Australia: Reptiles roam free as Queensland's flooding reaches highest levels yet, global seaborne coal market down 40 percent

Draining flooded Australia mines could take weeks
By Rebekah Kebede and Daniel Munoz ROCKHAMPTON/PERTH, Australia | Thu Jan 6, 2011 2:51am EST ROCKHAMPTON/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Australia's flood-stricken Coal Industry faced lengthy disruptions on Thursday, with one miner saying it could take weeks to drain its pits of water and a major port suspending export shipments because of a lack of coal. Floods have swamped mines in Queensland state, paralyzing operations that produce 35 percent of Australia's estimated 259 million tonnes of ex...

Australians Watch, And Wait, For Flooding To Recede
The worst Flooding to hit Australia in a half-century appeared to have peaked in the country's northeast on Wednesday, but residents of one coastal city were warned that it may be weeks before the waters recede. The mayor of Rockhampton, the last major town inundated by the slow-moving flood in Queensland state, said the city appeared to have been spared any further damage as the chocolate-brown floodwaters were holding below their predicted peak. The Fitzroy River, which flows through Rockhampt...

Draining flooded Australia mines could take weeks
ROCKHAMPTON/PERTH, Australia (Reuters) - Australia's flood-stricken Coal Industry faced lengthy disruptions on Thursday, with one miner saying it could take weeks to drain its pits of water and a major port suspending export shipments because of a lack of coal. Floods have swamped mines in Queensland state, paralyzing operations that produce 35 percent of Australia's estimated 259 million tonnes of exportable coal. Australia contributes two-thirds of global coking-coal exports, needed to make s...

Summer Down Under
By John Ballard Australia is now in the middle of Summer. Americans tend to forget (if they ever knew) that the seasons are reversed in the Southern hemisphere. And those flood scenes from Australia are nothing like the Flooding being shown for places in the US. The Australian floods cover an area bigger than Texas.  And the consequences of Australia's floods have global implications. About fifty-nine percent of seaborne metallurgical coal comes from Queensland, bound for steelmakers...

Australian city cut off by floods braces for more
In this Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011 photo,. floodwaters are seen in Depot Hill, Rockhampton, Australia. Floods that have cut air, rail and road links to an Australian coastal city are now threatening its sewage plant, and waters are still expected to rise another few feet before peaking Wednesday. Weary residents of a flooded Australian coastal city braced for water levels to peak Wednesday, as state officials held an emergency meeting to help determine recovery plans for the 200,000 people affected ...

Australian city cut off by floods braces for more
ROCKHAMPTON, Australia - Weary residents of an Australian coastal city inundated with floodwaters braced Wednesday for water levels to peak, as state officials held an emergency meeting to help determine recovery plans for the 200,000 people affected by the deluge. More than a week of pounding rains has left much of northeastern Australia under a sea of muddy water that is making its way through river systems toward the ocean. The swollen Fitzroy River was expected to reach its highest lev...

Australian city cut off by floods braces for more
ROCKHAMPTON, Australia -- Weary residents of an Australian coastal city inundated with floodwaters braced Wednesday for water levels to peak, as state officials held an emergency meeting to help determine recovery plans for the 200,000 people affected by the deluge. More than a week of pounding rains has left much of northeastern Australia under a sea of muddy water that is making its way through river systems toward the ocean. The swollen Fitzroy River was expected to reach its highest level W...

Australian mayor says flood recovery may take a year
A map showing areas in Queensland hit by flood waters. Tens of thousands of... It could take a year for Rockhampton to recover from disastrous floods, the Australian town's mayor said Thursday, as the waters threatened the neighbouring state of New South Wales. "I think that this could drag on for 12 months," Mayor Brad Carter said, adding that it would take three weeks before Rockhampton's airport reopened, even though the floods appeared to have peaked just below the expected level. "It look...

Australian mayor says flood recovery may take a year
It could take a year for Rockhampton to recover from disastrous floods, the Australian town's mayor said Thursday, as the waters threatened the neighbouring state of New South Wales. "I think that this could drag on for 12 months," Mayor Brad Carter said, adding that it would take three weeks before Rockhampton's airport reopened, even though the floods appeared to have peaked just below the expected level. "It looks like it's peaked, it's plateaued and it's showing signs of dropping," he told t...

New storms soak flood-weary Australian communities
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Cleanup crews toiled under more pounding rains Thursday to clear mountains of debris in flood-ravaged communities across northeastern Australia, as one mayor warned it could take his city up to a year to recover from the worst Flooding in decades. Officials were only beginning to see the scope of the damage as river levels across Queensland state started dropping despite new thunderstorms. Floodwaters were expected to stay high in many areas for at least another ...

Heavy rains hit Australia's flood-drenched northeast
Heavy rains threatened further Flooding in Australia's drenched northeast Thursday as besieged Rockhampton cut supplies to "irresponsible" residents who refused to leave water-bound homes. Torrential downpours could cause flash-flooding and worsen existing floods, the weather bureau said, as water levels slowly started to recede in regional centre Rockhampton, a town virtually surrounded by a brown inland sea. Australia's coal-mining and farming belt near Brisbane is suffering "biblical" floods ...

Storm 'to worsen Australia flood'
Why is Queensland flooded? More Heavy Rain is forecast for eastern Australia, threatening Flash Floods for communities where hundreds of homes are already under water. Forecasters predict central and southern Queensland will be worst hit by the latest deluge which will last into the weekend. In the city of Rockhampton about 500 homes were evacuated as the Fitzroy river peaked at 9.2m (30ft). The town of St George is braced for the Balonne river to peak by Sunday. About 1,200 homes across Queensl...

Heavy rains hit Australia's flood-drenched northeast
Heavy rains brought more misery to Australia's flooded northeast Thursday as besieged Rockhampton cut supplies to "irresponsible" residents who refused to leave their water-bound homes. Torrential downpours could cause flash-flooding and worsen existing floods, the weather bureau said, as water levels slowly started to recede in regional centre Rockhampton, a town virtually surrounded by a brown inland sea. Australia's coal-mining and farming belt near Brisbane is suffering "biblical" floods acr...

World update: Massive flooding in Australia expected to crest
Evacuations continue: Flooding that has soaked large parts of Australia will peak Wednesday, experts say, as authorities continue to help beleaguered locals. Ivory Coast Blockade lifted: Laurent Gbagbo, self-proclaimed president of Ivory Coast, has agreed to lift a Military Blockade around the headquarters of rival and president-elect Alassane Ouattara. The move by Laurent Gbagbo came after talks between the nation's political rivals and African mediators. Rare public execution: Iran execut...

Draining flooded Australia mines could take weeks
SYDNEY | Wed Jan 5, 2011 8:30pm EST SYDNEY (Reuters) - Northern Australia's flood-stricken Coal Industry braced for prolonged shut-downs on Thursday when a major miner said it could take weeks to drain its pits and resume digging. London-listed Anglo American, one of the country's top-three miners of steel-making coal, said it was preparing to pump water out of its flooded mines but that it was too early to say when these collieries could resume production. "Our focus is currently on mobilizi...

Australian city cut off by floods braces for more
ROCKHAMPTON, Australia (AP) — Weary residents of an Australian coastal city inundated with floodwaters braced Wednesday for water levels to peak, as state officials held an emergency meeting to help determine recovery plans for the 200,000 people affected by the deluge. More than a week of pounding rains has left much of northeastern Australia under a sea of muddy water that is making its way through river systems toward the ocean. The swollen Fitzroy River was expected to reach its highes...

Australia floods force evacuations, recede in coal
By Daniel Munoz ROCKHAMPTON, Australia | Tue Jan 4, 2011 1:46am EST ROCKHAMPTON, Australia (Reuters) - Floodwaters eased in Australia's major Coal Mining region on Tuesday, allowing some mines to slowly resume production although most remained idle, as devastating floods affect some 200,000 people and force towns to be evacuated. Floods have submerged or disrupted life across an area the size of France and Germany combined, according to the premier of Queensland state. The floodwaters have br...

Australia flooding expected to peak
Floodwaters eased in Australia's major Coal Mining region today, allowing some mines to slowly resume production although most remained idle, as devastating floods affect some 200,000 people and force towns to be evacuated. Floods have submerged or disrupted life across an area the size of France and Germany combined, according to the premier of Queensland state. The floodwaters have brought coking coal production and exports to a virtual standstill, pushing world coal prices higher. More peop...

Residents of flooded Australian city face long recovery
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Floodwaters in an inundated city on Australia's coast held steady below their predicted peak on Wednesday, as exhausted residents were warned they would face a long wait before the churning, muddy mess dries up. Residents of the waterlogged city of Rockhampton were hopeful the river had swelled to its highest level, with the mayor saying the community appeared to have been spared any further damage. Water from the overflowing Fitzroy River has already swamped 20...

Flooded Australia city faces long wait to dry out
In this Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011 photo, an island is formed by flood water... BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Floodwaters in an inundated city on Australia's northeastern coast held steady below their predicted peak on Wednesday as exhausted residents were warned they would face a long wait before the churning, muddy mess dries up. Residents of the waterlogged city of Rockhampton were hopeful the river had swelled to its highest level, with the mayor saying the community appeared to have been spared an...

Reason Morning Links: New Congress Takes Over, Flooding in Australia, Sudan May Split
New Congress begins today. Australia hit with massive Flooding. Vote this week may split Sudan in two. Navy captain dismissed over lewd videos. Boehner promises GOP house will be honest and accountable. Freshman GOP congressman reportedly already facing ethics investigation. ...

Emergency airlifts for flooded Queensland
A huge relief operation was under way in Queensland last night as the Military airlifted emergency supplies of food and medicine to thousands of people hit by widespread Flooding. At least 50 tonnes of essential goods was being flown to the worst-hit areas, including Rockhampton, where the Fitzroy River is expected to peak tomorrow. The coastal city has been effectively cut off since the weekend, when the airport runway was closed and main roads flooded. At least a thousand residents were expect...

Food, supplies flown to flood-stranded Aussie city
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - A Military flight rushed Monday to restock an Australian city before it was cut off by floodwaters that have turned a huge swath of the Outback into a lake, while police confirmed two more Deaths in the crisis. Drenching rain that started before Christmas has flooded an area the size of France and Germany combined in northeastern Queensland state. Rivers are overflowing and at least 22 towns and cities in the farming region are inundated. In the coastal city of Rockh...

75,000 stranded by Australian floodwaters
THE Australian city of Rockhampton and its 75,000 people were completely cut off by floodwaters yesterday, as the unprecedented surge of water across the country's north-east caused huge disruption. • An aerial view shows all too clearly the extent of the disaster in the suburb of Depot Hill in Rockhampton Picture: AFP/Getty Images Drenching rain that started before Christmas has flooded an area the size of France and Germany combined in northeastern Queensland state. Rivers are overflowing...

Food, supplies flown to flood-stranded Aussie city
BRISBANE, Australia - A Military flight rushed Monday to restock an Australian city before it was cut off by floodwaters that have turned a huge swath of the Outback into a lake, while police confirmed two more Deaths in the crisis. Drenching rain that started before Christmas has flooded an area the size of France and Germany combined in northeastern Queensland state. Rivers are overflowing and at least 22 towns and cities in the farming region are inundated. In the coastal city of Rockha...