Flood waters likely to remain high for another week
The flooding that has submerged an area of Queensland, Australia bigger than the size of British Columbia seems to have peaked at around nine metres, but Australian officials say it could be a at least a week before the Fitzroy River recedes. So far, the flood has affected about 200,000 people, and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh estimates the cost of recovery to be more than $5 billion. Another unexpected factor complicating resettlement plans: many regions are now awash with venomous snakes.