I was in Brisbane just this past July - it's staggering to see that the network of ferries I used to commute between downtown and the University of Queensland; the residences, businesses and restaurants all along the waterfront on either side of the Brisbane River are either threatened or under water. And the rains seem unrelenting.

I'm worried for the many friends and colleagues I have there - and concerned that I haven't been able to contact them lately (hopefully because they've shifted to higher ground). My heart goes out to them and the city, and to all its inhabitants.

G'day Mate :I've been to Oz and "that other island" and loved them both.
Today's comments cover both extremes of the bell curve.
There a some very good comments on climate change.
The Aussie people are closer to each other than us yanks, there are
other coheisive aspects they posess that I can't put into words.
We shall see a great co operative effort in recovering from this mess.
Good on ya Mates

Tom Storm, I am an Aussie living in New York. You made me smile from ear to ear.

Australia is too much of an impossible country. It is about as large as the USA but only has a population of 25 million. Roads, drainage management, water supply, etc. is just to primitive for a western world development. It is too far from the US or Europe to really get their interest or sympatie. They are trying to make it on their own but what the flooding in a major city like Brisbane just showes is they aren't making it.

Re Jim - "Why has the US media not dedicated more air time to this tragedy?"

Because the U.S. is a big country and there are plenty of other things going on. Australia is a "big boy" and can handle itself.

It is testament to the character of the people afflicted by the floods that in an area greater than that affected by Katrina we see self reliance, stoicism, generosity and determination as opposed to what we all saw happening in New Orleans.

I'm right near the river not far from Brissie airport...this is crazy, 30ft boats still attached to their pontoons, cars, water tanks, dead cows and horses and half the people I know have lost their homes under water. This is BAD, its gonna cost more (economically) than katrina did in louisiana...I hope Wivenhoe holds, any more rain and we could be done...

I've been following the stories about the flooding in Queensland. I'm just so very impressed by the way the Australians are handling this crisis.
I'm particularly admiring of the Prime Minister, and the Governor of the State of Queensland. I believe the expression would be "Good on yer, mates". Well, actually, it would be "Sheilas", wouldn't it?
We could do with some of the plain speaking that our Australian friends engage in over here.

We need a reliable statistical analysis of whether the weather is really getting more extreme or whether it just seems that way. Is this Australia's longest drought and biggest flood ever, all in one decade, or has Oz experienced similar events since we started measuring such things? Reporters should be able to find this out from experts.

Whoops! Forgot to mention the cause ofthe flood in the article. Surely it wasn't 'an inland tsunami'. Was is torrential rain?

"What some have called an “inland tsunami” slammed into Brisbane..."

This is the description used for the wall of water that hit Toowoomba in the Lockyer Valley - to the west of Brisbane.

Gee "Rudolph from New York", maybe Australia should just give up now?

best wishes from an Australian in the USA

I can only begin to imagine what it must be like to see your hometown inundated by a raging flood! Shades of New Orleans!

Are we doing anything to help? Sending any kind of assistance?

You guys in Queensland, for what it's worth, thoughts and prayers are with you!

Welcome to Eaarth. Global warming means more energy in the air and water; a bigger spoon stirring up the weather systems, hence more extremes.

Markhas - your comment shows how little you know about this disaster - the worst town hit is cradled by an extinct volcano 2000 meters above sea level - not in a low lying seaside area - this is inland flooding. These floods have come from torrential rains from up north which have swollen the river systems. The Wivenhoe dam is at 190% capacity, creeks are now rivers - this is not as a result of rich people living in nice areas - these people are ordinary Australians - farmers, workers, husbands, wives and children. When other countries experience disasters Australia offers financial support and help - so far only New Zealand has done so (thanks Kiwi Cousins - much appreciated). Australia regularly sends Firefighters to the USA to help with bushfires - where is the return favour?

My heart goes out to the folks in Queensland. I had the privilege of spending about 2 weeks in Brisbane a number of years ago. I loved the waterfront, the wonderful public transportation system, and especially the very friendly people I met there. It is a lovely city and I hope that the rains will stop soon so recovery can begin for all the people of Brisbane and the rest of Queensland.

Rudolph from New York - Wow, what a can-do guy you are and what an attitude. Don't go to Australia, you would certainly NOT fit in. The civil services there in operation and the multi-cultural community spirit is something for the USA to behold. Look and learn.

This might seem like global "weirding," but it's actually probable that flooding would be more frequent in Australia during a strong La Nina year like we're seeing now. This La Nina was forecast by US climatologists with a fair amount of certainty LAST MARCH....

Doesn't detract from the crushing blow being felt by those in the Brisbane area.

Surely I can't be the only American watching this unfold who wishes that his fellow Americans could be just a bit more like the Aussies.

It's amazing how little coverage this gets in our local media--especially when compared to the rather puny "snowstorms" we've had recently.

Australia looks like New Orleans, but worse. May you come out of this okay.

Note to Rudolph. New Orleans?

I live in a hundred year flood area in Texas. Don't know if something like that could hit here but I can't imagine what the people are going thru now. Hopefully their government agencies are better staffed and without political agenda's, like the ones that handled the flooding after Katrina hit.

As Someone who is convinced of global warning, man made and otherwise, I can't understand the persons who say this tradgedy is evidence of global warming. It's about the same as saying the snow storms that parts of this country are getting is proof there is no global warming. Not very scientific is it?

All the governments of the world have enuff info to know that erratic weather patterns are caused by burning of fossil fuels, yet they are unable to act in the face of powerful special interests. All of the world will have to suffer such overwhelming disasters that the corporatists will be bankrupted. Then and only then can things change...but will it be too late to save civilization.

Rudolph - I will take the bite.

Australia's geographical distance from both the US and Europe isn't a reason for any supposed lack of interest/sympathy (in London there is certainly a lot of both). When I used to live in the US I found it very difficult to use US media to educate myself regarding news and current affairs because the breadth of coverage simply isn't there. I'm therefore not surprised the Queensland flooding has not received widespread coverage in the US media.

What caught my eye about your post was your apparent suggestion that Australia is primitive and not a fully developed part of the western world. I hope you don't mind me correcting you but I think you may have mistaken Australia with Austria.

p.s. Don't worry - you're not the first American to have made this mistake!!!