I am an Australian. Naturalised, naturally. Born in Ireland, and having spent over twenty of my adult years in England, I am a child of a cool temperate maritime climate, a post-war Britain, a post-Independence Republic of Ireland. Nowhere in my personal or national psyche has prepared me for the enormity of experiencing a disaster … Continue reading disasters in the future tense

Victoria has now been hit. ‎43 Victorian towns have now been flooded, affecting more than 1400 properties. These are the biggest floods in decades and in some areas are the largest ever recorded. My Victorian colleagues scramble to respond. Luckily their State EOC was already up and running, assisting with the Queensland floods by running … Continue reading Queensland floods – day 22

The plan was to have a lie-in till 7am, pop down for breakfast, then stay in my hotel room for a couple of hours to catch up on some phone calls. By 7.30am the plan has changed, and I am in the taxi with the others as per usual. The roads are clear for the most … Continue reading Queensland floods – day twenty

I awaken at 5.30am Queensland time - again. How come when I am at home I struggle to wake up at 6.45am Melbourne time, but when activated my brain kicks in at the same time every morning without an alarm? My hotel rooms smells damp. No wonder: we had over 40mm of rain locally only … Continue reading Queensand floods – day nineteen