Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas • Hacker News Board

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#21

Post by liedra » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 12:55 PM UTC

Tichy wrote: post #11

jacques_chester wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's an easy hack. Pull out your credit card, go here: http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html Joint appeal from Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Queensland Emergency Service, I believe. Edit: http://telethon.smartservice.qld.gov.au/ takes you directly to the credit card donations page. First link gives you other options. Edit 2: Red Cross direct donations: https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonation…

Does Australia need that? I don't think they are a poor country? Sorry if that sounds petty, just wondering.

A lot of this will go to help poorer people unable to insure their homes and/or contents, or to help relief efforts feed, clothe, and house evacuees. It may not be a poor country but there are still poor people. Just like Hurricane Katrina in the US -- though our government seems to do a better job than the US when it comes to disaster response.

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#22

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 1:22 PM UTC

kondro wrote: post #19

Tichy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Australia need that? I don't think they are a poor country? Sorry if that sounds petty, just wondering.

Cleanup bill estimates I've heard so far are in excess of $15 billion. There is an estimated $2 billion in damages to roads alone. Expenditure like this would take anyone for surprise, including seemingly wealthy countries.

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#23

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 1:22 PM UTC

kondro wrote: post #19

Tichy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Australia need that? I don't think they are a poor country? Sorry if that sounds petty, just wondering.

Cleanup bill estimates I've heard so far are in excess of $15 billion. There is an estimated $2 billion in damages to roads alone. Expenditure like this would take anyone for surprise, including seemingly wealthy countries.

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#24

Post by Tichy » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 1:41 PM UTC

kondro wrote: post #19

Tichy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Australia need that? I don't think they are a poor country? Sorry if that sounds petty, just wondering.

Cleanup bill estimates I've heard so far are in excess of $15 billion. There is an estimated $2 billion in damages to roads alone. Expenditure like this would take anyone for surprise, including seemingly wealthy countries.

Sure, but for example I live in Europe and we have to bail out entire countries and industries, which also costs billions. I feel it would make more sense to donate in places where the government can't help, like 3rd world. Is anybody considering donating to the European Union?

I have also heard it can be a problem to donate for specific causes, if the organizations then are not allowed to use the money for other things.

Since apparently these australians live in flooding areas, how many of them have not been insured? Would i encourage them to skip insurance in the future, too, if i would donate now?

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#25

Post by SeanDav » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 2:19 PM UTC

For the Europeans: The flood area is greater than the sizes of Germany and France combined.

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#26

Post by smashing » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 2:21 PM UTC

What is the ratio of Library of Congress's to Texas in area?

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#27

Post by ck2 » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 7:35 PM UTC

Do NOT give to the Red Cross. They are horribly inefficient with money. Nothing you give to them right now will get to people who need it, it's for the NEXT emergency, maybe, if they don't spend it on furniture for the offices instead.

Find smaller, local charities. I know it's not easy but it will actually help people rather than just making us feel better.

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#28

Post by jacques_chester » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 10:34 PM UTC

Tichy wrote: post #24

kondro wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cleanup bill estimates I've heard so far are in excess of $15 billion. There is an estimated $2 billion in damages to roads alone. Expenditure like this would take anyone for surprise, including seemingly wealthy countries.

Sure, but for example I live in Europe and we have to bail out entire countries and industries, which also costs billions. I feel it would make more sense to donate in places where the government can't help, like 3rd world. Is anybody considering donating to the European Union? I have also heard it can be a problem to donate for specific causes, if the organizations then are not allowed to use the money for other thi…

Two things commonly arise in these cases.

1. Most insurers don't drive home the point that they're only insuring for storm and surge, not for flood ... until after the floods are done.

2. Flood insurance is usually set at very high prices. In some parts of the country it's consequently been made illegal to settle in flood zones. But these floods are so large that they're affecting areas that have never flooded before, where a rational person wouldn't have bought flood insurance anyway.

I'm honestly not sure if you'd be encouraging them to skip insurance in future. I suspect not, because the government payouts in past natural disasters have only been a fraction of the damage caused, whereas a good insurance policy could pay 100% or more of the cost. It's still rational to take the insurance if you can afford it.

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#29

Post by jacques_chester » Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 10:36 PM UTC

liedra wrote: post #21

Tichy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Australia need that? I don't think they are a poor country? Sorry if that sounds petty, just wondering.

A lot of this will go to help poorer people unable to insure their homes and/or contents, or to help relief efforts feed, clothe, and house evacuees. It may not be a poor country but there are still poor people. Just like Hurricane Katrina in the US -- though our government seems to do a better job than the US when it comes to disaster response.

Our governments get a lot of practice. Fires, floods and cyclones are relatively common occurrences, though rarely on this scale.

I imagine that at this point emergency services in the south of the US are pretty good at responding to tornadoes, for example.

Re: Tell HN: Flooded area in Queensland now the size of Texas

#30

Post by Loic » Thu, Jan 13, 2011, 8:51 AM UTC

ck2 wrote: post #27

Do NOT give to the Red Cross. They are horribly inefficient with money. Nothing you give to them right now will get to people who need it, it's for the NEXT emergency, maybe, if they don't spend it on furniture for the offices instead. Find smaller, local charities. I know it's not easy but it will actually help people rather than just making us feel better.

Can you justify this? Would be nice to have a link to a report or something backing what you write, because the Red Cross is always coming, this is maybe the only organisation you are sure to find everywhere there are people to help. In Germany they are pretty efficient.