[LINK] FLoods taking out banking infrastructure

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marghanita da Cruz [mailto:marghanita at ramin.com.au] 
> Sent: Friday, 14 January 2011 10:14 AM
> To: Tom Koltai
> Cc: 'Stilgherrian'; 'Link list'
> Subject: Re: [LINK] FLoods taking out banking infrastructure
> 
> 
> Tom Koltai wrote:
> <snip>
> > As yet no-one has built a data centre in the centre of 
> Australia with 
> > abundant solar energy (and even some other "clean" energy 
> if one cares 
> > to negotiate with the US D.O.D.); fibre to Brisbane, Adelaide and 
> > Darwin and there hasn't been any known floods since about 
> 30,000,000 
> > BC
> <snip>
> 
> The solar angle is valid but not the floods. One of the 
> problems with the flooding in Central Australia is that it 
> is flat and the water sits around for a long time - this is 
> how the Artesian basin gets replenished. But it does take 
> time for the water to soak in, if it runs off then it is 
> lost. The Todd river in Alice springs floods or is dry. 
> Floods are hugely valuable in Agricultural terms.
> 
> One of the issues is that residential macmansions have been 
> built on flood plains, while trees and wetlands have been 
> developed.
> 
> Marghanita


In the words of the inestimable Peter Sellers.... Well Goodness Gracious
me....

Quote/
Flooding cuts Stuart Highway
Anna Henderson, Thursday January 13, 2011 - 10:30 EDT
Flooding cut roads in Central Australia overnight - ABC
The Stuart Highway was cut in more than a dozen places because of heavy
rain and flooding in Central Australia last night.
Police closed the road amid fears cars could be swept away in the deep
water and strong currents.
The road has reopened now, but Helen Jones from the Barrrow Creek Hotel
says many tourists were stranded and she struggled to find extra beds
for them to sleep in.
....

C ABC 2010
/Quote


And...
Quote/
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Northern Territory
Darwin Regional Forecasting Centre

FLOOD THREAT ADVICE
Issued by the BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY, DARWIN
at 1117 CST Wednesday 12 JANUARY 2011

AREA INVOLVED
Darwin-Daly, southern Barkly and northeastern Alice Springs Districts.

RAINFALL SUMMARY
In the 24 hours to 9 am today there were widespread falls 20-40mm over
the Top
End, Victoria River and Roper-McArthur Districts with scattered falls
50-100mm
in the west.

WEATHER SUMMARY
A deep monsoon trough extends from a low in the Victoria River district
across
central parts of the Territory with a strong monsoonal northwesterly
flow to the
north. The low will move across the southwest Barkly later today and the
northeastern Alice Springs Districts on Thursday.

FORECAST for the rest of today and Thursday
Widespread falls of 20-40mm over the Darwin-Daly, southern Barkly and
northeastern Alice Springs Districts. Scattered heavy falls 50-100mm may
lead to
localised flooding and significant stream rises. Falls easing in the
north from
late today as the low moves into central and southeast parts of the
Territory.
/Quote

A miracle ... - Oh well, only someone who lived in the Topend and needed
supplies that used to come up the Stuart Highway by truck would know
about that stuff, easy mistake to make.