Thank you for asking, I’m still here, high and dry, well above any floodwaters, unlike many who have lost everything. Our farm is only 8km from the centre of Lismore, population 45000 plus, but we are on a hill, much higher than the city itself. The flood which is currently engulfing the town is 2 metres higher than the previous record set in 1974. By my reckoning, that would mean around 4 metres of water in the CBD, almost unimaginable. The word “catastrophic” is often over used, but I can’t think of a better word to describe the situation in Lismore right now.
Roads all around us are cut, but we have enough food to keep us going for a week or more, by which time we should be able to get out. The entire shopping precinct is inundated, although there are three supermarkets on the plateau to the east, but I’m hearing that all three have been stripped bare. Until roads are open, and trucks can get through from Brisbane, which itself is suffering flooding, shelves will remain bare. Having seen first hand what floods can do, many times, it is going to take a very long time for the CBD to be cleaned, and shops to reopen.
While we are right for food and medications for a while, we have had no power for the last 36 hours, and there’s no indication when it may be restored - definitely not until water levels drop to a point where damage assessment can be made, and repairs carried out. Our caravan has a decent size gas powered refrigerator in it, and we can charge iPads, phones, etc from the caravan batteries, which themselves are connected to a solar panel. We also have a 12v TV in it so we can keep up to date with the outside world.
We have received between 600 and 700 mm of rain in less than a week, we’re not sure, as the gauge has overflowed twice, and it holds 270 mm. Other areas have had more, in fact, my sister, who lives about 90 km North west of Brisbane recorded 1200 mm in the same period.
While we are inconvenienced, many others have lost everything, so we’re not complaining. It would be good to have power restored though, as I’m relying on my phone for an internet connection
Peter.
