Houses were destroyed and swept away with people in them, cars were swept away. This happened yesterday afternoon Australian time.
Eight people are confirmed dead, four are children but warnings abound that the death toll will increase rapidly as the Premier reports, whole families are missing.
All this happened in a matter of minutes. An eight foot high wall of water came out of nowhere and destroyed at least two towns in Queensland and is on its way to lower lying towns before hitting Brisbane.
People had to sleep out on their roofs after the floods ravished their yards and houses. Rescue was called off for the night because visability was very low and it was too dangerous to fly.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/...
Premier Anna Bligh says the major centres of concern today are Toowoomba, Murphys Creek, Helidon, Grantham, Gatton, Glenore Grove and other places downstream.
The SES ( State Emergency Services) says it received 4,500 calls for assistance from Toowoomba where flash flooding likened to an inland tsunami washed away cars and houses.
Long-serving Toowoomba regional councillor Joe Ramia says he has never seen anything like it.
"It was almost like a movie scene - I went to a car park, it's a council car park - and we had cars stacked on top of each other," he said.
"Those cars, the only way they could get up there would be to float up... you know float one car on top of another car."
http://www.abc.net.au/...
Video footage shows vehicles, some with drivers still trapped inside, being swept away and thrown into the sides of other cars and caught up in trees.
Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said lives were under threat because there "was no warning"
More bad weather has severely hampered rescue efforts this morning in Australia with residents saying that the rain pouring down is comparable to yesterdays downpour which lead to the flash floods.
http://www.smh.com.au/...
The bad weather is expected to continue for another five days in some areas and the raging rivers are now headed toward the towns near and the city of Brisbane itself. At least two of the dead are young children.
Update:
Per ABC News Australia Police have issued a flash flood alert for Forrest Hill, West of Brisbane. Biggest floods since 1974 will hit Brisbane in the next two days. Police are urging residents in Brisbane's West End to move to higher ground
URGENT UPDATE:
Far earlier than expected the flood waters are approaching Brisbane. Residents in outlying areas of Brisbane are being urged to immediatly evacuate to higher ground
Update:
Brisbane River has broken its banks, per abc australia.
Update:
Floodwaters are moving into West End in the heart of Brisbane, with a number of buildings in the city's CBD also being evacuated.
Several Queensland government departments have ordered workers to go home, and there have also been reports of buildings being evacuated in Fortitude Valley.
Public service employees in Brisbane have been granted special leave to return home if they have concern about their properties.
http://www.smh.com.au/...
Flood disaster live stream via Channel Nine.
Update:
Evacuations being ordered in Brisbane. Reports that five more bodies have been found which would bring the death toll to 15 and expected to rise much higher. Brisbane's central business district is being evacuated.