2011 Queensland Floods - Update 30/1/2011
30 January 2011
As part of The Salvation Army’s Flood Relief response, The Salvation Army are now preparing to invite people whose homes have been affected by the devastating Queensland floods to apply for the following forms of assistance:
- An immediate small grant to purchase goods to restock food and pantry supplies
- Application for replacement of essential goods not covered by insurance
- Access to counselling
- Access to financial counselling
- Assistance will be available from Salvation Army Flood Assistance Centres to be opened shortly throughout QLD.
For those requiring urgent crisis assistance, The Salvation Army will have staff available from Monday 7th February. To access this assistance, please call the Salvo Care Line on 1300 36 36 22.
Overview at 18/01/2011
More than 75 percent of Queensland has been affected by the current flood crisis. Victoria is now also facing one of its worst flood events in its history.
The Salvation Army has been on the ground in some of the worst affected areas of Qld, Vic and NSW, with Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) teams working tirelessly to feed volunteers, flood victims and SES workers, comfort the grieving and assist wherever is needed.
South Queensland |
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| Brisbane | Salvos prepare meals for residents, volunteers and emergency personnel |
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Feeding around 700 people at the main evacuation centre at the RNA Showgrounds in north Brisbane |
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Feeding similar numbers of people at the South side at the ANZ Stadium |
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Many of these people will need to stay quite some time |
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| Also feeding around 150 people at Strathpine, north Brisbane | |
| Grantham |
Information to follow |
| Gympie |
Catering support in city area (20-40 people) and south side of Gympie (around 20 people). Will also assist with clean-up and feeding of volunteers |
| Ipswich | SAES teams have been assisting at two of the four evacuation centres in Ipswich to feed and care for around 600 people |
| Many evacuees will need to stay after the waters recede until their homes are cleaned up and utilities restored. Some won’t be able to return to their homes | |
| Majors Bruce and Margaret Dobbie from The Salvation Army in Ipswich had just returned from 11 days of relief work at flood-stricken Rockhampton when the floods hit their home town of Ipswich. They were there for the 1974 floods and are very aware it will be a long-term recovery | |
| Maryborough |
The Salvation Army fed stranded travellers and others |
| Toowoomba | Salvation Army Captain, Mark Bulow, was in the city of Toowoomba when the devastating wall of water hit on 10 January |
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Mark and his wife, Jo-Anne, together with their SAES teams, have been helping with feeding the SES crews and assisting shop and business owners begin the cleanup process in the city. They have also been trying to comfort those who are frantically trying to make contact with friends and relatives. “We are spending time with a man whose wife and two of his children lost their lives as the flood waters swept away the car in which they were travelling. We are talking to him and his young son, and providing as much comfort as we can. Rural Chaplain, Major Bob Strong, has also called him and will keep in touch with him.” The Salvation Army sent a crew out to Condamine on Saturday 8 Jan to feed the community and help with cleanup in homes and schools and plan to go back with volunteer tradespeople, generators and power tools to help people secure their properties. Mark, who holds a pilot’s licence, plans to fly out to Surat, about four hours away, as soon as the weather clears to provide monetary assistance to those in need there. SAES teams are trying to get out to nearby Dalby where The Salvation Army Family Store is also flooded. |
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In Toowoomba itself, The Salvation Army corps (church) building was flooded and the family store and crisis centre also received some water damage |
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| The Salvation Army has been inundated with community people offering help, including physiotherapists, counsellors, and others who were willing to lend a hand | |
| Warwick | The Salvation Army in Warwick, together with the Lions Club, have been providing catering for about 50 people at the main evacuation centre |
| Two weeks ago, they catered for hundreds of people when many were stranded by floods while travelling over the Christmas period |
Central Queensland |
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| Bundaberg | Recovery assistance continues to be provided in Bundaberg |
| Theodore | SAES crew in Theodore continues to feed around 400 people |
| Emerald | The evacuation centre in Emerald is still operating with cleanups continuing and recovery assistance being provided |
| Rockhampton | The Salvation Army continues to cater for around 200 people per meal in the evacuation centre in the Central Queensland University sports auditorium |
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The Salvation Army also runs activities for youth and children during the day |
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| Rockhampton is still in the evacuation phase which means not all people are able to go back to their homes. The Salvation Army will continue feeding people until the last person has returned home | |
| Will also begin moving into recovery – from feeding flood victims to feeding SES volunteers and crews from a mobile kitchen. This could last months |
North NSW |
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| Grafton | The Salvation Army in Grafton has been active in its emergency response, feeding a number of truck drivers who were temporarily stranded. SAES teams have also been preparing food parcels to go to outlying areas |
| A team of volunteers at the evacuation centre has been providing meals and refreshments to over 30 people | |
| Coffs Harbour | Fed stranded truck drivers at Coffs Harbour, 600 on one side of highway and 300 on other side |
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Boggabilla/ Goondiwindi |
SAES teams fed 650 people at Boggabilla, and another 200 at a township 20km from there. These co12mmunities are south of Goondiwindi |
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