In the aftermath of the Brisbane floods, the huge turnout of volunteers to help clean up the debris left by the water was inspiring. It is wonderful to see all these people get together to help out their community.
More than 7,000 registered volunteers and many thousands of unofficial volunteers turned out for a clean up day organised by the city council. Up to 50,000 people have registered to volunteer online, with Volunteering Queensland having to halt registrations because of the sheer volume of help on offer.
Today, so many people turned up to help that volunteers had to be turned away.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to have your home full of mud and shit. Where would you start with cleaning it and trying to get back to normality?
And of course, while disasters bring out the good in most people, they unfortunately also bring out the scum who see empty houses and shops as fair game for a bit of looting. More than a handful of people have been caught stealing. The penalty for looting is apparently up to 10 years in jail – myself, I think the punishment should be more creative – maybe a swim in the river while chained to a large heavy object?
