Apparently there is danger of flooding there, as the rivers run, and everyone is getting into the ready mode. As I have lived through it many times over the years, I thought I would give you an example of how it affected us when we lived there! And we lived on high ground! But, and this is a big but--with a gravel driveway!
Actually now that we're not living there anymore I can look back on it and smile-it was so drastic at times that it seems funny now!
A few years ago the flood did a lot of damage to the low lying areas in the city, and a lot of people had to escape their homes. It was very tragic to read the reports and see the images that came out. There was water in so many areas! Those people needed all the financial contributions we could all give to help them recover.
The rains had caused a bit of rainwater damage to some areas of the lower floor of our house-mainly as water seeped in from the large hills behind our house, and we had large areas of water to mop up, including some carpet drenching in two bedrooms. But what was really irritating to us was the fact that as our house, which was on a steep driveway frontage down to the main road, always had flood damage to our gravel driveway, with a lot of the driveway being washed away, and large low areas of water forming at the bottom.
Usually Chris could make it through with his 4WD, but one year it was so bad, when we didn't have the Jeep yet. We had all managed to get all of our cars down the driveway in the morning, but couldn't get them back up the driveway because of the draining damage, and the consistent flow of water. As a result, we would have to park our cars under cover at the local motel, which fronted an area in the front of our house, and walk the half kilometer up the driveway, carrying what we needed.
I think what really stands out in my mind is the walking through the water slogged driveway, which by then had deeper and deeper water ruts developing, and then sinking into the very soggy areas with the mud covering the majority of my shoes and sometimes feet. Chris and I would struggle up the driveway after work, at perhaps different times in the late afternoon, and then the major clean up of shoes and feet took place. But then there was poor Maddie!
She had a part-time job after school, and would eventually make the trek up the driveway in the dark.
I would try to have deck lights on for her, and tried to light up the front garden area, so she had a direction to aim for, but it would have been a struggle. Strangely enough we didn't lose our sense of humour--just 3 pairs of mud covered shoes in the end!
But the piece de resistance was the time Chris and I went for a muchly needed grocery shopping trip, and then got home, and parked our vehicles at the motel. It was fortunate that Chris had, at one stage before all of this flooding, had his wheelbarrow in the back of his Toyota Hilux, which is what he had been driving. The water had subsided a bit, so I put on my always damp pink leather shoes, and started the tredge up the driveway carrying what I could. But Chris, who never says never, put the remainder of the groceries in the wheelbarrow, and walked that heavy monstrosity up the hill. I couldn't believe it!
It was frustrating to see him struggle with it, but sort of funny at the same time! We had supplies again! In a way it was like--"OK, Mother Nature! Do your most frustrating worse--we can take you!"
Our story is nothing compared to the horrible flood conditions that then resulted in a massive clean-up for those who really experienced the damage. But due to what we went through for over 2-3 weeks, it was a bit of an indication.
I am so happy now that in our new home, our very steep driveway is paved, and I don't have to look at gravel again!
So, it may rain here, but so far it has just brought more green growth and a very tropical looking place to live in--except for Chris who has to mow it all!!
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Note: I am happy to report that the flood levels in Rockhampton although high, did not cause extensive damage to any homes this year--Yay!
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