The 1996 Queensland Floods
Normal view from the Global Office... paradise on the banks of the Brisbane river.
Amongst the interesting email we have received following the release of these pages reporting on the flood has been this report from northern New Mexico
Subject: new mexico drought
X-URL: http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/photo/0605.html
hello again.
i wrote yesterday mostly to let you know your efforts were
read and appreciated. the seriousness of our drought locally seemed
more potential than current. then i left to pick up my son at his
friends and saw what appeared to be a giant puff of cloud behind the
mountain but was, in reality, smoke from a just then new fire. the fire
which had threatened los alamos nuclear lab last week is now
contained--it was about 1 hour from us and our 6 acre farm/apple
orchard. the new fire is in the carson forest near taos--30 or 40
minutes from us. from the time i first saw the smoke until 1:30am when
i was listening to the news, it had grown from a grass fire (started by
someone burning trash) to a raging forest fire consuming 9 miles of
forest per hour! people in several communities were evacuated (hundreds
of families with cattle, llamas, horses, cats and dogs). as of this am,
25 homes had been destroyed and the fire still raged on. a friend of a
friend escaped with her llamas, cats and dogs down the mountain on foot,
the fire claiming their home, craft business and laser printing
business. those of us who work from home have a double threat from
disasters such as flood and fire. well, we in our town are gathering
clothes, etc. to send them--i guess it will help some. wishing clear
skies for your family and gentle, nurturing rains for us...
camille.
The Brisbane river has now dropped and the weir has once again opened. Thank you, wherever you might be for your prayers and thoughts.
Signing off now from Karana Downs.
Scott Balson
Return to the great flood of 1996