The Mud Army 2.0 will return to mop the floors of Brisbane following days of death, destruction and mass evacuation.
A selfless community carried by an army of volunteers is turning up to help out fellow Queenslanders as floodwaters begin to recede in areas across Brisbane.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has called out to the spirit of thexjmtzyw city to fight against the aftermath of one of the state’s greatest natural disasters.
“We’re launching registrations for the Mud Army,” he told reporters.
“With our registrations, we can register people to help but we can also register people who need help.”
The Mud Army first went to work back in 2011 after the catastrophic 4.46m floods crashed through the state.
Behind the scenes, volunteers have convoyed together with buckets, brooms and spades in hand to clean up the muddied mess of the Brisbane river.
Second time around Mud Army volunteer David van der Giessen described the aftermath as “heartbreaking”.
“This is one of the biggest tests our community will face – people are really, really going to need help.” he said.
“I just went to Bunnings and there were only four or five shovels left in the entire shop.”
“I’m just wearing some steel caps shoes and I’ve obviously got myself some gloves.”
The second-time mud responder said volunteers should be prepared to pack rain boots, sunscreen, water, spare clothes, rubber gloves and something to aid smell.
“The smells on the ground are putrid; it just takes your break away.” he said.
University of Queensland public health Associate Professor Simon Reid warned residents to wear protective gear around flood water and mud.
“Some people who are flooded in won’t have the option of avoiding contact with flood water and mud. If this is you, try to wear protective clothing like closed-in shoes or boots and gloves.” he wrote.
“Health risks from flood water include bacteria and parasites that cause gastroenteritis [gastro], bacteria that infect the skin, physical hazards causing injury, and specific disease-causing pathogens that thrive in mud and water.”
The Queensland government has announced around 200 Defence Force personnel are on standby to support the recovery.
Heavy rainfall has finally eased across Queensland’s south east, however flood warnings remain in place for many rivers.
“Finally some good news for southeast Queensland. At the moment, all of the severe weather warnings have been cancelled,” Sarah Scully from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.
Several days’ torrential rain across the state’s south east have left eight people dead and inundated around 15,000 homes.
There have been accumulated rainfall totals in excess of one metre across the region.
The Brisbane River was forecast to peak at around 3.7m, with high tide on Tuesday morning, after reaching 3.85m on Monday.
On Monday, a man believed to be in his 50s was killed by floodwaters in the Currumbin Valley.
The man was found in his vehicle, along with his dog, which also died. It is believed he had driven 30 to 40m into flood waters.
