When mother nature intervenes

Boots in Action

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Mar 13, 2017
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Ferny Grove, Queensland
Just got back from a proposed 5 days in the Connondales. Set up Sunday, occasional showers and very humid. While some rain was forecast for the next few days, Monday was fine and Tuesday okay in the morning. Increasing heavy rain was forecast from Wednesday on, but we decided to stay until Friday as booked..
Well Tuesday evening, very heavy rain started pouring down at 9.50pm and continued non stop for the next 6 hours. No wind and only the occasional lightning flash - the rain was so heavy did not hear any thunder.
Wednesday morning, up at 6.00am, after over 300mm of rain, we were still dry but the local creek had risen considerably and changed our clear swimming hole to a raging torrent. Water too deep and fast flowing at the two road crossings for Park Rangers to get into park to check on occupants. Water more than chest deep and flowing fast! Three tent campers, and us, the only van in the park. Later on Wednesday afternoon, a brave policeman from Maleny managed to get in with his Toyota Cruiser with snorkel and water over bonnet. Water level dropped considerably overnight and as more rain was forecast (and to get worse on Thursday pm and Friday), we decided to pack up and get out during a break. So after walking through the two crossings to check depth and obstructions, successfully negotiated both crossings with water up to the top of wheels on my Colorado and just under the floor of the Penguin. Only because axle was reversed did we have that clearance, so no water entered the van. I had only just finished apply another coating of black rubberised sealing material (for about the fifth coat) a couple of weeks ago too.
Met Park Rangers on the way out who were now gaining access to tell everyone to leave and that the park was closing. Don't know how a lady in a Suburu was going to do it as did not have high clearance.
Glad we got out when we did, as although we were quite safe and well above the flood level and had sufficient food for a couple more days, there has been another 300 to 400 mm in the areas since we left.
The one good thing was that despite the huge amount of rain in such a short time, there were no leaks in the van and everything stayed dry!

Below are just a few pictures of BEFORE and AFTER shots of what was paradise. Stay safe and always be careful when Mother Nature intervenes in your holiday.
 

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DRW

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May 29, 2013
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Good thing common sense prevailed can be a bit scary, we got home to Bargara at lunch time no rain on our little trip north but plenty here during our absence. We came home via Gin Gin as I thought the road from Miriam Vale might be under around 2:00 the Gin Gin road was under so we were lucky
 

rags

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The weather or should I say the river has been intervening here at home today on the South Pine River, currently around 2 metres below the lowest floor level being my workshop. The shed floor is 450 mm above the 1/100 flood level. I hope the surveyors got that right.
 

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Drover

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I just emptied my overflowing rain gauge for the third time since 0600 yesterday, weather station is just up the road, they show 460mm dropped on us since 0600 yesterday, so bit damp around Tin Can Bay, I imagine a few bits went under with that much water.

PS: Went for an early run around the place and surprisiingly, the creeks have stayed together and the place hasn't washed into the bay..... Gympie and Maryborough are cut off from us though....
.
 
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BJM

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Sat ,2pm Just had a major flood warning issued for the Clarence River.Probably means cut off for 4 days here in Yamba.
Trouble is everything is loaded with water so this could be a big one. If water at the Lilydale Bridge goes around
18 metres over the bridge ,Grafton,Ulmara ,Maclean in big trouble ! also looks like Lismore will go under again ,they still
havnt recovered from major flood three years ago.
 
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MelSurf

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Sat ,2pm Just had a major flood warning issued for the Clarence River.Probably means cut off for 4 days here in Yamba.
Trouble is everything is loaded with water so this could be a big one. If water at the Lilydale Bridge goes around
18 metres over the bridge ,Grafton,Ulmara ,Maclean in big trouble ! also looks like Lismore will go under again ,they still
havnt recovered from major flood three years ago.
My dad's family owed The Mens Mercer in the main street of Lismore, the whole family had many a flood clothing - when the stock would go under, until the 2nd storey was built & then all the clothing would get relocated upstairs when the flood was coming
 

Boots in Action

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Just had latest bom report ,geez 100-200 mill rain Sunday Nthn Rivers !
As Crocodile Dundee expressed his disdain for a "small knife", let me say that 100-200mm of rain being forecast is just a "sprinkle". Since 7.00am this morning, we have already had more than 290mm (in less than 8 hours) and it is still p1s$ing down. And that is after more than 590mm in the last 3 days before this latest lot. I think I will see about fixing pontoons onto the side of my van before launching on my next expedition!!! Stay safe and swim well.
 

Boots in Action

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Just had latest bom report ,geez 100-200 mill rain Sunday Nthn Rivers !
@BJM , just checked the rain gauge again here in Brisbane NW. Total for 12 hours since 7.00am this morning is 366mm and still raining. Now that's rain...for Brisbane at least. Total for the last 5 days so far,...1033mm. If that comes your way, be prepared. And stay safe...and maybe dry???
 

rags

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@BJM , just checked the rain gauge again here in Brisbane NW. Total for 12 hours since 7.00am this morning is 366mm and still raining. Now that's rain...for Brisbane at least. Total for the last 5 days so far,...1033mm. If that comes your way, be prepared. And stay safe...and maybe dry???
@Boots in Action i think a lot of that water came past our place today. The Sth Pine River reached a peak of 7.94 metres at the river gauge at Cash’s Crossing Eaton Hill way at 16.44. That is a mere 360mm below a 1:100 year flood level of 8.30 metres at that gauge.
The river came within 800 mm of my workshop floor level which is around 450mm above the 100 year flood level.
So I think the surveyors got the levels right, however I would have preferred a bit more of a safety net. The expanda was also at risk parked at around the same level as the shed.
 

Boots in Action

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Mar 13, 2017
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@Boots in Action i think a lot of that water came past our place today. The Sth Pine River reached a peak of 7.94 metres at the river gauge at Cash’s Crossing Eaton Hill way at 16.44. That is a mere 360mm below a 1:100 year flood level of 8.30 metres at that gauge.
The river came within 800 mm of my workshop floor level which is around 450mm above the 100 year flood level.
So I think the surveyors got the levels right, however I would have preferred a bit more of a safety net. The expanda was also at risk parked at around the same level as the shed.
@rags , your thoughts about being close to a 1 in 100 year flood would be close to the mark I think. I have been living at Ferny Grove since March 1978 - that's 44 years - and this was the first time I had seen the creek at the bottom of my road break its banks and cut the road with flood waters over 750mm deep. Whilst it was for only a reasonably short time, about 2 hours or so, that has never happened before, notwithstanding the considerable development at Upper Kedron and Cedar Woods. Some of the local streets also were cut with deep water and also the local rail line was awash for a while. The South Pine River and our own local creek both drain the same catchment area where a lot of the rain fell in a short time. Maybe there is something in "global warming"?
I will have to check out my Penguin van tomorrow if sunny, just to make sure no water entry. Glad your van was above the flood level, otherwise it could have ended up floating out into Moreton Bay.
 

Drover

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Thankfully it looks like it has moved south of us now, Gympie and Maryborough still cut off from us so being the only 2 roads out of here we won't be seeing supplies into town for a few more days until the Mary River drops.......................
1 in 100 year floods, another fancy tag I fear for a Weather Event, like Rain Bomb, been around too many 100 year floods in a couple of decades, when we lived at Lockyer we had about 2 in quick succession, been witness to 2 x 100 years jobs at Charleville, then we have Flim Flam telling us we should be in a dust bowl by now...
 

BJM

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Well this flood will be one of then biggest in Yamba .still raining hard.on high tide this morning was six inches below
2009 big one.Be interesting on high tide tonight !
 

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Hitting the road

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I feel so sorry for all those people directly affected by these rains and subsequent flooding. we live on high ground so not an issue for us. Two years of covid and now as businesses seek to recover they cop this.

Our thoughts go out to you all who are affected by this event, and hope you all recover ok...
 
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