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G'day Syd,
From the images sent to me showing the landslip at Zig Zag, it does not appear as drastic as first thought.
Yes a raging torrent of mud, rocks and debris sloshing down the tracks, but no large boulders.
Track damage should be minimal, after the deluge ceases.
After the horrid bush fire devastation in 2019, millions of burnt trees, I did ponder the lack of soil stability.
The sandstone seems to be staying put in this deluge.
BUT, Faulconbridge on the Blue Mountains has copped 50 mls of rain in just one hour already today.
So, the deluge ain't over yet.
Parts of the Outback were deluged recently.
It all depends upon which zone of the Outback you refer to.
YES, heat waves continue in parts of Queensland, the NT and West Oz.
Bush fire danger continues in those regions.
Summer time is traditionally The Big Wet in far northern regions of Oz.
Due to monsoon conditions on the equator.
This East Coast deluge is a facet of La Nina conditions plus cyclone activity creating massive Low Pressures..
Resulting in rain episodes just hovering for days and drenching places.
The areas suffering flooding DO flood, but this event has been the worst on record.
And yet more deluge is forecast for those regions which could cause flooding again.
Bathurst now has the river levee to protect against flooding.
But the highway and a couple of low level bridges can still go under, plus the railway line in extremes.
I consulted the Bathurst topographic map which shows the old flood zone prior to buying a hovel here.
Most of the drenched hovels and industry in Lismore do not possess flood damage insurance.
Being a renown flood prone region, the insurance premiums are astronomical and unaffordable.
Many of the hovels burnt to the ground in northern Canberra some moons ago were not insured.
That being a bush fire prone region, the insurance premiums were likewise astronomical.
Facets of government are suggesting that people NOT consider rebuilding in Lismore etc.
Flooding is bound to continue and worsen as global warming increases.
But, I guess that most people desire to be at a location regardless of the consequences.
There were some amazing images shot of the Maitland NSW floods back in the mid 1950s.
Soot belchers stomping through water to continue train services.
Modern days trains cannot perform this feat without going Flash Bang.
And OH&S rules prevent any Casey Jones heroism (AND rightly so).
Maitland continues to grow in population, but also continues to be flood prone.
And the Hunter Valley region is now on Flood Alert.
The original rail route between smog hollow and Brissy was via the Main North connection at Wallangarra.
Navigating the North Coast line from Maitland through Casino and Kyogle proved a big challenge.
All due to the low lying coastal regions prone to flooding.
The North Coast line didn't reach the Queensland border until 1930.
With increasing humanity and social media infiltrating every corner of society, disasters appear more numerous and devastating.
All I want for Xmas is some Good News.
Steve.
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