What damage was caused in the Queensland floods?

Answer 1

The effects of any flood - including the Queensland flood - were devastating.

The first effect was the loss of life. As of January 2011, 22 people were known to have died in the Queensland floods, and some were still missing.

The second effect was the loss of property. Not only did people lose their pets, their possessions, their homes, but many of these things were just irreplaceable, and their loss caused immense grief. The sight of one's own possessions and, in some cases, loved ones, being swept away by the flood is the stuff that continued nightmares are made of.

People lost their entire livelihoods. In Queensland, with thousands of farms and properties were completely submerged. 75% of Queensland was affected by flooding, and this meant people had lost the very way they make a living - farms, businesses, offices - everything.

Water supplies were affected. Many towns had their drinking water supply contaminated by flood waters. There was the very real fear of disease as water sat around for weeks while people wait for the waters to subside. People in the clean-up were contracting diseases and infections.

Huge amounts of debris and rubbish were carried down the river, and there were enormous environmental impacts on Moreton Bay, into which the Brisbane River empties. Animals and plants were badly affected.

There was a massive flow-on effect in the economy. Prices had to rise, especially food prices. Trade was affected, especially given that much of Queensland's primary industry was wiped out. Then there were the insurance claims and the cost of cleaning up afterwards. It is anticipated that the cost of the floods in Queensland will be in the billions of dollars.

One very positive effect was the way people banded together to help with the cleanup. Thousands of volunteers arrived to help total strangers clean up the mud and debris, or to help in other ways through donations. The way people worked together really restored everyone's faith in human nature.

A major positive effect from the Queensland floods was the renewal of the environment. Queensland has 2 basic flow paths - rain on the east side of the Great Dividing Range flows to the sea, while rain on the west side is gathered in a series of basins which flow into other states.

Much of Australia's former rich farming land has been devastated in recent decades by over grazing and placing unsustainable demands on inland water supplies. The flood washes silt downstream which covers floodplains and enriches salt ravaged country, the Great Artesian Basin is replenished, and the inland river systems are flushed of poisonous bacteria.

The Murray-Darling river system will receive the second flush in as many years. The Cooper Basin will be flushed all the way to Lake Eyre.

On the east side, the fresh water called "sweet water" is necessary for the ecology in mangrove areas. It promotes flora growth, and allows sea creatures to breed and thrive. Unfortunately, a regular flood event in the Fitzroy River in Queensland can take 75 days for the Keppel Bay to clean; and this long lasting flood will take much longer. But the long term effect will mean a bumper catch of prawns and reef fish in 2012.

Answer 2

Interesting facts about the Queensland floods in 2011 include:

• The floods covered 75% of the state
• Over 20 people were killed
• Toowoomba experienced its first flash flood, which then had ramifications for two different areas of the state - Brisbane/Ipswich and the southwestern rivers. The two flash floods in Toowoomba headed in different directions.
• Regarding the amount of damage, loss of property and the loss of life, the 2011 floods were the worst Queensland has ever experienced.

Answer 3

The floods that hit Queensland in December 2010 and January2011 affected 75% of the state. These floods affected cities such as Rockhampton and Emerald particularly hard, and caused mass evacuations across the state. Towns affected included St George, Mundubbera, Dalby, Theodore, Chinchilla, Gayndah, Condamine, Goondiwindi, Maryborough and Warwick, just to name a few. A cyclone system which crossed the coast south of Cairns brought flooding to that city at Christmas, and further flooding inland from Cairns.

What was described as an inland tsunami hit Toowoomba, at the top of the Great Dividing Range, sending a mass of water down the range to swamp the towns at the base. Helidon, Murphy's creek, Flagstone Creek, Gatton and Grantham were particularly hard hit. The water then made its way into Wivenhoe Dam, contributing to the dam reaching a capacity in excess of 190%. This meant a lot of water had to be released into the Brisbane River to prevent overflow of the dam. This in turn swamped Ipswich and Brisbane, leading to devastating floods in both those cities.

Answer 4

People involved in the Queensland floods included ordinary citizens across about 75% of the state, including tens of thousands of inhabitants of southeast Queensland, where the main cities are centred.

Rescuers included police, emergency services, SES, and defence forces.

Charity groups such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Lifeline and others helped out.

People in places that were not affected helped out by sorting and packing donations, or going up and helping clean out mud-infested houses and streets.

Answer 5

there were numerous damages caused by the floods; homes went underwater, people left homeless, people missing and many people died.