World

Wild Video: Australia’s Raging Flood Waters Wash Away Parking Lot of Cars

So far, historic floods in Australia’s Queensland state have claimed 18 lives, eight of them taken in a tsunami-like flash flood that struck the city of Toowoomba Sunday afternoon. Without warning, the d of 90,000 was hit by raging torrents that washed away cars and houses.

Shocking new video captures the progressively rising waters and their devastating effects on a local parking lot:

After the rapids rushed through, eight were dead and another 72 were missing. The UK’s Guardian reports:

Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said there were “grave concerns” for at least 11 of the missing people.

“This has been a night of extraordinary events,” Bligh told reporters today. “We’ve seen acts of extreme bravery and courage from our emergency workers. We know they’re out on the front line desperately trying to begin their search and rescue efforts, and we know we have people stranded and people lost.”

Queensland has been in the grip of its worst flooding for more than two weeks, after tropical downpours across a vast area of the state covered an area the size of France and Germany combined. Entire towns have been swamped, more than 200,000 people affected, and coal and farming industries virtually shut down. Yesterday’s deaths took the death toll since late November to at least 18.

Comments (48)

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  • Dorkville
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 5:50pm

    @GETALONG – So, telling people to move their cars is called American exceptionalism? Perhaps there has never been a context to know that the waters would ever rise that high. It wasn’t safe to get in the cars and move them by the time they would have realized they were going to be swept away. Australia is an exceptional country full of exceptional people you jackass.

    Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 4:16pm

    I have never seen anything like this before in my life. I’m sitting here screaming at the guy who got in his car (& drove away) to run! I feel so sorry for all of the people who have lost loved ones. What a mess! But Australians seem to be strong willed & they will make it through this catastrophe. God bless them all!

    Report Post »  
  • Liberty7
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:43pm

    Amazing!

    Report Post »  
  • love the kids
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 12:21pm

    These floods are because of the hateful conservative speeches.

    Report Post »  
  • radioguru
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 10:35am

    The line I remember watching this video as the waters were rising “do you think we should move our cars”? YES

    Report Post »  
  • mendolover
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 8:23am

    Wow. Coolest video I’ve seen in a while. The dems would be trying to pass a law against unlawful gathering of muddy water if it was here!

    Report Post »  
  • cachick33
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 7:53am

    All this flooding is incredible…these people have lost everything, Many of them have lost everything they ever worked hard to accumulate throughout their lives. It‘s very easy to make crazy comments from the safety of your dry home with your big screen tv and computer that still works because it isn’t wet. Who bloody cares about the Sarah Palin comments on this page? A little compassion wouldn’t be out of order, but some of these comments are close to being totally crass and uncaring.

    I agree with Hoosier. I’m wondering where the spirit of purity and compassion has gone….wake up…this could easily be us and you know the Aussies would be truly concerned about our welfare. They’ve always stepped up. My prayers go out to them.

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  • heavyduty
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 6:46am

    There are disasters all over the world at any given moment. While this one was caught on video, I just have to wonder if they were taking bets on which car went next? It looked like to me that the water was getting really close to the building they were in. I think I would have been seeking a building farther away from the waters edge.

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  • jedi.kep
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 6:19am

    Wow! With the waters rushing up in a parking lot of a building I’m working in, maybe I could have had the decency to get everyone in the building to move their cars BEFORE they washed away? Crikey mate, a little bit of thought for others aye?

    Report Post » jedi.kep  
  • Andrew from Down Under
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 5:00am

    I’m way down south in Melbourne, so I’m way out of the danger zone here, but it is hard to watch my fellow compatriots go through such misery. What makes this so bad is that we’ve just come out of a 12 year drought cycle, and now, because of La Nina (as opposed to the previous El Nino) we’re getting drenched- indeed, my state Victoria is on flood alert for the next few days- the same land where 2 years ago we had those devastating bush fires that killed 200. We’ve watched the flooding non-stop, between that and the Tuscon shooting, I’ve had enough bad news for a while!
    And by the way, don’t worry about us- we’re raising plenty of money throughout the country to help our fellow compatriots. We live in a land of extremes- we’re made of tougher stuff!

    Report Post » Andrew from Down Under  
    • Its Gonna Getcha
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 5:26am

      @Andrew From Down Under —– Oh hey! So you are there. Thanks for answering my question above. The gush was 26 feet high? One report said that. Stay safe, and faith is at its strongest in times like this, so although we are all feeling dragged down by the bad news all around, faith is strong. Stay safe my friend.

      Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
    • republitarian
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 12:33pm

      Thanks Andrew.

      Report Post » republitarian  
  • Its Gonna Getcha
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 4:58am

    Wait a minute. We see an area twice the size of California, flooded in Australia, up to almost their roofs. And then a tsunami hit today? Am I getting this right?

    Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
    • Andrew from Down Under
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 5:15am

      Almost- the “tsunami” was actually a sudden gush of water which swept through the city of Toowoomba, 65 miles west of the Queensland capital of Brisbane.

      Report Post » Andrew from Down Under  
    • Andrew from Down Under
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 10:07pm

      To give you an idea about the area affected, it is about the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined. At this point, now the capital city of Queensland, Brisbane, is starting to flood.

      Report Post » Andrew from Down Under  
    • Its Gonna Getcha
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 11:23pm

      @ Andrew from Down Under —-
      Well I know what it’s like to literally drive the old vehicle through Texas and Oklahoma, so it’s unimaginable, frankly. More like a fresh water ocean. Do you have an idea of how many young Americans living there are affected? Many having chased a romantic dream to “move to Australia”. Haven’t been. More prayers for all.

      Report Post » Its Gonna Getcha  
  • Kisha
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 3:13am

    Wow, amazing!!! I can’t imagine what it would be like to witness something like that first hand. I’ll bet the vehicle insurance rates increase this year, yeah? lol ACK!!! Oh heck… screw cars… “We’ll be car pooling this month in a boat!”

    Report Post » Kisha  
  • seon
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:50am

    The left wing media will find a way to pin this on Sarah Palin somehow hehe jk I live in Australia and am glad they are some people here defending us. I’m also suprised it happened so quick. I was at work when all of this was unfolding.

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  • Hoosier
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:49am

    I think purity of spirit has left the world. Just a feeling.

    Report Post » Hoosier  
  • ALMOSTLOST
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:48am

    sorry i didnt want to look like an idiot but i cant help myself i know that the Chillians arnt white….but they dont beg! like hations do get used to it iam self educated.i made a living at 9 years old with three paper routs and didnt have much time for school i dont use spell check because i want to sound like me and learn from ridicule! so deal with it……..Ilove gleen beck! even when i did a strech i always had my brother buy a little gold…..god country family !!!!!!! …always wanted to be on onre of these pages…got my computer 15 months ago …teaching myself this too….later todd

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  • Diane TX
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:47am

    Wow, I never saw something like that happen before!

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  • AnAppealToGod
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:38am

    Crazy times we are living in.

    Have your neighbors back!

    Report Post » AnAppealToGod  
    • ALMOSTLOST
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 3:02am

      amen bro! my neighbors think im “crazy” but i got food and water and after awhile theyere doing it too.!!!!!especialy because everything we buy costs more the next time your at the store!!!!!!

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  • ALMOSTLOST
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:20am

    truth…did Memphis cry? dtd Chili cry? Dont get me wrong its a horrible situation down there but its been going on for almost three weeks now!Where are our troops? Wheres the photo opp? wheres fhe celebs,? oh thats right that country is mostly white? think about iy

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  • ChiefGeorge
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:43am

    Thats alot of water mate!! Be safe down under guys. We wish you well.

    Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:38am

    Why Do Sarah Palin and The Tea Party Hate Australia so much?

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:37am

    New York Times Editorial Tomorrow.
    The Tea Party and Sarah Palin are now flooding Australia.Why Do they hate Kangaroos that much?

    Report Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 2:00am

      Wink ;-) would not be surprised.

      Report Post »  
  • Blakenship
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:23am

    Well when most of the cars are go-karts this tends to happen..

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    • republitarian
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:50am

      One guy locked in his hubs and drove away. Waste of time . He could have just driven away anyway.

      Report Post » republitarian  
  • mossbrain
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:22am

    3 of those floating cars had drum fish driving them and the passengers were all red winged blackbirds. It’s a sign of the end times I tells ya.

    mossbrain  
  • huntee
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:21am

    Whiteteaparty

    Was that Glenn Beck and Sarah Palins fault also.

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  • ALMOSTLOST
    Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:17am

    Hope they feed the meters!!! Wow what a bad bad time for our cousins! Wonder if theyll take a handout from the prez.? or if he’ll offer?????

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    • republitarian
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:46am

      He doesn’t care about our cousins. But we do.

      Report Post » republitarian  
    • TruthLover
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:52am

      Way to show compassion, “mate.” If this happened here we’d all be crying for help from where ever and whom ever could get to us. We think Katrina made a mess? If Australia was half as populated as the USA, tens of thousands would be dead right now. Show some class.

      Report Post » TruthLover  
    • CatB
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:58am

      They are our allies .. we help our enemies (sorry about that mate)…. I wonder where the people in the building were parked?

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    • Lunar
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 5:10am

      Very dangerous way to clean a car.

      Lunar  
    • GeauxAlready
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 7:20am

      I do believe that is what you call a “Frog Strangler”

      Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
    • snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 10:56am

      I am sorry to hear of the dead and may all of the missing be found alive and whole of health soon. I hope that the floods receed soon, and that the people of the Queensland area are able to start making a new beginning fast and soon.

      http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • getalong
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 12:07pm

      If this had happened in America, there wouldn’t have been people sitting around watching the cars wash away and laughing about them, you would have seen people running through the office building warning people to MOVE THEIR CARS!!!!!!!!!!!! And you would have seen complete strangers come out of the office building and try to help MOVE THE CARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is called American exceptionalism!

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    • jackrorabbit
      Posted on January 11, 2011 at 1:56pm

      first off, horrid to see. but as to the “if it happened in America”. Our cars weigh a lot more so perhaps, since I don’t know the foot pounds of pressure involved, they wouldn’t have floated away, but would have been flooded. That has happened in the USA many times, LA mudslides ring a bell?

      Report Post »  
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