Flood worries.

January last year was a really tough time for a lot of people in Queensland. With the break of the drought completed, the rain returned in all its vengeance. It rained nonstop for weeks, causing widespread flooding to thousands of homes in Queensland. The most affected areas were the ones along the Brisbane River and the homes close to creeks, dams and rivers. It was a sight to see as people were evacuated every minute of the day. To see the loss of your earthly possessions is heart breaking not to mention how helpless one feels watching the destruction take place before your eyes. Waters’ destructive power is unreal. No-one could have predicted the damage it did in January. Sure enough afterwards the blame was pointed in many directions and those in power had to be accountable. Vital lessons were learnt through this tragedy and many people lost everything they owned. Through the darkness though, the light shone. The people of Brisbane united and formed a “mud army.” Armed with spades and wheelbarrows, cleaning detergents, clothes and gloves the volunteers were organised into teams and set out to clean up the big wet mess. The sites on the television were unreal. The kerbsides were littered with fridges, lounge suites, stoves and every household item you could imagine. For miles and miles this is all you saw. Such loss is indescribable. Here at home as the Logan River rose, we watched and prayed we would be safe. The gradual decline from our house to the creek was steady and I had never seen the creek break its banks and so we waited. By mid-morning the water was lapping on the brink of the creek banks. By lunch time it had flowed over and filled the bottom paddock to ankle depth. It was rising fast and suddenly I was unquestionably concerned. Could it get up to the house? All of a sudden it was on the cards and I was terrified. By the afternoon, it had come within feet of our bottom dam threatening to engulf it. It didn’t make it any further and although I was fairly relaxed that the movement had slowed, the sun began setting and as the dark closed in, I could see nothing and had no idea what was to progress. Through the night I woke and with a floodlight on I tried to see the level of the water and judge if it was moving or not. It was impossible to see which in its self was a good thing I guess as it meant it was still very far away. In the morning, I was relieved to see it hadn’t moved much during the night and so I guessed it would start receding during the day. A tense evening but we were spared the tragic loss so many others had felt. As the waters went back it left a muddy residence that would take weeks to recover. A muck that was unwelcomed and stayed without being asked…..