Articles

Of droughts and flooding plains.

Sadly, one person has died in the NSW floods. Our hearts go out to the young man’s family.

The 25-year-old got trapped in his car at Glenorie, a place we know and love.

News reports say he was caught by suddenly rising flood waters on Cattai Ridge Road. We’re thinking of his family, both in Sydney and the far flung corner of the globe where his people hail from. We hope they can find consolation in their grief, that they will recover.

While we are very grateful that there has only been one fatality so far in the floods that have swept through NSW, even one death is too much.

We don’t know the circumstances of his death and will not make any assumptions. Early reports suggest the electrical system of his hired car failed, so we don’t want to suggest there was any error on his part.

Some parts of NSW are having a reprieve from the floods but more rain is expected, later today and on Friday. So it’s a moment to remind everyone to be extremely cautious. There have been many reports of waters rising incredibly rapidly, without warning, and many reports of people driving through floodwaters.

There are plenty of spots you can google to find out how to tackle that risky task. But stop. Now. Follow NSW Emergency Services advice which is: “Do not drive over water that is covering a road.” One reason is that the infrastructure below the road could easily slip and give way because of the pressure of the water. Another is that cars can lift surprisingly quickly and start to float – and then you have no control over where you will go.

For an explanation on why you shouldn’t drive through flood water, go to the NRMA’s article:

https://www.mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/driver-training-and-licences/resources/why-you-should-never-drive-through-flood-water

There are other losses besides life. Some people in NSW have suffered drought, bushfires, floods, Covid-19 restrictions, a mice plague, and then this – more floods. We salute you.

One of the good things that came out of our terrible bushfires last year is Resilience NSW.

Its website says its purpose is to make sure:

  • People are prepared and empowered to manage risk and supported to recover from disasters.
  • Local communities are enabled to manage delivery with the right support, in a local context.
  • Critical infrastructure providers and industry collaborate to minimise the risk of disruption and quickly resume social and economic activity.
  • NSW Government acts in a joined-up way to build resilience, flex to crises and minimise risk.

For further information on this, go to: https://www.nsw.gov.au/resilience-nsw#:~:text=Led%20by%20Commissioner%20Shane%20Fitzsimmons,from%20prevention%20through%20to%20recovery.

And if your sense of wellbeing is suffering because of the floods, or you are worried about how someone else is coping, please ring Lifeline on 13 11 14. Their website is at:

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/?gclid=CjwKCAjwxuuCBhATEiwAIIIz0SbPdnOAh7BMgp3C5McufeuoY1mEtGvV1PYOwdUkwLPcbJy7T3SOUxoC6Z8QAvD_BwE

And speaking of Lifeline, for the story of John Brogden, an Australian who moved from being overwhelmed by grief to resilience, to to:

Leave a Reply