This time last week, the magnitude of the rain that had fallen in Western Victoria over the previous four and a half days was just beginning to be understood. Who would have thought that a week later, that the effects of massive rains in victoria would be expected to linger for another week, or more. At the moment, in places like Horsham, according to my Dad, you can hardly tell that there was a flood at historically high levels, just a few days ago.
Once the water goes down, the external visible effects diminish, but inside houses which have been inundated, carpets have had to be removed, plaster has started disintegrating, the panelling in cupboards in kitchens and laundries starts to swell and electrical equipment is unsafe to use.
Then, looking elsewhere, roads have pot holes that weren’t there before. In some places, sheets of bitumen have lifted off their foundations and moved many metres. Roads and bridges will have to be either partially or all rebuilt. Levee banks built during the height of the emergency will have to be deconstructed, after all a once in two hundred year flood doesn’t happen every day. Spare a thought for the towns who have been affected, but where television cameras did not go. No footage, therefore no story, at least according to the media.
Thankfully, loss of life has been kept to two in Victoria.Two too many, though.
When I think about the topography of the areas that have been flooded, especially where I grew up, it seems quite believable that there have been massive floods before. The recorded history of Australia is so short, that we just haven’t been around long enough to experience them.
