Flooding Rains

We've just lived through huge floods here in my home town, though we were lucky they didn't reach record peak levels they still have done massive damage to homes, roads, and infrastructure. I spent the day helping an aunt clean out under her house, they received nearly a metre of flood waters/sewage through their yard/under house. The smell was horrific as the slime/silt/muck squelched under my gumboots. But when people need help you go and do it. There's still a lot to do, some homes are still under water in parts of town.
Added to these problems we've also got a venomous snake problem (the snakes don't like water so they're hiding out in homes/sheds anywhere that's dry. And we have salt water crocodiles who've decided that the river is much too dangerous for them right now so they're lurking in areas that you'd probably prefer them not to. It's all part of living in this wonderful state.
But no matter how hard we've had it (both roads north, south and west were cut off leaving food having to be airlifted in by helicopter as the local aeroport is under water) it's nothing compared to those living in the Lockyer Valley down south. A 5-7metre wall of water 21km wide came rushing down upon them sweeping homes, cars, families away. The horror stories that are now coming to light have had me in tears all week. A pregnant woman had her little girl ripped from her arms by flood waters, they still haven't found her. Every time they show her face on television I choke up imagining it was my little baby taken. And then there's the story of Jordan Rice a 13 yr old boy who couldn't swim who told rescuers to save his younger brother first and then was swept away by the torrent of water. It's just beyond words.
The family that were trapped on the top of their car trying desperately to survive. I couldn't sleep. The mother and son were found but no word yet whether the father has survived.
How people can cope with losing their homes and everything they've worked all their lives for is astounding. How these people can cope with losing their loved ones and still try and help others. I'm a blubbering mess every time I watch the news. My heart goes out for them.
(photo courtesy of: news.com.au)

The Queensland Premier's Flood Appeal is trying to raise money to help the victims. Most are not insured for this type of disaster (actually I think there are very few people in this state who have enough comprehensive insurance to cover it).
And then today, all across the state, people started cleaning up, complete strangers turned up at my Aunts house with a backhoe, truck, industrial gurney, all pitched in and helped us clean her home.
I'm grateful for what I have, for the safety of my family and friends, for the generosity of strangers who turned up and gave selflessly. I'm grateful that today the rains have stopped and my town can get on with the job of cleaning up. 75% of the state has been declared a disaster zone, to compare this to other countries that's like 5 X the UK in size. It's huge, the water gets in and destroys everything in its path, but not the generosity and good heartedness and resilience of the people. Today restored my faith in man's ability to give.