“We need to make every effort to stay calm and stick together. If you live on high ground, now is the time to reach out and offer help to neighbours… and offer a bed for the night. I think the entire city of Brisbane, the Ipswich region and most of the south-east, needs to prepare ourselves for enormous disruption … We’ve seen acts of extreme bravery and courage from our emergency workers. We know they’re out on the front line desperately trying to begin their search-and-rescue efforts, and we know we have people stranded and people lost.”
— Queensland state premier Anna Bligh on the terrible flooding in Brisbane — Australia’s third largest city, and home to great punk band, the Saints, whose first hit is brought to mind. Here’s wishing the people there the best in riding this out and recovering.
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I grew up in New Jersey. I live in New York. I write for the Awl, and also a book called Public Apology, for Grand Central Publishing.