[Vision2020] Australia Floods: Premier Anna Bligh: "the worst natural disaster in its history." Accelerating Hydrological Cycle From Anthropogenic Climate Warming

[Ted Moffett]

*While linking directly any one short term local weather event to
anthropogenic climate warming is questionable, an increase in the global
frequency of such events can be linked to global warming.  That the Earth's
hydrological cycle is accelerating due to anthropogenic climate warming
(read about massive ongoing Australia floods lower down) is supported by
scientific research, as indicated from the NASA source below:*
**
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/water20101004.html
**
NASA Study Sees Earth's Water Cycle Pulse Quickening
**
Famiglietti said the evaporation and precipitation cycle taught in grade
school is accelerating dangerously because of higher temperatures fueled by
greenhouse gases. Hotter weather above the ocean causes freshwater to
evaporate faster, which leads to thicker clouds unleashing more powerful
storms over land. The resulting rainfall then travels via rivers to the sea
in ever-larger amounts, and the cycle begins again.
*----------------------*
*More on the peer reviewed published study from the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, mentioned above:*
**
http://today.uci.edu/news/2010/10/nr_oceans_101004.php
 First-of-its-kind study finds alarming increase in flow of water into
oceans UCI-led team cites global warming, accelerated cycle of evaporation,
precipitation as factors

— Irvine, Calif., October 04, 2010 —

---------------------
*http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12179213*
**
*13 January 2011* Last updated at 05:26 ET
Queensland rebuilding 'huge task'

The Australian state of Queensland is facing a reconstruction task of
"post-war proportions", as floods left swathes of it under water.

State Premier Anna Bligh said the state was reeling from the worst natural
disaster in its history.

Powerful flood waters have surged through the state capital, Brisbane,
leaving thousands of homes submerged.

The floods peaked at a lower level than expected but more than 30 suburbs
are under water.

Huge amounts of debris - cars, boats and jetties - have been floating
downstream, some smashing into bridges.

One man died when he was sucked into a storm drain and two more deaths
elsewhere were reported by Australian broadcaster ABC, bringing the toll
from this week's flooding to 15, with dozens more missing.

The Brisbane River is now receding and was expected to fall to around 3.2m
by early on Friday.

It peaked at 4.46m (14.6ft) just before 0530 (1930 GMT Wednesday), short of
the 5.4m (17.7ft) in the 1974 floods.

West of Brisbane, the small town of Goondiwindi is on high alert, with fears
the flooding Macintyre River could swamp the town.

Police are continuing to search areas of the Lockyer Valley for those
missing after a torrent of water swept through the area on Monday.

"Queensland is reeling this morning from the worst natural disaster in our
history and possibly in the history of our nation," Ms Bligh told reporters.


"We've seen three-quarters of our state having experienced the devastation
of raging flood waters and we now face a reconstruction task of post-war
proportions."

In Brisbane, the worst-hit suburbs included Brisbane City, St Lucia, West
End, Rocklea and Graceville.

"There will be some people that will go into their homes that will find them
to be never habitable again," Ms Bligh said.

Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman said 11,900 homes and 2,500 businesses had
been completely flooded, with 14,700 houses and 2,500 businesses partially
submerged.

Milton resident Brenton Ward reached his home in the suburbs by rowing boat.


"We have water to the waist in the living room. We have to check the amount
of damage - probably (the) electricity has to be all rebuilt," he said.

Other residents said they felt lucky.

"I can handle this," said Lisa Sully, who had some flood damage to her home
in the suburb of Sherwood. "Mentally, I was prepared for worse."

Many supermarkets in the city have been stripped of supplies, while a number
of rubbish collections and bus services have halted. More than 100,000
properties had their power cut to reduce the risk of electrocution.

Where waters had receded in the city centre, sticky mud remained. Officials
said the clean-up could take months.

Brisbane airport survived the swell and remains open, with almost all
flights unaffected. However, passengers are advised to check before travel.
Public transport to the airport is severely limited.

Extra police have been brought in to patrol the city.

The man who died was a 24-year-old who had gone to check on his father's
property and was sucked into a storm drain.

The bodies of two victims of floods earlier this week were also found, one
in the Lockyer Valley and the other in Dalby, ABC said.

Sixty-one people are still missing, with police very concerned about 12
people in the Lockyer Valley not seen since their homes were destroyed by a
wall of water on Monday.

More rain caused by a cyclone off the Queensland coast is forecast for the
next two days.

The weeks of rain have been blamed on a La Nina weather pattern in the
Pacific.

------------------------------------------

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20110113/35cfbc6b/attachment.html