Carnarvon flood update
The level at the levee banks have reached a peak of 7.8 meters and are expected to drop slowly before rising again when all the backlog of water changes direction and starts to flow out again so fingers crossed.
Nearly everyone on the north bank of the river have been evacuated plus 30 odd people from Gassy junction and surrounding stations. Burrangar aboriginal settlement is cut off but has supplies for at least 3 weeks.
A road train load of tucker bound for Broome that was stuck here has been accessed to supply the emergency relief centres and remote communities.
The road south is expected to be closed for at least 6-7 days after the water drops, the north road will have less damage and will be opened as soon as water levels allow here and at Minillya where it is flooded as well.
If you really have to drive to Exmouth you can take the inland route Great Northern Highway and come in via Burkett road from Karratha.
The caravan park where my bus is parked is about 8-9 feet deep so its all gone, but it is only metal and rubber and can be replaced along with the contents.My nissan is stranded at the Shell servo after a mix up with one of the other groups so one is using mums car and minus wallet and essential keys etc so I hope someone walks past it and moves it if the river rises any more or it will swim as well We are all ok so thats all that matters.
ABC radio is giving a top coverage and giving interviews of towns people on the situation, so far I have avoided them but no doubt they will catch me up in time.
Thanks for all the support Cheers John Nelson
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Red Sea
I put the report in from Sea Rescue base and looking out to sea as far as the eye can see it is a reddy brown colour and taking a closer look through the telescope you can see logs, trees water melons tomatoes and mangos floating , definitely not a lovely sight.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
We really
feel for all concerned John. Good luck after the water drops and lets hope there isn't too much damage.
uncle
Posts: 9474
Date Joined: 10/02/07
bad news
bad news and timing for a lot of people, wont be to much holiday spirit left I would imagine, how many travellers are stuck there, hope everyone has a good Xmas and new year
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Lucky I bought 10 cartons of
Lucky I bought 10 cartons of beer last week incase the cyclone came to us in Karratha!!!
When is our next beer shipment gonna get through to Karratha??
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Beer supply
In one way I was lucky because a couple of weeks back I bought 8 blocks of my beer when it was on as a super special and word is getting out that some of the bottle shops are getting close to running out. So Ive got plenty untill the roads are fixed and road trains can get through.
Got to take a tractor ride through as far as the BP Palms roadhouse and took a heap of pics of the damage and there is a lot of that. Saw one of the up turned flood boats that went that went over yesterday. All the stock from the Caltex is floating down the road. Fences and crop nets are flattened along with banana plantations, mango trees uprooted, water still streaming down the road at a guess 4-5 knots. Big sections of bitumen ripped up, the road crews are going to be very busy for a long time and thats only on the little bit that I saw let alone the New Sydney drive that has whole sections missing about 5-6 foot deep and 40-50 feet wide.
Got to wade in and have a look at my place, luckily it was only 6inches deep in the bus and might not have damaged the fridge or new freezer but in the downstairs annex everything is ruined, 4 chests of drawers, another freezer, bed base, wardrobe, carpet and vinyl floor covering and according to son Robby, most of his collection of Simpsons memorabilia , hundreds of dollars worth!! The good bits is that ALL the rods and reels are still there and haven't even been swimming, can't say that for the tackle boxes, one is missing and the other two are full of red mud, another job tomorrow.
Markie
Posts: 2149
Date Joined: 06/08/10
carnarvonite all the best,
carnarvonite all the best, you guys are doin it tough. its must be devistatinggg
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Mud, mud and more mud
Evewery where you look now that its dropping is mud, red mud and down the beach its red sea with watermelons, capsicums,tomatos and mangos floating .
Son has some pics of the red sea 17nm out and the lookouts have to be on the ball with logs and other debris floating that far out.
Man Overboard
Posts: 957
Date Joined: 16/01/10
Keep your head up John, let's
Keep your head up John, let's hope this next low misses you blokes completely.
Hope you are in good accomodation
Markie
Posts: 2149
Date Joined: 06/08/10
thats crazyy, i could never
thats crazyy, i could never imagine bein in such a situation.
pale ale
Posts: 1755
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Good luck with the clean up
Good luck with the clean up mate, my missus went shopping and we have heaps of beer now
fishintruckie
Posts: 198
Date Joined: 22/07/08
Mate unless there is more
Mate unless there is more rain and they close the inland road Ktown wont run out of beer or anything else for that matter. For those of you using the inland road to get to Ktown or Exmouth please be careful, there is an unusually high amount of wildlife and cattle wandering around on the road along with over twice the amount of roadtrains and oversize loads.
Carnarvonite, sorry to hear about your home on wheels mate.
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
well im sorry to hear about your gear
but hey atleast the fishing gears still good!!!! maybe theres a couple of really good sponsors on this site that may help you out with some tackle???????????????? come on guys help a fellow fishin buddy whos had a hard time
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18026
Date Joined: 11/03/08
good to hear not all is lost
good to hear not all is lost mate. a strong bugger like you will bounce right back. does your insurance cover flood damage ? . i know there are lots of policies that dont.. one thing you havnt mentioned tho, is the boat safe
. good luck with the rebuild and sorting the stuff out. knowing you , you will be out there helping others as well
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Insurance cover
You cannot get flood insurance for the Carnarvon area because of its history of floodings. All others yes, floods no way.This is the second one in two years and as they say ,the worst in 50 years and if they didn't fix the break in the levee bank at 0300 on Monday morning as quickly as they did , the whole town would have been under water.
Hats off to the cartage contractors and council workers who worked tirelessly for days on end to build up and maintain the levee banks .The SES and other services need congratulations for their back up support and for the hardest part still to come with the restoration of services.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18026
Date Joined: 11/03/08
not good about the flood
not good about the flood insurance. hope you werent too badly hit with damages that you cant fix yourself. gotta feel sorry for many that dont have the funds to get back on track and hopefully the govt will come up with some $ to help out the needy .
Again, how is the boat. not that it will be used for a while now . the fishing will be shot for a while
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Deepwater Widow
Posts: 18
Date Joined: 21/02/10
Real Hero!!
Poppy you are a real hero that should be broadcast everywhere!!! You go out of your way to make sure others are safe and do not hesitate to help those in need even in times like this when you knew all your belongings would probably be gone...
You make us all so proud and i hope your grandsons turn out even half the man you are!! I will be a very happy mummy!!.
Deepwaters widow on the weekend til the youngest is old enough!!!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18026
Date Joined: 11/03/08
just seen a heap of footage
just seen a heap of footage on nine news. the place looks a mess. but as most aussies do everyone will bounce back and so will the town. good to see some are keeping their spirits high throughout the ordeal
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Lamby
Posts: 3145
Date Joined: 04/08/09
How's your beer supply
How's your beer supply holding up Canarvonite??
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Great!!!
Got 4 water soaked blocks still in the mobile home and a full one at the place where we are staying plus a heap of home made spirits.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
All good
Got my wheels back this afternoon complete with wallet still in the console. Had to shake the hands of about 5-6 local who took it apon themselves to move it 3-4 times as the river rose and keep ane eye on it untill I could get there to collect it.
They are evacuating all the residents from Gassy Junction to Cvon because the water supply has failed and its not known when they can fix it. Looks like their pub might have served its last beer after seeing pics of the inside of the bar with water stains on the ceiling and 5 inches of mud on everything..
Carnarvon is slowly having sections opened up to residents as the levels drop, today it was the Caltex and Shell servos, even though there is knee deep water out front on the road.
The lowest of the low have come out of hiding with a few reports of looting, I hope the coppers catch him before a lot of the locals do otherwise there will be GBH charges laid for the damage to them /him.
uncle
Posts: 9474
Date Joined: 10/02/07
arseholes
there is always some arseholes who will take advantage of peoples mis fortune, bugger about the junction, spent xmas there in 1968 as a young tacker, its going to be hard for alot of folk with no insurance,all the best to all
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Bad situation for you in Carnarvon John.
I hope the government comes good with Disaster and property damage funds ASAP.
CAPTAIN BERNIE
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 09/01/08
Best of luck to all in
Best of luck to all in Carnarvon, we are all thinking of you, from up the road. Would love to but cant get down to assist with clean up, so close but so far. The good thing is no lives have been lost. Take care and hope you have as good a christmas as can be had under the circumstances. Coral Bay is thinking of you all.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
hate to say this folks, but
hate to say this folks, but you could be back in a whole world of wet soon!
http://wxmaps.org/pix/aus.144hr.html
thei site is showing a strong formation of a tropical low / monsoon cell north of Exmouth by tuesday next week! May not make cyclone rating, but has a huge amount of water vapour stored in it byt then.
good luck and maybe plant some rice crops this time...
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
wazzbat
Posts: 977
Date Joined: 19/01/10
Best of luck with the clean
Best of luck with the clean up Carnarvonite. Going by the pictures on TV, looks like it might take a while. One good thing to come out of this disaster is, you get to see the good side of most people as everyone chips in and helps eachother out. Unfortunately you will still get the scum of the earth who will be taking advantage of the situation. I hope those scum drown in the flood!!!
I fish for the future - Cause I can't bloody catch anything!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Drying out
We are slowly drying out, got to work stripping out the carpets, chests of drawers, wardrobe, 2 freezers and a washing machine all in a big heap waiying for a truck to remove it.
Once it dries out some more its under the bus and get to work on the engine, gearbox and diff plus the gen set had water coming out the filler cap so it might be gone as well.
They opened the road through to Minilya for truck convoys bringing food in this morning and possibly 4x4s this afternoon but only in daylight hours. There is still 4-500mm running over the road in the floodways.
Have no info on how much damage the road south has copped but wouldn't expect it to be re opened inside a week. So is you have Exmouth bookings take the long inland drive rather than the chance it will be open.
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Sitrep
The road north to Minilya is open to emergency vehicles and road trains coming in but not to ordinary travellers yet.
The 6 mile south of Carnarvon has had a 200 metre strech washed away and another 300 further south plus a fair bit of damage towards Wooramel and it will be new year before it will re open with 1-1.5 vehicle wide side tracks passing the worst bits and then only in daylight hours so not much joy for those doing the run to Coral Bay and Exmouth
Called for volunteers to empty two freezers and a fridge this morning, no takers, wonder why not the weak bastards, after all its only tenderised fish and meat turning to grey/ green soup. Wasn't too bad, only had me dry retching for 20 minutes while I did the hardest parts[or should I say softest parts]
Anyway all good and we've been busy setting up for a sundowner at sea rescue for tonight with all the visiting SES, coppers and others invited so looking forward to unwinding.
Good wishes to all members and visitors for the festive season.
PilbaraBrad
Posts: 3628
Date Joined: 16/05/07
all the best down there
all the best down there mate. Hopefully you guys still have a good chrissy and I hope things get sorted out for you all soon!
scottland
Posts: 3038
Date Joined: 10/05/10
hey carnarvonite
i just got out of there we were stuck in minilya for 25 hours and had no idea how bad carnarvon was ended up spending 5 days in carnarvon at the fascine lodge. i dont know if its beacuse they needed the tourists out but they let us out(and many others) through the north river road then onto north west coastal.
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Wishing you all the best and
Wishing you all the best and have you in our thoughts this Christmas.
Beenthere
Posts: 1
Date Joined: 08/01/11
Ive been flooded too
To the pastrolists and growers I wish you a quick recovery from the recent floods.
A quick comment about some articles that have appeared in The West Australian.
1) I dont believe that the taxpayer is responsible for damage done in the floods, especially when some growers have of their own doing filled natural waterways with topsoil with little regard to their neighbours. Once again the river has reverted back to its natural course.
2) If compensation is given it should be in the form of property lost (washing machines fridges etc) not in CASH. We dont want to see our money being spent at the TAB.
3) As harsh as it sounds the growers operate their business operations on a river delta and as such there will be times when floods will occur.
4) The govt encourages primary producers to save money for times like these via Farm Deposits. These business operators must save for bad seasons.
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
Articles
I am not that up to speed on the articles that you refer to but for someone who has been a member here for a day you seem to show very little simpathy for fellow members. Equally suprising is your inuendo that we all spend the majority of our hard earned cash at the TAB. We are talking about people who have chosen to risk a lot in quite harsh conditions.
Agriculture is something we rely on to sustain ourselves. I have spent a lot of my time in the bush and it is a really tough life and communities only realy survive through resilience. A few bucks of cash doesn't really mean jack-shit when it comes down to re-establishing a business that will probably take 12 months to see any form of return. The handouts pouted in the media are IMO only there to make the pollies look good. A natural disaster is a great way for polititians to cash in on media coverage etc.
Like all situations we should live and learn and do things to make the community less prone to such disasters. This takes money and will not necessarily provide a fool-proof solution but it should help.
The sooner things get back to normal up there the better for everyone. Whatever it takes to achieve that is OK with me given sound management of the rebuilding process.
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
mate I know where you coming
mate I know where you coming from. Having a family firmly entrenched in farming and agric way of life, few people know the exstent of the havoc nature and man plays on farming these days.
Hope the guys on the land and around the towns recover soon, cause no farms = no meals!
good luck and hang in there guys.
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Beenthere
Old fart and I were talking about that (Number 4) last night, If you know you live in a flood area, why don't people (includes growers) put away for future floods.
No 2 totally agree on that as well, white goods/TV's/computers etc Vouchers for clothing and personnel effects.
Ginger Tablets Rock
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Flood
1] Over the years pollies on both sides of the fence have promised a flood mitigation set of levees to divert ia flood south of town but as usual it doesn't happen with each side blaming the other for getting it wrong. As for the farmers doing their own thing , dream on, have you had a good look at the plantations, they are all on flat land on both sides of the river and when the river floods it spreads out over the flats behind the growers and once the level drops back it comes. With this flood it was something like 15 MILES wide, not just a couple of Ks.
2] The Dept of Child Protection is running the compensation fund and does an assessment on each claim and for you to say they should replace like with like, how do you do it when in a lot of cases the original is somewhere out to sea, I had a chest freezer float off and found it some 400 metres away and luckily it still works but for how long is another story. For furniture how can you replace something built from chipboard with the same thing when it is in a mangled heap out the front of your house waiting to be picked up and dumped.
To say it will be spent in the pub or Tab is a slight on the person involved, suggesting everyone is a gambling pisshead who cannot resist the temptation of a few dollars in the pocket to get on the piss instead of buying a replacement item
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15644
Date Joined: 29/11/05
m
What angers me is that the QLD flood victims get $10,000 more than the W.A victims which to me just isn't right. Both are in a dire state and need assistance, why one should get more than the other for a similar situation angers me.
Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance
fishy fingers
Posts: 1719
Date Joined: 28/04/07
Having said that Adam
The federal government give what the state government ask for so it's the wa government to blame
for the difference in compensation
uncle
Posts: 9474
Date Joined: 10/02/07
15000k
the wa gov. asked for the maximum available and were told 15k, all sorted now 25k
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Brucesta
Posts: 1721
Date Joined: 29/05/09
I past through the area on
I past through the area on friday and everyone has done very well to get back on there feet so quick, everyone seemed positive and it was great to hear not all the crops where lost, there sure has been some water through the mid west, the gascoyne and the pilbara, i have travelled both roads of christmas and the inland road was a sea and we where lucky to get a 18 hour window that we took to get from Karratha to Perth before it shut again and left for coral bay without an open road to travel on either but got lucky with both closed roads open 2 hours before we passed through. Great job done by all rescue crews and workers to save what they could and return some sort of normality to life.
Bad news is there is another low heading to the coast this week, probably cyclone strength this time too, everything is wet so if we get a cat 3 crossing near population centres we are goning to see plently of damage, fingers crossed we don't.
Las Vegas - Rolling the dice and trying your luck. 1M+ Barra summer target. 100kg Black Marlin winter target
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
Toowoomba Flood 2011.01.10
Toowoomba Flood 2011.01.10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY&feature=player_embedded
watching this clip from Toowoomba yesterday and this morning, it shows how bloody fast it rose and the power of the surge coming down that little creek!!!
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
Good grieve Tony
that was frightening to watch feel for the people in Qld also
Ginger Tablets Rock
Leemo
Posts: 3712
Date Joined: 22/02/07
Wivenhoe dam is currently
Wivenhoe dam is currently 173% capacity!
bludgin' since 94'
Leemo
Posts: 3712
Date Joined: 22/02/07
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=-26.784818281741096~152.96827574171027&lvl=7&dir=0&sty=r&cid=B45BE63DA52D0EDA!196
shows were the flood are!
bludgin' since 94'
marble
Posts: 775
Date Joined: 03/09/09
We got a bit of rain here
We got a bit of rain here last night. The radar looked like you might get some down there too?? Not too much if any i hope...
PMY 25 Centre Console DF300 Suzuki
carnarvonite
Posts: 8667
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Skyworks
Had a good thunderstorm lasting for hours with the whole sky lighting up and a rain squall around midnight with the wind cranking up and then dropping off just as quickly folowed by the rain. Finished up with 4-5mm, just enough to turn the dust back in to lovely slippery red mud.
scottland
Posts: 3038
Date Joined: 10/05/10
we had rain
down here in perth. in gosnells we had like 20 drops. everything is still dusty though haha.
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers