This is my hometown. I grew up in Brisbane, went to school there, my parents still live there, and now the whole city is flooded 
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you will have seen the disaster zone in SE Queensland – mainly Toowoomba and Brisbane – where heavy rainfall has resulted in flash flooding and even more scarily, a dam on the brink of bursting (which would mean more water in the already overloaded Brisbane River).
My parents live on hill so they won’t be flooded (well, if they are, then all of Brisbane would be totally gone so…) but the reality that my parents are affected hit home this morning when I got an email from my mum saying that last night when she went to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, everything was gone. There’s no milk, no bread, no fruit and vegies, NOTHING. Everyone in town have hit survival mode and are stocking up for the worst, because believe it or not, the worst may still be coming.
Mum managed to grab some canned goods and thank god for being Chinese, we have a spare fridge stocked full of food (right? Chinese people always have a spare fridge in the garage or laundry room, right?!) so hopefully they will be ok.
In terms of Brisbane as a whole, the situation has been declared a national disaster. Communities whose homes had been swept away by flood waters were initially housed in Suncorp Stadium, but that too is now submerged
Along Brisbane River and Kangaroo Point, a great night spot in Brisbane, restaurants have been literally washed away, pulled down by power cables collapsed by the floods. I want to say that the loss of these businesses are a tragedy, and they are, but there is nothing more tragic than the people who have lost their homes. Queenslander homes in particular are the worst hit, as they are light timber homes built on stilts, so easily washed away.
Anyway. There’s nothing we can do to stop the wrath of mother nature, but there is something we can do to help those in need. The Queensland Government have set up a flood appeal so that everyone across the globe can chip in and help. I know you may not know anyone affected but every little bit counts. I’ve just donated AU$100.
Thanks in advance to any of my readers who can help. Love you guys!!
* images courtesy of brisbanetimes.com.au