[LINK] FLoods taking out banking infrastructure

rene rene.ln at libertus.net
Thu Jan 13 18:15:42 AEDT 2011


On Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:34:59 +1030, Steven Clark wrote:

> On 13/01/11 12:50, grove at zeta.org.au wrote:
>> It does beg the question as to why the CUA would not have a
>> geoclustered datacentre or similar offsite ability to maintain
>> services......
>
> i suspect this kind of flooding never made it into anyone's risk
> planning scenarios.

And I suspect that's quite likely partly because after the 1974 Brisbane 
floods, the Wivenhoe Dam was built, in part, for the claimed purpose that 
it would prevent a repeat of the 1974 flood situation. Really, it hasn't, 
and some academic-type expert (can't recall name) on local Brisbane radio 
this morning was remarking that it might have *if* Brisbane was still more 
like a country town. However, there now are a lot more roads, 
bitumen/concrete carparks and other buildings, that prevent water 
absorption into the ground, etc. Local Brisbane ABC radio reports (from 
people calling in to tell them what's happening in their suburbs) that some  
houses/buildings inundated by water are in areas that were not affected in 
1974, although the flood level peaked at slightly less than the 1974 level. 

Also, unavailability of any type of an online service could be affected by 
the electricity supply (definitely) having been switched off (for safety 
reasons) to premises that are quite some distance from flood waters. That 
has happened because either Energex et al expected the flood waters might 
reach those areas, OR, because the Energex power supply transformers 
installations are in areas that either did or were likely to go under 
water. Hence, power supply was switched off to premises that are kms away 
from flood waters (because they're on the same grid as areas under water, 
or, are serviced by a power transformer installation that's had to be 
switched off because it was likely to be flooded).

I, personally, would be quite cautious about claiming any type of online  
commercial business should have better prepared, because I'm really 
doubtful about the feasibility and cost/benefit practicalities of being 
fully prepared for what is, at this time, a one in some 40 year event. 

[From a person in Brisbane, who's kms away from flood waters, but who's 
been without electricity for 36 hours until about 2 hours ago, due to 
flooding a couple of kms away in other parts of the same suburb].

Irene











More information about the Link mailing list