BY PAULINE WONGnewsdesk@thesundaily.comMalaysians in flood-hit Brisbane tell of the flow of goodwill and generosity as residents help one another to pick up the piecesPETALING JAYA: Kindness now flows through the streets that were hit last week by the worst floods in Brisbane, Australia since 1974.
The floods, which caused billions of dollars in losses, have also seen a surge in community spirit among residents who arm themselves with nothing more than clean-up equipment to pick up the pieces.
Chan Kiong Wai, 39, is one of thousands of Malaysians living in Australia who is doing all he can in small and big ways: cleaning homes, stripping down plasterboard walls (to prevent damp rot), throwing out debris, and washing out the tar-like sludge from houses and roads devastated by the floods.
Chan’s house, where he lives with his family, was thankfully not affected.
“At least by helping, you don’t feel so helpless. It sure beats sitting in at home and doing nothing,” he told theSun in a phone interview yesterday.
As the waters slowly recedes, it is as if the people are awakening from a bad dream brought on by the bursting of the Brisbane river banks after continual heavy rain since September.
“It is like a war zone here, with damaged houses, rubble piled high on both sides of the street, and volunteers and emergency services personnel (including the Australian army) making their rounds.
“Mud covers the roads, and walking out, I cannot recognise my neighbourhood. Destruction is everywhere,” he said.
“Even when I sleep, I dream I am cleaning someone’s home. My daughter hides under the table when she hears thunder because she thinks another wave of floods is coming,” said Chan.
There is a lot of kindness in the Centenary suburb where he lives.
“Without fuss, without saying anything, someone will just turn up and help clean up a home even if they do not know the occupants. Occasionally somebody will drop by with plates of sandwiches and sometimes even ice-cream,” he said, adding that in some instances those whose homes were ruined refused help, insisting that there were others who needed it more.
“My parents are cooking for affected families. Later, I am going to cook bak kut teh for a close family friend (also a Malaysian) – his favourite dish. His lakeside home was destroyed,” Chan said.
Jenny Johnston, 40, a Malaysian who migrated to Australia four years ago, described everything in the floodhit areas as “covered in brown and black”.
“The streets are covered with mud and the trees are black with it as well. A fast-food chain nearby has lost its sign that was on top of the building. So you can just imagine how high the water levels were,” she said.
Johnston lives in Sinnamon Park, west of Brisbane, and her home was unaffected since it is located halfway up a hill.
“It’s scary to see that so many houses are just wooden skeletons now – the walls have to be stripped away. And there are piles and piles of damaged furniture lining the streets,” she added.
"I am amazed at the incredible generosity of the community. Everyone is helping everyone, lots of people are chipping in, whether Malaysian, Asian, or Australian,” Johnston said.
Dr Damien Foong Peng Sung, 45, and his wife Tamara, have welcomed two community members into their home in Corinda, and have been tirelessly helping to clean homes, clear rubbish, prepare food and send supply parcels to those who need them.
As a doctor himself, he also does his part to ensure that health hazards are avoided.
“The most important thing is to clear all the rubbish that is piling up on the streets, or this will pose a health risk and attract vermin,” he said.
Foong believed that without the full force of the community in relief efforts, recovery would take twice as long.
“There is also a central donation fund that has, in five days, raised A$39 million (RM118 million).
“People have been generous in heart, body and spirit, and that is an amazing thing to witness,” Foong said.
TheSun : 12th January 2011
Community Spirit at Work
BY PAULINE WONGnewsdesk@thesundaily.comMalaysians in flood-hit Brisbane tell of the flow of goodwill and generosity as residents help one another to pick up the piecesPETALING JAYA: Kindness now flows through the streets that were hit last week by the worst floods in Brisbane, Australia since 1974.
The floods, which caused billions of dollars in losses, have also seen a surge in community spirit among residents who arm themselves with nothing more than clean-up equipment to pick up the pieces.
Chan Kiong Wai, 39, is one of thousands of Malaysians living in Australia who is doing all he can in small and big ways: cleaning homes, stripping down plasterboard walls (to prevent damp rot), throwing out debris, and washing out the tar-like sludge from houses and roads devastated by the floods.
Chan’s house, where he lives with his family, was thankfully not affected.
“At least by helping, you don’t feel so helpless. It sure beats sitting in at home and doing nothing,” he told theSun in a phone interview yesterday.
As the waters slowly recedes, it is as if the people are awakening from a bad dream brought on by the bursting of the Brisbane river banks after continual heavy rain since September.
“It is like a war zone here, with damaged houses, rubble piled high on both sides of the street, and volunteers and emergency services personnel (including the Australian army) making their rounds.
“Mud covers the roads, and walking out, I cannot recognise my neighbourhood. Destruction is everywhere,” he said.
“Even when I sleep, I dream I am cleaning someone’s home. My daughter hides under the table when she hears thunder because she thinks another wave of floods is coming,” said Chan.
There is a lot of kindness in the Centenary suburb where he lives.
“Without fuss, without saying anything, someone will just turn up and help clean up a home even if they do not know the occupants. Occasionally somebody will drop by with plates of sandwiches and sometimes even ice-cream,” he said, adding that in some instances those whose homes were ruined refused help, insisting that there were others who needed it more.
“My parents are cooking for affected families. Later, I am going to cook bak kut teh for a close family friend (also a Malaysian) – his favourite dish. His lakeside home was destroyed,” Chan said.
Jenny Johnston, 40, a Malaysian who migrated to Australia four years ago, described everything in the floodhit areas as “covered in brown and black”.
“The streets are covered with mud and the trees are black with it as well. A fast-food chain nearby has lost its sign that was on top of the building. So you can just imagine how high the water levels were,” she said.
Johnston lives in Sinnamon Park, west of Brisbane, and her home was unaffected since it is located halfway up a hill.
“It’s scary to see that so many houses are just wooden skeletons now – the walls have to be stripped away. And there are piles and piles of damaged furniture lining the streets,” she added.
"I am amazed at the incredible generosity of the community. Everyone is helping everyone, lots of people are chipping in, whether Malaysian, Asian, or Australian,” Johnston said.
Dr Damien Foong Peng Sung, 45, and his wife Tamara, have welcomed two community members into their home in Corinda, and have been tirelessly helping to clean homes, clear rubbish, prepare food and send supply parcels to those who need them.
As a doctor himself, he also does his part to ensure that health hazards are avoided.
“The most important thing is to clear all the rubbish that is piling up on the streets, or this will pose a health risk and attract vermin,” he said.
Foong believed that without the full force of the community in relief efforts, recovery would take twice as long.
“There is also a central donation fund that has, in five days, raised A$39 million (RM118 million).
“People have been generous in heart, body and spirit, and that is an amazing thing to witness,” Foong said.
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| The army was called out to assist on our local streets |
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| The heartbreaking task of throwing out everything |
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| Our children's childcare centre was well and truly swamped - the water went even higher later in the day |
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| Everyone chipping in at a home in Westlake |
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| A large section of Riverhills was cut off with no road access |
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| Discarded goods at Sumner Park |
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| Ipswich Road was like an inland sea |
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| More heartbreaking work - demolishing the walls of a flooded house |
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| Sumner Park, an industrial area, was badly hit |
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