What's on my Mind: Queensland Flooding

Recently I took a trip to the east side of Australia, more specifically to the city of Brisbane in Queensland.  It was a disaster to say the least, right from the moment when our plane was delayed in taking my family and I.  However, the many misfortunes that my family and I experienced while on holiday (such as Dad losing his phone , my last pair of contact lenses ripping etc) does not even slightly compare to what the people of Queensland are going through right now.

Perhaps you have heard about the Flooding in Queensland, perhaps not... however for Australia, it has been classed as one of the worst natural disasters the nation has ever experienced.
   
For me, being there was something in life that I have never experienced.
  The weather was something else from the moment we stepped into the airport in Brisbane last week. The sky, a dark, thunderous grey should have been a sure sign that something awful was about to happen.  Each passing day, I would press my face to the window of my car to watch as the rivers continued to enlarge in height.  Being visitors to this state however, my family and I thought nothing of it, and continued to enjoy ourselves as best we could under the circumstances of the weather.

But waking up on the Tuesday of this week to find that a mini tsunami has ripped through the town of Toowoomba, killing a least 7 people, and destroying a number of homes...words cannot describe the feeling that overcomes you, knowing that you are only a small drive away from the area, and that you are now in a town that is isolated.  My family and I realised that we could not escape back to our home in Western Australia.
    So I cannot even imagine what the people of Toowoomba, and the rest of Queensland, who lost their houses, their possessions, the lives that they have built, or even a loved one, must be feeling right now.  The woman, whose young son was swept out of her arms by the floods as rescuers attempted to pull them safety, or the teenage boy who sacrificed his own life to save that of his younger brother.

Through a stroke of luck, the roads were re-opened to the airport yesterday morning, and my family and I were able to grab a flight at 8.30pm back to Western Australia, before the unfortunate timing of a King Tide overtook the city of Brisbane, leaving it submerged.  Now, sitting back in my living room, and are now like many of you who are watching the footage of the floods on your televisions, I am forever grateful to that stroke of luck that brought me back here. 

Throughout all of this hardship however, a special mention must go out to the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, who has led the people of Queensland through this unimaginable time.  Although appearing exhausted yet tireless, the state's leader held a press conference every two hours to keep Australia informed, stating, "this weather may be breaking our hearts, but it will not break our will."

The worst may be over for now, however the road of recovery for Queensland will be one that is long and tiresome, with the state being classed as "post-war recovery."
Donations to the victims of the Queensland may be made here: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html
They will be very much appreciated. 
Please also keep your thoughts with the 17 that have lost their lives, and the 70 that are still currently missing.

Having been apart of this natural disaster for a short amount of time, I know that the events that have occurred in Queensland will be ones that I will never forget, and my thoughts will forever be with those that suffered loss.