Floods

[shy]

Basements caved in.  Blocks evacuated because of gas leaks.  Two girls were struck by lighting.  A sink hole swallowed a SUV.  Roads became rivers.  Basements became full of water which then took up residency, several feet deep, on the main level of many homes & at least one school.  Major sewer problems (again).  Health dept closed beaches (again). Parts of freeways were closed.   The airport was closed.  

Tonight, my 19 yr old daughter was out canoeing in the rain with thunder & lighting approaching.  She just returned.  Now I can sleep.  I remember being her age.  She knows what I think.  I know how she feels.  

Thankful our house is warm, dry & now appropriately occupied.   Good night.
 
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Sinkhole Swallows an SUV in Flooded Milwaukee
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/milwaukee-sinkhole-swallows-driver-in-suv/19566080

. . . .  The earth under the SUV gave way Thursday evening amid severe storms that dumped as much as eight inches of rain on the area in less than 24 hours . . . .

The torrential downpour flooded homes and streets, and forced General Mitchell International Airport to close until noon today . . . .  Two people were struck by lightning. . . .

[thirtyhz]

    Wrath of God stuff going on there.

Ya, it's getting serious now....

[shy]

     "The scale of Pakistan’s flood crisis is worse than the 2004 tsunami, senior UN sources said on Monday. An estimated 15 million people have now been affected. Some 1,600 have been killed. . . . "

more @  http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/09/pakistan-flood-crisis-worse-than-tsunami-says-un/

[slim2none]

Link is to a slideshow of the Queensland Australia flooding -

Both awesome and terrifying

Best wishes to the people of Australia - hang in there!   

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12154987   

[shy]

Queenslanders braced for 'catastrophic' cyclone
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12342031

by Nick Bryant, BBC News, Sydney
 
After the worst floods in the state's history, Queenslanders are being told to brace for the most catastrophic storm ever to hit their shores. . . .   predicted it would be a very frightening time, with 24 hours of terrifying winds, torrential rains, and the likely loss of electricity and mobile phones. Storm surges are expected to cause widespread flooding and wind gusts are likely to rip off roofs and cause significant structural damage.

Meteorologists have upgraded Cyclone Yasi to a category five storm, the most severe level. With winds of almost 300km/h (185mph), they are warning it poses an extremely serious threat to life and property, especially around the cities of Cairns and Townsville.

[slim2none]

Authorities are really pumping up the flood warnings/prep info hereabouts.  

Our western state has almost 4 times the water content in this winter's snowpack than in the previous year's.  April's temps were below average (there is no normal) by about 4 degrees which has prevented much meltoff so far.  Actually, rather than melting off, we have added to the snowpack with all this month's snowfall.

If the weather turns warm real sudden like, we're in for it.  

Other areas?