Real Life Stuff - Floods March 2022

[Original Draft 2022-03-03]

Ok, we have (so far) a replay of environmental events from last year.

This time around there appears to be flooding in a far wider area, so lots of bleating from the other compass points around Sydney compared to last year.   Lismore copped it again poor blighters.

The waters were rising on the sports fields again yesterday when i did a late afternoon drive by, and I was informed that the waters had reached the bottom of our street this evening.

So far we still have power.

Unless things rise really quick we may still be ok, but there is a street light right on the corner near the fields that causes a couple of blocks to be taken off grid. So wait and see.

I think we might be without power for a day or two, just as a gut feel. I doubt the waters will rise further than they did last year,  i.e. I have no intention of leaving any time soon.

It doesn't feel like there was a much rain as last year. More specifically, last year it feel like day after day of heavy rain. This time, not so much.  But the results speak for themselves.

Haven't bothered with photos, the novelty of it wore thin last year, and now it's just another in a series of shitty events.

At least it's stopped everyone obsessing about the plague, and has even diverted some attention from the new war.

Trying times, but we're personally grateful to be high, dry, warm and not being bombed.

[Update 2022-03-04]

Went for a short walk this morning just to check things out. Was little rain overnight, brief showers this morning.

So there's blue sky beneath the thin remaining cloud, aka the cloud isn't very thick everywhere. Note, sandbags, optimistic for the water to go that high but everyone seems to be going all out this time around. *

So some of the roads around the suburb are cut off, though the water would probably be about knee high here. Enough to warrant not driving through it for the sake of it.

A quick mud map.  We still have, power so the water hasn't risen up to the problematic streetlight yet.

Will it?   [shrug] wait and see.

More rain might come, there's probably plenty of run-off to raise it higher before it recedes.

Again, not as high as last year, and there are lower areas in the region affected far more than we are here.  Haven't bothered stowing anything upstairs even.

* Last year (2021) the floods were an unknown for pretty much everyone here, given many/most residences have changed owners since any kind of equivalent historical event. It was more suspenseful last year.

There seems to be a lot more legacy media coverage this year and they're clearly throwing in all the fiery panic language they can fit into their relentless sound bytes.   We get that the situation is potentially dangerous, but rather than having the population shit themselves in fear, how about posting statements like "keep your eyes open and remain calm," or "if you see a dangerous situation then react cautiously, don't be reckless,"  rather than "if the 'news' whips you into a frenzy start evacuating immediately."

Yes, there are areas that are affected and that are flooded. But if there's no immediate danger than carry on as normally rather than adding to the strain on roads and resources by immediately fleeing like there's a tsunami chasing you.    It feels like everyone just bunkered down as soon as the rain started in response to a situation that might happen (again)... i believe because of the panic being propagated by the media.  Even reports like "Camden is being evacuated"... what? all of camden? it's a big area, is all of the suburb and surrounding being evacuated? no. a few streets might be. The word, 'disinformation' seems to apply so readily to the media - but this is nothing new.

Getting political, but if everyone just treated the situation calmly and clearly then shit works out that much better, no.  Or is common sense and the ability to make logical, informed, responsible, adult decisions too much to ask of people now days?  The government has a lot to answer for moulding the population in docile puppets that can't make their own choices.

end rant

[Update 2022-03-05]

Rumour has is that 'that corner' is now dry again, so cars can drive through, and the streetlight is safe. There haven't been any showers locally this morning or, i think, last night, though storms are predicted for this evening.

bottom line: for now things are still stable, and were no where near as fraught as last year.

[Update 2022-03-07]

lots of rain over last couple of nights, including 2 nights ago a fairly strong storm that went for hours.

Banged together 3 pics from this morning. So water at the top of the fields. More rain since then.

Am sick of reporting the weather, and I'm sure you'd be sick of hearing about it. There are still people panicking about it, but you get that for everything now days. 

Unless we're actually floating away this conversation is over.

Until next time...