Extreme flash flooding in Australia

[MOBIUS]

Queensland often has catastrophic floods associated with strong La Nina events, the previous instance being 1974 where floods swept into Brisbane causing billions in damage. La Nina events have always happened and some are strong events. To say that this is the result of global warming is rediculous. Back in the 1890's reports of the time suggest flooding as bad or worse than on this occasion, waas that also the result of greenhouse gases and climate change?

It is being compared to 1974 and generally considered worse than that year. However it is suggested that 1893 was worse. The effects of the flood on Brisbane is extreme with the CBD totally shut down and generally flooded, and 40 000 residences expected to have water above floorboard height. But after 1974 several dams were built or increased in size for flood mitigation purposes and these dams HAVE reduced the impact of the current floods on Brisbane. It was thought that they could prevent all future severe flooding of Brisbane, but extreme rainfall does override the best of human effects.
Within the next 12 hours or so the flood will peak in Brisbane and remain at very high levels for 48 hours or so. The weather has improved significantly with sunshine and just a few showers here and there. Search and rescue crews are just now beginning 48 hours after the 'inland tsunami' to search the devastated towns for bodies and within the next 24 hours there is llikely to be a substantial lift in the death toll which is currently 12 with about 57 people listed as missing.

So, by your own admission, these floods are worse than the 1974 ones AND this is after all the dams and flood defences that were built to prevent this from happening again...?

What's your theory for why this has happened then?

Judging by your comments, you're a par for the course Aussie climate change denier. Australia is a backwards climate change denying country, of which QLD is the most climate change denying redneck state, of which Brisbane is the capital - seems like mother nature's aim is getting better when it comes to going after the people responsible for this mess...

[BlackCat]

MOBIUS, it's types like you that makes CAGW such a bad case. You take a single incident and claims "the end is near".

@trev: controlling water isn't easy - we know it too here in europe where floodings occationally makes trouble. Problem is that people like to live near rivers and use areas that normally take care of excess water.

Maybe you should build a pipeline that could send all that water south where they could use it.

Oh, and good luck to all caught in this.

[trev]

Maybe you should build a pipeline that could send all that water south where they could use it.

Plenty of floods and full dams down south as well, maybe 4000kms to the southwest, but they could go 2000km to the northwest to get plenty if they really wanted to.

[trev]

Death toll officially rises to 16, with 50 still missing. Searchers have been methodically searching the devastated river valley for several days now in mostly fine weather. As one body was found 80km (50miles) from where the person went missing, there are very high odds that many of these 50 will never be found, a terrible outcome for the families concerned.
Major flooding rains have now moved 2000kms south with many houses inundated in Victoria and a number of towns totally evacuated, serious flooding also has moved to the southern island state of tasmania with evacuations as well.

[Docfeelgood]

Somebody needs to hurry and build an ark.

seriously, I feel for you all, i have been there and know what a flood does to your life.

[Chemical Ollie]

Is this that wikileaks everone is talking about?

[Kitschum]

I had a weeleak just now you don't see me in the news