Άρθρο του TaXalia(Μήνυμα συμπαράστασης στέλνει ξανά το Taxalia.blogspot.com στους φίλους μας εκεί)
Δοκιμασία για τους Αυστραλούς –που αγαπάμε ιδιαίτερα για πολλά αλλά και για το ενδιαφέρον του για τα κλεμμένα γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα- μαζί τους δοκιμάζονται και εκατοντάδες Ελληνο-Αυστραλοί που ζουν εκεί.
Δείτε –πρώτα στο taxalia- εικόνες από τις καταστροφικές πλημμύρες…
Δείτε καινούργιες φωτογραφίες και σχετικό ρεπορτάζ (Αγγλικά)
Δείτε επίσης στις φωτογραφίες και διαβάστε στο σχετικό άρθρο πως οι εθελοντές βοηθούν στην αντιμετώπιση της θεομηνίας!
.
29 Victorian towns have been swamped by floods leaving some isolated.
More than 3000 people flee
Thousands of Victorian residents were yesterday forced to flee their homes as rising waters wreaked havoc in one of the worst floods in the state's history.
Rochester and Charlton were hit by the worst of the disaster but up to a third of the state has been affected.
Fears are also held for Horsham, Echuca, Dadswells Bridge and Glenorchy with flood levels not expected to peak in many areas until this afternoon and, in some cases, as late as Wednesday.
More than 1000 properties were under water in the state's north and west last night, but more than 1200 homes were expected to be inundated by this morning.
About 300 houses were affected in Victoria's floods last September.
More than 3000 Victorians have been evacuated from their homes as flood waters continue to rise and authorities fear more trouble lies ahead.
At least 29 towns were under water last night with major flood alerts in place for the Avoca, Campaspe, Loddon and Wimmera rivers.
Evacuation warnings were issued to the communities of Donald, Rochester, Serpentine, Charlton, Durham Ox, Lauriston to Malmsbury to Metcalfe, Bridgewater, Newbridge, Dadswells Bridge and Carisbrook.
------------------------------
As the number of people missing was revised down to 28 and US President Barack Obama offered his support and condolences, 7000 volunteers took to the streets of Brisbane to help friends, family and strangers alike.
Dubbed "Salvation Saturday", volunteers armed with brooms, mops, buckets and shovels worked tirelessly to remove thick layers of stinking mud and debris across the city.
The scenes were repeated in communities across the devastated state, with Australian Defence Force soldiers also lending a hand.
Warnings of potential exposure to asbestos, infection, live electrical equipment, snakes and other animals failed to deter the army of volunteers.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has already been treated for a foot infection after suffering a cut while wading through floodwaters during the week to help those in need.
"There are people everywhere volunteering to help. Everyone's pitching in and helping everyone and they're working really hard," Mr Drysdale said.
Darren Moss, whose home was spared flood damage, was among the volunteers.
"We came down today because it was something that we needed to do ... there's a moral obligation and social obligation as well," Mr Moss said.
About 22,000 people have signed up with Volunteering Queensland to do their part for the relief effort. Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman called on volunteers to pace themselves.
"This is a marathon, not a race," he said.
The fightback came as President Obama called Prime Minister Julia Gillard, offering his condolences for the deaths and destruction caused by the major natural disaster.
Mr Obama reiterated an offer of US assistance to help the state's recovery efforts and "expressed sympathy for those who have died, suffered injuries, lost their homes or businesses or been displaced".
Ms Gillard said the Federal Government would work with the US on the type of help it could provide to help Queensland recover. She said: "President Obama wanted me to convey his best wishes to the people of Australia as we deal with these floodwaters.
"We know that a lot is going to have to be done to bring roads back into functioning order, railway lines back into functioning order and we will be talking to our American friends about that kind of assistance."
Yesterday's volunteer effort was buoyed by a drop in the number of people missing - initially from 53 to 20, until Queensland Police became aware of a separate missing persons list compiled by Lockyer council that increased the number to 28.
Authorities held grave fears for 12 people, including 11 from two families at Murphys Creek.
Αξίζει να διαβάσετε και το άρθρο αναγνώστη μας εδώ>> Συνταρακτικό άρθρο, για το λόγο που πλημμύρισε η Αυστραλία !
