We’ve had over seven inches of rain in the last few weeks. Not bad for a desert where not much rain is needed to make things sticky. It leads to flights being missed, cars being bogged, food trucks being bogged (ever try to unbog a road train), and roads flooded and impassable anywhere from 24hrs to weeks, with a big disruption to services and plans. 
Our community has been having daily (if not more frequent) generator failures and today all communication across the lands (and into Alice) was disrupted for most of the day with an equipment failure (being out here it probably won’t make the news). Wingellina, due to flooding and irregular deliveries has run out of fuel for vehicles. Unsure about fuel left to run the community generators. Here is a weather report I sent out a few days ago.
Weather Report
Great Central Road to the west of Warakurna (Giles) (70km wide storm front) and all Mulga Park Road through to Wingellina has had rain continuously from about 7pm (now midnight WDT) from 2-6mm an hour. Wingellina is in the middle of the 70km wide storm front. Suggest Mulga Park Road will be difficult if not impassable, and probably closed by Shire.
Why was it on the Cut Road?
Occasional heavy showers have been falling over Great Central Road further west (east of Warburton). Wanarn has also been rather damp. Road east of Giles to Docker River also receiving rain.
Roadhouse at WBR informed me Wingellina could not get a vehicle out along bottom road up to pick up stores. The Wingellina-Blackstone road has been receiving the same rain as Mulga Park Road. Shire vehicle travelled road on Tuesday and got through. Today anecdotal reports of number of cars stranded as people try to get to Amata for a funeral.
Storm front
Jameson to Blackstone road has had very long extended water on road (several hundreds of metres) and has been receiving showers over the last five hours. Vehicle from Blackstone apparently did manage to get out to retrieve stores from Warburton today (Wednesday)
The Cut Road from Jameson to the Great Central Road is impassable 30km from highway. A track has been made to the west through higher, but still waterlogged ground just prior to logs over road. This alternative route may be impassable depending on amount of rain. Regular showers of up to 2mm/hr have been falling on Cut Road since 6pm. There is a tree over the road (16km) and some very marshy ground where truck was previously bogged (36km from central road). Two vehicles will be travelling out that way from Jameson early am. Will know more then!
Warburton – Jameson Road has been receiving occasional light rains. Bog ~40km from Warburton quite slippery and deep with numerous vehicles bogged there in last few days. Otherwise Warburton side of road is not bad. Jameson side has large amounts of water still on road and road washed completely away in a couple of places. Stick to road or well defined side tracks as country is completely waterlogged.
Five cars pulled from bogs on roads around Jameson today prior to current rains. This has included some you-beaut white fella 4wds including one whose front suspension broke and tyres damaged as he found a hole a bit deeper than usual.
Thunderstorms expected Thursday morning.
As showers fall in Jameson: Happy Travelling!
If you liked this you might also want to look at my video on my Peak Hour Traffic and my little post about a Drive in the Country.
I hope to have a few more pictures up for my next Pleasant Sunday Afternoon post. Keep watching!
Robbo
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OK — that’s proper rain, and proper mud….
Wait until you see the pics on Sunday