From a bone-dry 2019 to a verdant green 2020: Here’s what the Hampton area looks like now
In November 2019 the region was parched and on fire. This is how it looks now.
Toowoomba
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It was just over 12 months ago that the communities of Hampton, Crows Nest, Ravensbourne and Pechey were on high alert as one of the largest bushfires the region has seen in recent times tore its way across the countryside.
The ground was parched, and it had been months without rain.
All told, more than 19,500 hectares of scrub and farm land were burned.
What a difference a year makes.
Hampton resident Justin Russell snapped these before and after shots, with the greener photos taken this month.
The top photo, taken in November 2019, shows the dry landscape and part of the Pechey bushfire, looking north towards Grapetree from Hampton View Ct at Hampton.
“I wasn’t worried as such, but I think I was just keen to keep an eye on what was happening,” he said.
“The fire was coming up over the ridges, but the wind kept pushing it away from Hampton.”
Since then, the high country north of Toowoomba has been on “a real roller coaster” when it comes to rain.
Roughly 200mm fell in February, before it dried off in spring.
But with a wet summer forecast, Mr Russell is hopeful.
He’s collected 205mm in his rain gauge so far this month.
He reckons the Hampton area is looking the best it’s looked since 2016.
Elsewhere on the Darling Downs, Toowoomba has received almost 50mm of rain since Friday.
Oakey copped a solid downpour on Friday with 34mm, but only received 0.6mm of rain on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, down in the Lockyer Valley, Gatton received just 9.4mm since Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more showers and storms across the Darling Downs in the coming days.
Christmas Day in Toowoomba is expected to be 25 degrees with a chance of rain.
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