A story for Patagonia
I wrote an article for Patagonia’s blog, Roaring Journals, about Australia’s first climate refugees.
I was one of thousands of people who helped those affected by the worst floods to hit Australia’s Northern Rivers in 152 years. Patagonia wanted to share the story of the community response in the face of the former Government’s ambivalence and the implication for Australia’s climate future.
“There was a lot of rain in the weeks leading up to February 27, but the flood arrived largely unannounced. Floodwaters had already knocked out power and phone infrastructure, so thousands of people never received State Emergency Service text messages warning of rising waters and later, advising evacuation. The people of Lismore went to bed that night believing this flood was nothing to worry about. The February flood was two metres higher than predicted hundred-year flood levels. One Lismore local explained it to me like this: “In 2017, the flood was shin-high on the ground floor of my Mum’s place. This one was chest-high upstairs and came in the dark of night.””
What happens if your leap of faith works out?