The river has peaked at 4.5 metres - a metre below the 1974 floods. 25,000 homes and businesses have been totally/partially flooded. Towns further upstream have run out of water - but Brisbane should be ok for a little while at least.
They're talking on the radio how it's lucky the water didn't get to the predicted levels. I think it probably hasn't made a difference to my unit, but I am holding out hope that only the floor is flooded or that it didn't even make it to the door. Why didn't I grab my file of papers? Or any of Dylan's suits? I think I didn't really believe it would flood, and I was too panicked to think clearly.
I can hear blood pounding in my ears, but I don't feel that stressed or anxious at the moment. Just disbelieving that my little home might be gone.
Helicopters again this morning. They've started sending in the military to Toowoomba and Lockyer. I wonder if my friend in the reserves is getting sent up? It stinks outside.
Bundaberg is flooding again. Will that come down here?
7.30am
We just checked - the milk is still slightly cold. So we're boiling water on the barbie and I can have coffee! And bread with peanut butter and honey!
A girl from upstairs was telling us about a guy she saw, walking along Coronation Drive and lugging a suitcase behind him. She got talking to him and he told her the case was full of beer.
11:00am
OUR HOUSE IS SAFE!
Earlier today on our morning walk, R and I met a couple walking around Auchenflower, looking at the floodwaters. They told us they had come from Toowong. I asked if they knew anything about the situation in Taringa, and they said they didn't but why didn't I just look it up on the internet? They didn't realise we had been without power since Tuesday night.
So they took my house address and my phone number, and said they'd find out for me. Such kind people. A couple of hours later I got the text:
"Your unit is ok road is closed and you missed it by millimetres."
Possibly the best news I've ever received in a text. I think they must've actually gone to my suburb to find that out. Thank you so much for that.
S also went for a big bike ride this morning, and apparently managed to find his way all the way to our unit. He says the water stopped just at our driveway - and if the water had risen to its predicted 5.5 metres our unit would've been flooded. Other places along the street are completely underwater, and debris has been strewn all along the road.
This is what we saw on our walk this morning:
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| Chaseley St is more flooded than yesterday. About 11am |
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| Only the Frog & Toad's roof is showing, 11am |
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| Lang Pde is a lake. 11am |
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| The water on Cue St has come right up, 11am |
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| It's kept creeping up Dunmore at Lang Pde, 11am |
Coronation Drive was amazing, and surreal.
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| Debris? On Coronation Dr, 11am |
We saw a lizard clinging to the river side of the barrier on Coronation Drive. I couldn't help him.
And here's a better view of the amount of water that ended up on Coronation Drive.
2:00pm
We ventured up to Barracks shopping centre to check out what was open. It's weird, everything there is open and buzzing, cars everywhere. We had lunch as at cafe - so good to have a cold beer, a coke and a hot pizza, and to watch TV. The pub had Channel 9 on, and they were basically just commentating footage from a chopper. The way they talked, it was as though they thought it amazing that the water had flooded across Coronation Drive and pooled behind untouched houses. That's daft. The water has come up from behind, through canals, storm water drains, creeks, any connection to the river in low-lying areas.
We can see military helicopters sometimes now, which are huge, and lots of normal choppers.
6:30pm
Cooking bbq for dinner again. We're definitely all going stir-crazy. The heat doesn't help. Dylan's flying in tomorrow - hopefully he can get to Auchenflower without too many problems. We need to do this together.
We probably won't have power for a week in Taringa, and we might be some of only a few people living on our street for months.
10:00pm
Explosion! Everyone woke up to a massive bang outside, and we all freaked out and ran to the balcony. Turns out it was just a blown bicycle tyre. Shows how tense we all are.
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