Snakes, crocodiles threaten flood-hit towns

4 Jan 2011, 6:30 pm   -   Source: AFP
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Queenslanders have fled their homes and sandbagged properties as Rockhampton was threatened by a worsening flood disaster which unleashed a plague of snakes and crocodiles.

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Queenslanders have fled their homes and sandbagged properties as Rockhampton was threatened by a worsening flood disaster which unleashed a plague of snakes and crocodiles.
  
Tens of thousands of people in Rockhampton braced for complete isolation as waters which have inundated an area bigger than France and Germany, and closed the town's airport and railway, lapped at the last remaining road link.
  
Rumours of crocodile sightings swept the besieged cattle-farming centre northeast of Brisbane, population 75,000, while snakes up to two metres long were spotted around the town centre.
  
The snakes, including highly venomous taipans, brown snakes and red-bellied blacks, are climbing trees and hiding in people's houses as they search for dry refuge, residents said.
  
"The snakes are a massive problem, I've shut all the doors because they're coming in," said Suzanne Miller, owner of the Pioneer Hotel pub, adding that her mother was "almost killed" by a brown snake.
  
"She is living on a boat near here and it was curled round the rope," Miller said. "She could feel the tongue flicking on to her face to test how far away it was, ready to bite, and then it jumped into her lap."
  
Miller said her mother's husband used a stick to flick the snake into the water, adding that the boat almost capsized as the pair leaped around and screamed in panic.
  
Emergency officials warned that the snakes were aggressive, while crocodiles flushed from rivers by the rising floods could easily be mistaken for debris.
  
"(Snakes are) in their mating season and they've been flushed out of their environment... snakes are very, very cranky right now," State Emergency Service (SES) operations director Scott Mahaffey said.
  
"(And) the problem with crocodiles now is it's very, very hard to pick (them out) with the amount of debris," he added. One SES volunteer told AFP he had seen "two cops hightailing it out of the water with a croc going past".
  
Thousands of poisonous cane toads were also spotted around Rockhampton while authorities say the town will also be hit by sandflies and disease-carrying mosquitoes breeding in the standing water.
  
About 200 people have evacuated on foot or by boat, including two pregnant women who went into labour. Some 200 homes are already flooded with the Fitzroy River bisecting town expected to peak at 9.4 metres on Wednesday or Thursday.
  
"I know people around here are pretty tough, but if your house gets smashed up pretty bad and you have lost all of your kids' presents (it's difficult)," Mahaffey said.
  
Rockhampton, 500 kilometres (300 miles) from Brisbane and a hub for the farming and coal-mining region, is now the focus for what officials call "biblical" floods affecting 200,000 people across Queensland state.
  
Weeks of heavy rains have swollen rivers to record levels, deluging mines and farms, washing away bridges and forcing military evacuations of entire towns by helicopter.
  
Ten people have died trying to negotiate fast-running waters in vehicles, swimming or on foot over the past month, while the disaster is expected to cost several billions of dollars (several billion US).
  
Flooded mines and railways and closed ports have hammered Queensland's all-important production of hard coking coal, much of it bound for urbanising Asia's steel mills.
  
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed condolences Monday for the dead and offered aid, while neighbouring New Zealand promised to send an emergency response team.
  
In Rockhampton, the military trucked in supplies and police frog-marched one reluctant resident from his home, considered too dangerous to remain in as the waters rise.
  
Other parts of the state are already cleaning up after the worst of the flooding passed, but officials warn relief and recovery operations could last for weeks.
  
 

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Your Comments

Eastern States Flood

elly - from Perth, 1 year

Good luck to everyone that has had their houses etc washed away from them and my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones everyone here in perth is thinking so much of you and how strong we all know your state can be good luck and we'll keep donating!

Sir

the bot - from aus, 1 year

Crocodiles are shot on sight in these situations federal laws be damned. My Aunt was shot recently, her attacker got six years- out in two. Shoot a croc and you will serve longer inside than that sod will, how gay is that?

Qld Floods

Carl - from Brisbane, 1 year

Yeah, funny how the Green and the Climate Stooges have suddenly shut their traps...coz ya know, they don't have any hidden agendas at all! They're the real alternative to the morbidly out of touch two party system, and their plans for what to do with the flood victims are too complete and air-tight to release at this time. ;P

Greens should be shipped off to kalgoorlie

Sensible - from Sydney, 1 year

Ship them all there, build a commune, live in peace ! That will rid us of their inane BS about protecting a frog or an insect while 1000's of humans suffer ! Or even better catch those snakes and give to greenies to care for them !

CROCS

bruce - from hornsby, 1 year

I cant wait for the usual Today Show safety stooge warning us about how dangerous it is to approach a crocodile lol

where's the greens now

GeoffT - from Townsville, 1 year

The reality is that the Greens wouldn't dare show there face in a situation like this,it's funny how that Bob Brown /Hansen-Young are no where around to give a useless ALL TALK speal regarding the Greens plans to help the Good people of this disaster stricken area. and what's weird is that there are a lot of people in boats ???

Rockhampton Floods

disgusted - from Sydney, 1 year

Well the Greens will get upset if you hurt their snakes or crocodiles or build dams for the water. Where is Bob Brown suddenly dumb when diasters that he wants happen.

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