Flooding peak looms for Brisbane - Lessons from the 1974 flood
On the last weekend of January in 1974, as Australians marked their national day, an already abnormally wet summer saw new, near-record rainfall that swept floodwater through the city of Brisbane.
Car parks were submerged, boats broke loose and jammed under bridges, and roads collapsed. Debris was strewn along the river courses.
When the devastation was collated, 14 people had lost their lives and the cost of the damage at the time was put at A$200m.
It was the city's worst flooding of the century.
The high water mark that almost drowned the city 37 years ago was recorded at 5.45m (17.9ft).
Queensland's current Premier Anna Bligh says the flood surge coming to Brisbane on Wednesday and Thursday may well be similar.
'Reluctance'
By late January in 1974, almost every river in Queensland was in flood....
Read entire article at BBC News
Car parks were submerged, boats broke loose and jammed under bridges, and roads collapsed. Debris was strewn along the river courses.
When the devastation was collated, 14 people had lost their lives and the cost of the damage at the time was put at A$200m.
It was the city's worst flooding of the century.
The high water mark that almost drowned the city 37 years ago was recorded at 5.45m (17.9ft).
Queensland's current Premier Anna Bligh says the flood surge coming to Brisbane on Wednesday and Thursday may well be similar.
'Reluctance'
By late January in 1974, almost every river in Queensland was in flood....