In case you missed it, the largest flood - in recorded history - is happening right now in Australia.

200,000 people displaced
An area larger than Germany and France COMBINED under water.
Water is still rising.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BU09620110102

Pic. #4 of that snake really creeped me out.
-Blast

I work with a Aussie as well, he's a real good guy, I kinda feel sorry for his country. Australia has the most dead-least snakes and spiders in the world, there temperatures in the deserts are some of the highest in the world and drouts as well, the seas have the box jellyfish, great whites, etc.. Then you have all the satellite and space junk from all the big space players keep raining there junk all over their island. Then on top of that, they have a government that is cracking down on knives, guns, crossbows, etc.. So basically you are in the target zone no matter what you do there, rough living, but their are some nice places to live there, you just have to keep on your toes.

It's Quite Funny,Some of The Finest Minds Refer to Austrailia as An Island,When in Fact,It is a Continent! A Flood,Larger than the state of Texas!Man! That is Unfathomable,No Pun Intended of course!

Stories in all Australian media about "panic buying" across supermarkets, along with reader comments about how they went down to grab a few last minute essentials but has been beaten to them by "panic buyers" (upon reading which my head exploded).


Rocklea markets : Brisbane's main wholesale produce markets where grocers source their produce is under several metres of water, so fresh produce is going to be thin on the ground for a while. They're organising alternative sites but with many roads cut off distribution is going to be a problem.

Lockyer Valley : Brisbane's salad bowl more or less. Much of Brisbane's vegetables are grown out here and it has been utterly devestated by the flooding. Rail and road are out all over the place. Australian Army still conducting SAR for survivors (and recovery of victims).


Panic Buying Strips Shops
"PANICKED shoppers stripped supermarkets of basic supplies in Brisbane yesterday, preparing for a flood siege that could last a week. Shelves were denuded of drinking water, canned goods and batteries yesterday as residents raced against the rising inland tide to stock up on food and emergency supplies."

Major supermarkets shut down
"Major supermarkets in Brisbane and Ipswich are shutting their doors due to staff, power and stock shortages as "panic buyers" empty the shelves."

Food stocks low in Brisbane
"Woolworths, one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains, has closed 13 stores in Queensland and on Thursday said it was “increasingly concerned about stock levels in Queensland stores given the extent of road closures, supply issues and staff shortages”.

Now these are the conditions in Brisbane, the state capital with a population of 2.5million in the Greater Brisbane area. If one moves further afield the conditions are worse, with some small towns being without safe water for several days now and essentially out of food (Australian army in the process of providing emergency assistance).

Australians in general, and particularly those in the capital cities really don't have a preparedness mentality. Many people have no more than a few days food on hand, and little or nothing in the way of non-perishable food. The Queensland government has tried a 'softly softly' approach of advising people to construct emergency kits for the Brisbane summer "storm season", but as we have been in drought for the last decade it really isn't taken seriously. In cyclone prone areas in the far north of the state, people have a more considered outlook, as a result of devastating cyclones in the past.

Small town where I went to school flooded in the 80's, after it was cleaned up every other house had one of those aluminum fishing boats in the back yard.
I need to work on getting my food preps back in boxes, I just have things stacked on shelves in my crawlspace, needs to be in something easily moved and somehwat water resistant.

Maybe you have already seen it but I came across this incredible video where a fast rising creek is taking away cars from a parking lot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY .

It can be powerfull. The river that flooded the town I went to school in did flowed through a military base and people reported seeing tanks floating down the river. They don't really float but just kind of bounce along the rocks on the bottom, but as soon as one hits a bridge it takes down the bridge.

Scrounger -- thank you for the insights into the runs on groceries. Certainly is a stark illustration of the need and benefit of preparedness. For the sake of pets as well as peops.

Is the entire country pulling together to help?

A friend lives in Melbourne but this seems a distant news item even for them.

Interesting that the Australian government's "Pantry List" recommends 14-day supply. The U.S. ready.gov emphasizes 72 hours, though it notes that services could be off longer.

http://www.pantrylist.com.au/pantry/dloads/PantryList.pdf

"Interesting that the Australian government's "Pantry List" recommends 14-day supply. The U.S. ready.gov emphasizes 72 hours, though it notes that services could be off longer."

Our government doesn't want to scare off the people who won't even prepare a 3-day supply. A 2-week supply seems to be beyond many Americans' comprehension.

When I was working at the casino, our area was currently having flood problems. I asked my coworkers if they had made any preps for flooding, being marooned, evacuating, etc. All of them shook their heads, and two said they would just sit back and wait for the government to bring supplies.

Sue

After the disaster itself comes the cleaning up part.

Even though the level of preparedness was pretty poor, the Brisbane community is certainly getting in there and helping out afterwards.

People are turning up with tools such as shovels, cleaning equipment, protective clothing, their own food and water for the day ready to help out.

So many people have turned up to volunteer for cleanup efforts that they have been turned away. The city government are opening extra centers tomorrow for more volunteers (and providing public transport from the marshalling areas into the flood effected areas).

Brisbane's Big cleanup begins
"This morning in Brisbane volunteers are mustering for the earliest stages of what the Queensland Premier has termed a rebuilding effort of post-war proportions. And it comes as the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd becomes a case study for why people are advised to stay out of floodwaters - he's developed a leg infection."

Army of Volunteers
"A Brisbane City Council spokesperson said the centres had been "inundated" with volunteers. Volunteers were marshalled at four centres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall, Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens and the MacGregor High School assembly hall."

Volunteers turn out for recovery in Brisbane
"Volunteers lined up this morning to help clear the mess in disaster-stricken Brisbane after the floods this week caused billions of dollars of damage. Swathes of Brisbane were caked in a thick layer of stinking mud left behind after the Brisbane River burst its banks on Wednesday, flooding houses up to their roofs, destroying infrastructure and sending debris and boats hurtling downstream."

Keep in mind that all of these volunteer centres are for people who just want to help someone, anyone. It doesn't include the many many more people who are helping friends, relatives, neighbors.

If there was just a way to make people put at much thought and effort into preparedness as they do into helping after the fact.