(Pictures) Flood hits Australia

James Ryan Jonas

We take time to share with you images of a calamity in another part of the world that is eerily familiar to most Filipinos. The land down under, Australia, is currently experiencing one of the worst floods in recent history.
According to a CNN News article:
Brisbane, Australia — Three quarters of the state of Queensland has been declared a disaster zone after torrential rain threatened the worst flooding in the state capital in 37 years.
Ten people were confirmed dead in flash flooding Tuesday which swept through the town of Toowoomba, about 125 kilometers (80 miles) west of Brisbane, on Monday afternoon.
The wall of water came without warning, overturning cars and swamping homes. More than 24 hours later, 78 people remained missing.
From a Yahoo News report:
BRISBANE, Australia – On January 11, 2010, a terrifying, tsunami-like wall of water roared through the streets of Toowoomba, a northeast Australian city.
Office windows exploded, cars careened into trees and bobbed in the churning brown water like corks. The deluge washed away bridges and sidewalks; people desperately clung to power poles to survive. Before it was over, the flash flood left at least 10 dead and 78 missing.
The photos below of the Australia flash floods are an eerie reminder to Filipinos of Typhoon Ondoy (Typhoon Ketsana) that struck Metro Manila in September 2009 killing hundreds and affecting millions.
With flash floods and calamities occurring even in unexpected cities, it is high time we rethink how we interact with nature and start working to save the environment.

James Ryan Jonas teaches business management, investments, and entrepreneurship at the University of the Philippines (UP). He is also the Executive Director of UP Provident Fund Inc., managing and investing P3.2 Billion ($56.4 Million) worth of retirement funds on behalf of thousands of UP employees.