Lets not forget our friends in Australia

[PA5COR]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/12/30/932492/-Queensland-FloodsBigger-than-Germany-and-France-combined

Queensland Floods - Bigger than Germany and France combined


Its not getting much play here but in Queensland, Australia there is currently a disaster of HUGE proporations unfolding.

Floods the size of the countries, Germany AND France combined are wrecking havoc on the towns and rural areas of Queensland.
200,000 people have been affected with thousands now homeless.

Follow the link for movies

I hope no life will be lost, the situation is not good.

[HUGH]

I've only seen pictures via "Russia Today" and "Al Jazheera", the flood level seemed to be at least 10feet/3m in places, very little coverage by British terrestrial channels.

[PA5COR]

I get some coverage here, BBC, CNN, NBC, N-Tv, Dutch tv, and other satellite channels between 50 east and 55 west.
1 Billion Dolar damage estimated already much more when the full damage is found out...

[VK3ZL]

Happy New Year to everyone....Yes, Australia is a country full of contradictions....Here we are in the middle of Summer....Bushfires in Western Aus and Queensland under 10 feet of water...Temp here yesterday was 42C and woke up this morning to 14C outside with a probability of rain....The Australian people are used to it though and will pull together to overcome all these things...We just shrug them off, have another beer and light the barbie....

Bob..VK3ZL..

[kc7jty]

GL Bob, tnx for the update.

[KG4CGC]

http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/13/the-australian-flood.html

[PA5COR]

Our Rabo bank that is active there already announced they will do everything to help with the rebuild, extend loans and give new loans and be very easy with the interest etc.
Never seen so much water there, and over such large area.
Though we now have our rivers bursting their banks by the enourmous load of melting water, and deluge of rain.
Interesting times...

[N8YX]

...The Australian people are used to it though and will pull together to overcome all these things...We just shrug them off, have another beer and light the barbie....

Bob..VK3ZL..
For your sake I hope the barbie doesn't float off to parts unknown.

My sympathies to you all.

I remember what a mess the '93 mid-west floods were...

[VK3ZL]

Hi all, yes the floods certainly have been a disaster and will have an impact that will last for years...VK4 and some areas in VK2 are copping the worst of it and there are floods affecting a smaller area now in VK3...I have had over 6 inches of rain since Tuesday...However my immediate area is fairly safe being undulating hilly country..We have two rivers and dozens of creeks which all link up and apart from Casterton a small township North of here, the rivers run through bush and forest to the sea..

The whole country has rallied around to assist with money, clothes and food and also manpower to help those in VK4 clean up..One small township in the Lockyear Valley West of Brisbane VK4 was completely washed away in minutes from a huge flash flood...The current death toll is about 15 with up to another 50 missing...They will never find all the bodies...Unbelievable..The media has been running the whole disaster for a few days now and it is really heartbreaking to see the damage and also the trauma of many of the victims..However, we are Australians and we will all pitch in and get over it in time...

Bob..VK3ZL..

[N8YX]

Bob,

I am curious about something and even have these frequencies programmed into several of my receivers:

http://www.vks737.on.net/

How's the chatter been on the club channels?

[VK3ZL]

[QUOTE=N8YX;305493]Bob,

I am curious about something and even have these frequencies programmed into several of my receivers:

http://www.vks737.on.net/

Something I have never looked at John...I know many hams who travel around Australia use these frequencies though...

I am the coordinator of the Victorian Country Fire Authority Bordernet weather observation network...This network operates daily at 21:10Z on 4510khz upper sideband...We have half a dozen operators scattered across Eastern VK5 and VK3 border...Each has an automated wx station...Readings are collected and passed to me during the sked...Once I have all the info I fax it off to the Wx buro where it is then recorded and forwarded on to all emergency agencies..During high fire danger days we run skeds every 2 hours continuously updating Wx info...It would be interesting to know if these transmissions ever reach further than VK borders..

Bob..VK3ZL..