After the Flood

This is the view from the bridge on the way to the underpass that goes to campus, after the rain.

Yes there has been a good amount of Meteorological activity in Queensland during the past months. Most of the flooding has occurred in the southern portion of the state, but thanks for those of you who were concerned about my well being none the less.

The last 2 1/2 to 3 weeks have been nothing but constant rain.
This was due to a tropical low (depression) hanging out on the other side of Cape York.
Of course the result has been swollen creeks, mud, and a vitamin D deficiency. Not to mention horrible siltation and erosion from the on campus construction sites, so much for best management practices.

Last Monday (20/3/12) the rain took a decidedly nasty turn. It was pouring more then usual and was accompanied by wind, (if you are from Wyoming it would be considered a gentle breeze). The water table was seeping up through the ground in the courtyard and the creeks through and around campus almost exceeded their high-banks capacity.
Parts of the highway connecting Smithfield to Cairns was flooded and classes were cancelled or delayed.
Cairns/Smithfield did not get the worst of it. I do not believe that any of our buildings flooded, and life resumed as usual.
The Townsville campus however, had wind damage and flooded buildings. Townsville is also in a much more urbanized area resulting in less permeable surfaces for the rain to enter the ground.

These are some pictures I took Tuesday after the big storm.

 This is the first side of the underpass on the way to campus. The vegetation clinging to the fence shows how high the water got. The missing piece of fence was torn a way by a large piece of debris, like a log or tree, or another piece of fence.

 This is the other side (campus side) of the underpass.
The vegetation and mud show how high the water got. There are two pieces of fencing missing, and three dislocated or on the ground.
















 This tree, which has become stuck in the underpass , it probably what tore the fencing out on its way through.