If you live anywhere on the east coast of Australia, I hope you’ve survived this past week’s series of storms, winds and crazy tumultuous weather.
We actually braved the torrential rain on Saturday night for a double date dinner. What were we thinking?
Peeling myself off the couch, get out of my sweat pants and make the effort to scrub up for a night out in the cold and rain.
Luckily, in the end, the food was great (Japanese fusion) and the company awesome (the only other couple I know who actually who think we’re still cool enough to want to hang out with us sans kids).
With the kids staying with G’ma that night, we drove the next morning to pick them up. Again, facing the relentless weather.
On our way home, we drove along the eastern suburbs beaches to survey the damage.
People were still out, getting their weekend walks in. Runners looking liberated albeit drenched.
But I couldn’t help wonder about climate change. How did we go from marveling at the Indian summer, enjoying days of 25 degrees to the sudden fear of raging weather and floods?
By no means am I an expert on the environment. However, something doesn’t feel quite right.
Yet, we’re not fully accepting the idea that it could possibly be the effects of climate change. The media keep talking like this extreme weather is rare, telling us this storm is a “Once in a lifetime” disaster.
I’m pretty sure I’ve already experienced three in the past ten years.
Even Leonardo Di Caprio – a staunch environmentalist – had to mention during his Oscar acceptance speech that the entire Revenant film production had to go as far as the southern tip of South America to find deep, heavy snow.
Or was he just dreaming that up too?
Maybe from now on, one off disasters will end up just the norm. Like the big arse trees in my neighbourhood fall flat on the main road.
Or collapsed roads around the local wharf, deeming it unsafe.
Is it just me? Or is something not quite right?
Were you affected by the storms? Do you believe in climate change?
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That rain up around Sydney sounded crazy! I’ve seen so many damage photos. It does seem like it’s becoming more and more common.
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit recently posted..Day 2429 – Caring for your feet in winter
Wowsers those have been big storms.
I believe in climate change. I can’t believe some politicians do not. Great shots you have taken Grace.
JodY At Six Little Hearts recently posted..Teletubbies Toy Review and Win a Teletubbies Prize Pack Worth $95! #SLHFeaturedThursdays
Wasn’t the weather horrendous! I felt so sorry for the people with beachfront houses, especially the lady at Collaroy who lost her backyard pool to the ocean!
Ingrid @ fabulous and fun life recently posted..Bloggers United AU 1st Birthday Celebration at Lush QVB Sydney
I was overseas and couldn’t believe what I was seeing on the news. Unless you’re an ostrich with your head in the sand, I can’t see how we cannot believe in climate change. As you so rightly point out, these “once in a lifetime” events are so much more frequent that, and it’s not just in Australia. I don’t know what’s more scary, the frequency and ferocity of the extreme weather, the indifference of the politicians to sit up, take notice and do something about it or both!
Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid recently posted..10 on 10 Project – June 2016
The weather was crazy. The only thing crazier were the idots driving through roadblocks against police advice or swimming- SWIMMING!- in flood waters. I wish people were more sensible- 2 lost their lives but it could have been even worse, as if that’s not bad enough!
Amy @ HandbagMafia recently posted..The Fireman by Joe Hill
Haven’t the weather reports just been crazy lately? I can’t believe what I’m seeing on the news some days. We’ve had our fair share of terrible weather in Melbourne in recent times, especially the wind! Oh that wind! Keep safe everyone!
The airport has been closed to storms in the last 12 months than it has in my entire living memory – and I’m 107. So yep, def climate change. That storm was nuts.
Lydia C. Lee recently posted..Pushing through concrete (Part 1)
I agree, something definitely ain’t right! And P.S- I hate winter!
Sarah @sarahdipity recently posted..The Organic Place
Something is definitely not quite right~ we were told to prepare for the worst on Saturday here on the Gold Coast and although there was flooding and torrential rain, it was nothing compared to Sydney. I just can’t believe it affected all the way down to Tassie. Quite unbelievable! Something is definitely happening and mother nature is not happy!!
Ashlea | Glamour Coastal Living | recently posted..Feature Friday: a Hamptons Kitchen
so surreal watching here in Victoria. It feels strange that we’ve been let off the hook this time. I feel for all those affected. Gosh, those waves have been fierce. We are so vulnerable aren’t we against Mother Nature? This is undoubtedly the effects of climate change.
Vicki @ Knocked Up & Abroad recently posted..Finger Food For All The Little People
As someone who has read reports on artifacts found from previous ice ages, I don’t know how climate change denial exists. The world has ALWAYS changed, but now we have this invented thing of “money” that it will impact. Sigh.
Lets just ignore the long term value of the environment for a short term profit. That was pretty much the subject of my major essay for the semester just gone (neoliberal policies and practices and their impacts/cause of environmental industrial disasters) . And I finished writing it over the weekend when everyone was being hammered by storms.
Vanessa recently posted..Your Hearts Desire
No, I don’t think you’re imagining it. I find it quite terrifying that our politicians and government act like climate change is no big deal, and I fear for the future where my children and grandchildren have to live with the fall out of this!
We missed all of the extreme weather here, but my mother in law is here from Kiama so we saw lots of photos of washed away beaches.
Dani @ sand has no home recently posted..Cerulean Part I
Mother Nature is actually in charge and I think we humans often forget that. This was part of a storm system that affected people in different places. It was interesting to me, however, that the Collaroy Beaches and other areas got high media coverage (because they were incredibly dramatic events!!) but at the same time, the town of Picton was ‘drowning’ as the river rose in a very small amount of time. Mick and Emma tweeted and Facebooked about their community in strife but said they’re a community that works to help each other out. …and finally it got some attention once the weekend was over. Nevertheless weather is a determinant in our lives and yes I would imagine there has been a lot of man-made interference in our world which is unsettling patterns. Glad you guys stayed relatively safe and the before and during pics at Bondi tell their own story dent they?
Denyse Whelan recently posted..Hawkesbury River In The Wind. 366/162.
The footage of those expensive houses on the coast with their back? front? yards all smashed up on the beach, including their pools, so eerie, like a disaster movie. I absolutely do believe in climate change, it’s been happening for years before we even got here and we’re definitely not helping.
Beth | AlmostPosh.com recently posted..Playtex Comfort Revolution Review + Giveaway
Mother nature can get mighty angry sometimes and the devastation she causes can be scary.
Natalie @ Our parallel connection recently posted..Is it wrong to have a favourite child?
We lost internet, an umbrella got blown off the balcony and knocked over some garden planters, the Mini Guineas got flooded and had to move inside, and our water heater got damaged. All good!
Kimba Likes recently posted..amazing Grace web series
A huge believer in climate change, I can’t believe the world is so slow to catch on to this! I suppose it’s a risk we take when living right by the ocean right? Mother nature is boss xxx
Emily @ Have A Laugh On Me recently posted..A little perspective
I felt bad (you’ll see if you read my post) that I got to enjoy the rain while cocooned in a yoga retreat in the mountains (it was a bit wild there too). I didn’t realise until I got home how wild it was in New South Wales. I still think the media like to beat-up things as the worst ever, rather than acknowledging that more extreme weather, more often is the climate change new normal unfortunately.
Kathy Kruger recently posted..Mother Nature’s mercy
I spent the whole weekend hibernating, sick as a dog with tonsilitis and wanting to die. Man I have never felt such pain. East Coast lows like this seem to happen at the sam time every year now, I just think we had better get used to them.
Mandy @ barbie bieberand beyond recently posted..When Your Teen Daughter Tells You “I Hate You”