2019/2020 Aussie Bushfires - Jordy's appeal for help

[MarionC]

Just an update as we're still burning here in Australia...

The South East of NSW appears to be all but isolated from the rest of the state. The last highway into Cooma to stay open has been the Monaro highway, the highway we drove down to get to Numeralla from Canberra to deliver the supplies - well, the Monaro has now fallen with closures at Bredbo.

There are some roads that will take people down into Victoria, however these are all country back roads that wouldn't be able to support so much traffic trying to escape. My mate in Numeralla said they're currently surrounded by blazes in the region and while they're currently safe, leaving for somewhere else is not an option anymore.

To say I'm worried about the next week or so is an understatement.

The Monaro highway at Bredbo


Some hotspot imaging, there's blazes all around Cooma which is a big holiday hotspot. There's not really anywhere for the people in Cooma to go anymore without causing mass traffic jams.

Jordy, it’s incredible and I am so sorry there is such a tragedy and that you are in the thick of it. Beyond heartbreaking and really no words for it.

 

[jordyonbass]

Jordy, it’s incredible and I am so sorry there is such a tragedy and that you are in the thick of it. Beyond heartbreaking and really no words for it.

Thank you - I'm not so much in the thick of it myself, but I've got a mate up there who currently is and I'm doing everything I can to assist from here. I'm very worried for him as at this point in time he said there's realistically no escape from the region until they can at least open the Monaro highway back up again. The back roads down to Melbourne through Jindabyne would be flooded with traffic right now I would think.
It's just stressful hearing about everything going on up there, we got lucky with the supply delivery as we went when the weather was a bit more moderate and the fires were a lot more predictable.

I remember saying that I had never driven the Monaro highway and expected to see large banks of gravel or paddocks down each side of the highway but was shocked when I actually drove it and saw dense overgrowth, timber piles and other potentially problematic areas all along the road. The fact it hadn't burnt yet was not due to design, management or any other reason. Sheer, dumb luck was the reason.
Unfortunately that had changed now.


This is a closeup view of the hotspot imaging, you can see where the fires have come across the highway at Bredbo. There was a blaze between Michelago and Bredbo to our east as we drove down but it was still many miles from the highway. This one has crossed the highway and it's now closed.

 

[RayRay]

Thank you - I'm not so much in the thick of it myself, but I've got a mate up there who currently is and I'm doing everything I can to assist from here. I'm very worried for him as at this point in time he said there's realistically no escape from the region until they can at least open the Monaro highway back up again. The back roads down to Melbourne through Jindabyne would be flooded with traffic right now I would think.
It's just stressful hearing about everything going on up there, we got lucky with the supply delivery as we went when the weather was a bit more moderate and the fires were a lot more predictable.

I remember saying that I had never driven the Monaro highway and expected to see large banks of gravel or paddocks down each side of the highway but was shocked when I actually drove it and saw dense overgrowth, timber piles and other potentially problematic areas all along the road. The fact it hadn't burnt yet was not due to design, management or any other reason. Sheer, dumb luck was the reason.
Unfortunately that had changed now.


This is a closeup view of the hotspot imaging, you can see where the fires have come across the highway at Bredbo. There was a blaze between Michelago and Bredbo to our east as we drove down but it was still many miles from the highway. This one has crossed the highway and it's now closed.

I’m so sorry @jordyonbass, it really is heartbreaking. Praying every day things get better for you all. Thank you for keeping us updated.

 

[jordyonbass]

It's all over now.

Heavy rains have now put out or placed the fires under control in all areas, my mate up at Numeralla has just returned home. All up he spent 43 days there helping the town to battle the fires and he wasn't there for the entire time the blazes were going. We were also informed that all of our consumable supplies were used and the respirator masks and other protective equipment was vitally needed. So the supply delivery was definitely one that made a difference for the town.

Here's a couple of photos, one from the station that usually had the view of the giant smoke cloud that I had posted previously. The other is the Numeralla river which had been bone dry for a year, it's a sight that has brought tears to the eyes of a few locals.

 

[missy]

It's all over now.

Heavy rains have now put out or placed the fires under control in all areas, my mate up at Numeralla has just returned home. All up he spent 43 days there helping the town to battle the fires and he wasn't there for the entire time the blazes were going. We were also informed that all of our consumable supplies were used and the respirator masks and other protective equipment was vitally needed. So the supply delivery was definitely one that made a difference for the town.

Here's a couple of photos, one from the station that usually had the view of the giant smoke cloud that I had posted previously. The other is the Numeralla river which had been bone dry for a year, it's a sight that has brought tears to the eyes of a few locals.

Jordy, relieved for all those affected that it is over now and thank you for all you did to make such a difference. Praying that everyone gets back on their feet and that while recovery might be slow it will be going in the right direction.

 

[arkieb1]

Well the bushfires are over but now parts of Australia are flooded....

 

[jordyonbass]

Well the bushfires are over but now parts of Australia are flooded....

Luckily it's not the areas that have been most hit by bushfire as far as I know, there would have been major issues with run off from soot and fire retardant chemicals but I'm not aware of this currently being an issue.
I think the temporary issues from flooding are much more wanted than the 3 month battle against the bushfires that most fireys have just endured.

 

[arkieb1]

Luckily it's not the areas that have been most hit by bushfire as far as I know, there would have been major issues with run off from soot and fire retardant chemicals but I'm not aware of this currently being an issue.
I think the temporary issues from flooding are much more wanted than the 3 month battle against the bushfires that most fireys have just endured.

Flooding impacted fire areas in Northern NSW and in QLD.... but you are correct the worst fire areas were in Vic and Southern NSW and the worst flood impacted areas are QLD, and Northern NSW, the Gold Coast had flooding pretty bad two days ago for example, there are some little towns that have been ravaged by both the fires and now the floods...

'How much can a community bear?': This NSW town survived bushfires, only to face floods

Torrential rain conditions in New South Wales saw south coast homes inundated by floodwater after Lake Conjola began overflowing.

www.sbs.com.au