So I haven’t been shooting as much the past two days as I have moved my focus to helping a friend clean up her family home which was hit hard. The house is in Chelmer and came right through the house. I have snapped a few photos on the way there and a couple as we knock off each night but once there I mainly left the camera aside to do whatever I can. On the first day I only really helped out for three hours and today was only there from 1:00 as it took me almost 3 hours to get there. There have been random people though helping, friends pulling crews together of 15 + people, some of her old highschool friends that she hasn’t seen since highschool dropping in. I know this is just one story, but you can see the same story over and over again in each house.

It was amazing to see the physics of flood damage. Fridges and washing machines in the air and leaning against walls and scraps in wierd angles. Hearing comments like “what is this doing in the living room it came from the laundry” etc. As a point of interest, watching what a flood does inside a house is amazing. But physics aside, seeing the damage and loss of belongings is heartbreaking.

As opposed to our generation drumming volunteers using social media, outside the White Lady’s Funeral place that was affected there is a old board leaning against its wall calling for volnuteers. As of lunchtime Saturday there were 7 names down.

Besides the hordes of volunteers helping strangers clean up, a group of volunteers were also making food and bringing water. These guys above were driving around calling out to any tired looking volunteer and offering sandwiches.

As I walked from my parked car TO the house I was helping to clean up, a tired bunch of volunteers were walking back to their cars after already lending a hand.

The army were also out in force control the traffic mayhem, cleaning the streets and lending residents a hand in their own clean up.

On the first day, down the road from Chelmer, I spotted this boat by the river that had apparently been previously moored at Fig Tree Pocket. During the flood it broke free from its mooring and the owner managed to moor it here behind the Pamphlett Sea Scout Group headquarters. As the water receeded it is now stuck on a very muddy shoreline.

Going for a bit of a reccie by the water I also noticed the many dead fish that had not been able to swim back out when the water receeded.

I was taking photos of this guy lieing in shallow waters until I noticed him flapping. Still partially alive I nudged him back in to deeper water and he managed to swim away.

On the first day that the water had recceeded I was driving through South Brisbane to get to Chelmer and stopped quickly to also photograph businesses that were beginning their clean up.

The dirt line on the wall to the left is the height that the water came to in this part of South Brisbane.

The Convention Center was hit also in the floods and had volunteers hosing down the drying mud.

Remember to help those that have been affected you can donate here:

www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

If you are in the local area please think about volunteering by registering here:

www.volunteeringqld.org.au/home/

For a full gallery of all Brisbane Flood 2011 photos visit my flickr set