----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: "Sam Heron" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 11:25 PM Subject: Re: Stranraer born > Hi Sam > Were you born in Stranraer as i have lived here all of my life. > Can you tell me a little about your radio programme as i will be phoning > my > brother on sunday morning. > Just seen news re flooding, must be terrible for everyone affected. > > Allan > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sam Heron" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:31 PM > Subject: Stranraer born > > >> Allan, >> I live in Virginia also on the North side of Brisbane. >> I am always interested in hearing about people from Stranraer as I >> mention >> Stranraer regularly on our Scottish Radio program here in Brisbane. >> Good hearing from you, >> Sam Heron >> My telephone in Brisbane is 3266 9131 >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <[email protected]> >> To: "Sam Heron" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 1:26 AM >> Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] Wigtownshire area, sq miles >> >> >>> Just wondered where you live in Brisbane as i am from Stranraer, my >>> brother >>> lives in Stafford Hieghts in Brisbane. >>> >>> Regards >>> >>> Allan Lindsay >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Sam Heron" <[email protected]> >>> To: "Shirley Walsh" <[email protected]>; >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 7:29 AM >>> Subject: [WIG LIST] Wigtownshire area, sq miles >>> >>> >>>> Shirley and Fellow Listers, >>>> Brisbane is recovering too quickly from nine (9) years of drought. Our >>>> local Wivenhoe Dam that was at 17% capacity this time last year is now >>>> almost at the equivalent of 200% full. 100% is seen to be full for >>>> normal >>>> purposes; the balance of the same volume again is a reserve allocation >>>> of >>>> a storage area as part of a flood prevention measure for occasions such >>>> as >>>> now. Excessive rain has caused the dam to be over-filled by in excess >>>> of >>>> one million megalitres of water or one million, million litres of water >>>> and because the dam is almost full to its maximum capacity some of the >>>> water must be released immediately in a controlled manner >>>> notwithstanding >>>> the flooding that is already happening. Our only blessing is that >>>> today's >>>> and tomorrow's high sea tides where the Brisbane River meets the sea >>>> are >>>> lesser just now than they will be later in the week so the wall of sea >>>> water that the flood water is meeting is fortunately lesser and >>>> therefore >>>> so is the flooding peak level and there! >>>> fore the number of homes that will go under; presently perhaps 40,000. >>>> An example of what our weather is like, we had 150 mm or six inches of >>>> rain on the old scale in just over one hour at our home one day last >>>> week >>>> and our back yard quickly flooded and just as quickly went down again >>>> not >>>> long after the rain stopped. We have been averaging inches of rain >>>> frequently for a little while now. That is what happened in Toowoomba >>>> earlier this week when it had a flash tsunami-like wave of water metres >>>> high that took many lives and had cars seemingly surfing in it. A >>>> downpour thought to be about 150 mm or 6 inches of rain fell in a very >>>> short space of time, and it fell between established weather gauges, >>>> and >>>> therefore got under the guard of the weather bureau personnel and the >>>> next >>>> thing that was known was a several metre-high wall of water swept down >>>> the >>>> main street of Toowoomba and then down towards Brisbane wiping out >>>> towns >>>> and settlements on the way without any real warning. This is how >>>> fickle >>>> and powerful Nature can be. >>>> Queensland is in quite a bad way at the moment. It is 1,730,648 km2 or >>>> 668,207 square miles in size and it is now 75% flooding disaster >>>> declared >>>> as other major provincial cities and country centres have flooded as >>>> well >>>> as Brisbane. It is the equivalent of almost seventeen (17) Scotlands >>>> being flooded. >>>> We are perfectly safe at our place but my daughter and son-in-law who >>>> carefully selected and bought a house that was not affected by our 1974 >>>> Brisbane flood, and that is seen to be our yardstick, have already >>>> evacuated their home yesterday as have many, many tens of thousands of >>>> people. Our 1974 Brisbane flood was seen to be a once in a lifetime >>>> happening but it now seems it wasn't. >>>> We were at the near North Coast (Sunshine Coast) about 100 km or about >>>> 65 >>>> miles from Brisbane and we were unable to get back to Brisbane until >>>> today >>>> as the roads were cut by flood waters and this story is repeated right >>>> throughout much of the state of Queensland. As soon as we heard the >>>> roads >>>> were clear of flooding and open, we packed up and headed home as we had >>>> not expected to get through until tomorrow at the earliest or even >>>> perhaps >>>> the weekend depending on whether further predicted rains eventuated. >>>> Everyone here knows many people who have become displaced but they >>>> bounce >>>> back very quickly, almost as if in defiance. Houses and offices that >>>> flood >>>> can be fixed but the loss of life is hard to take and that is where we >>>> are >>>> at just now. To us it isn't really about the floods anymore it is >>>> about >>>> the dead and also how many of the missing won't have survived. >>>> I thank everyone for the concern shown, we really are just one big >>>> international family of Jock Tamson's bairns (although in Stranraer we >>>> always said 'weans'). >>>> Sam Heron. >>>> >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Shirley Walsh" <[email protected]> >>>> To: <[email protected]> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 5:48 AM >>>> Subject: [WIG LIST] Wigtownshire area, sq miles >>>> >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Sam, hope you are all safe and on high ground. Chin up to all. >>>>> On looking at a map of Wigtownshire it shows it to be about 32 x 29 >>>>> miles, about 480 square miles. >>>>> A map of Queensland, Australia, shows the flooded area at : >>>>> http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=-26.784818281741096~152.96827574171027&lvl=7&dir=0&sty=r&cid=B45BE63DA52D0EDA!196 >>>>> The distance from Brisbane to Hebel may be around 335 miles, about ten >>>>> times that of Wigtownshire. >>>>> I would gladly accept any correction from you. Shirley >>>> >>>> ------------------------------- >>>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >>>> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' >>>> without >>>> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >>> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 9.0.872 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3374 - Release Date: 01/12/11 >> 05:34:00 >> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.872 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3375 - Release Date: 01/12/11 17:38:00