Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia: an Examination of Information and Warnings Broadcasted to Inform Mitigation and Community Preparedness
Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia: an examination of information and warnings broadcasted to inform mitigation and community preparedness Kevin Ronan CQ University, Bushfire and Naturual Hazards CRC Bruce Gunn Bureau of Meteorology Deanne Bird Risk Frontiers, University of Iceland AFAC16 CONFERENCE PAPER Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia: An examination of information and warnings broadcasted to inform mitigation and community preparedness Deanne Bird1, 2, Shannon Panchuk3, Kevin Ronan4, Linda Anderson-Berry3, Christine Hanley5, Shelby Canterford6, Ian Mannix7, Bruce Gunn3 1 Risk Frontiers, Macquarie University, Melbourne 2 Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik 3 Hazards Warnings and Forecasts Division, Bureau of Meteorology 4 Clinical Psychology, School of Human, Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 5 Population Research Lab, School of Human, Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton 6 Community Safety Branch, Community Safety and Earth Monitoring Division, Geoscience Australia 7 ABC Radio Emergency Broadcasting Abstract The event of severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia is particularly interesting for two reasons. Firstly, it is the most intense cyclone to make landfall so far south on the east coast of Australia during the satellite era. Secondly, it rapidly intensified from a Category 2 to a Category 5 system in 36 hours. While coastal residents of the region, including Yeppoon and Byfield are accustomed to receiving cyclone forecasts and warnings, many were taken by surprise by the intensity of Marcia and the fact that it wasn’t another ‘near miss’. Being situated further inland, the residents of Rockhampton were even more surprised. Given the rapid escalation in intensity of this event, the effective transmission of warnings and how these were used to inform mitigation and community preparedness was particularly important.
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