Right in the middle of 'once in a decade storm' here in Maitland, NSW. The elderly lady in the car that was washed off the road that is 2 km from where we are... travel that road often and the creek at normal times is about a small stream under the road ... we are also in the middle of bogan land ... people driving large 4wd machines far too fast for the conditions, uncaring to fellow road users, many of the road traffic signals were out so one would think careful negotiation was to be practiced .. how wrong was I! Had a close call with a 4wd cutting across a busy intersection ... then on same day stopped at a 'STOP' sign 'bang' ... a dark grey new ..wait for it .. 4wd rammed me behind...ouch. Car insurance will cover that and no personal damage... the kid driver went very quiet when I began recording the damage with a SONY actioncam.
The winds were 'GUSTY' and powerful enough to split trees that did not get blown over. Water swelled over roads very quickly in low areas ... in quite a few cases washing away the road surface underneath. The SES (volunteer guys and gals State Emergency Service) are quite vocally mad about having to pull 'nut behind the wheel' motorists out of places they should not have been in. For example, I travel a road that dips under a rail crossing quite sharply, and EVERY heavy rain floods this EVERY time ... the dip is about 50 metres long from start to end, 3 ..yes three drivers drove their cars into this while flooded! Those cars are still there.
One lesson I learned will pass on .. two close relos had mains powered automatic garage roller doors ... on the first night the sparks went away due to powerlines giving way to large trees. then the aerial flood began and one of the garages with a stuck roller door began filling with water, I went across to try and open it -no way could I budge that door ... the cable mechanical release released my soggy anger and that's all, managed to lever the door 50mm up so water could escape.
The 'herculean' breeze bent a steel panel colourbond fence gate,(actually tore the mild steel frame open!) ripped another's post off the dynabolt mounts in brickwork. I am a lightweight and that 1200x1800mm gate made valid threats to catapult me as a windsurfer once I had unbolted the remaining holding bolts.
Trampolines have a reputation for being very neighbourly.. fence hopping one neighbour called it... many socializing tramp-poling's.
After seeing some of the road surface once the water drained away I am decidedly nervous even thinking of riding my Norge thru water over the road...
the last storm I rode thru a section covered by water to see later the manhole cover had gone walkabout leaving entry to hell open for a unsuspecting rider...shiver!..this manhole was 20 metres away from a trafficlight right in the middle of the lane..imagine putting your foot down ...down...where's he gone?
The wind blew leave and small twigs in great quantity into my roof gutters ... have to clean that up.
The Utility people are doing a fantastic job ...again ... getting power back to homes asap, still there are pockets where its 3 days with no power for some one block away from others who had power all along... many freezers being emptied.... 1 km out of Maitland and many well stocked grocery stores there are homes/people running out of food surrounded by flood water .. a food/fresh water drop is under way... the area around here is undulating flat low lying land that in a 1955 flood washed away many buildings and damaged almost all others, since then a levee and flood water management measures have been built .. well I can see the river alongside Maitland edging within 1.5metres of the levee top protecting the town of Lorn .. across the river from Maitland... levee was built to handle a 'once in a 100 years flood' .. I am not that optimistic since the 2007 flooding that is comparable to this one.
The surrounding area has seen many new 'estates' developed with trees cut down and concrete laid ... I believe all this creates more flood downstream...a year or so back Maitland was the fastest growing population in NSW with corresponding building boom.
Very hardy folks here so recovery will be quick... schools had to close (thankfully) as would be mad sending school buses of kids back and forth... one school bus (empty) actually drove into a powerpole which the driver was desperately trying to avoid.. driver 0 breeze 1. There is a photo somewhere on the web.
Thanks for your thoughts ... looking forward to some sunshine and the Norge again.
