Monthly Report May 2017 FINAL
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Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Volume 31, Number
Presented at AFAC16 - the annual conference of AFAC and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research CRC in Brisbane, August 2016. ABSTRACT This paper presents research Building community from collaboration between the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) cyclone resilience at James Cook University and insurer Suncorp over the last two years. A key outcome of through academic and this work has been an insurance premium reduction program by Suncorp known as the insurance industry ‘Cyclone Resilience Benefit’. Background research conducted for the program by the CTS partnership is discussed and its details are briefly reviewed. Insights Jon Harwood, Suncorp Group Limited, and Dr Daniel J. Smith and from the program delivery to Dr David Henderson, Cyclone Testing Station, detail an academic- over 14 000 homeowners to industry partnership to bring cost benefits to cyclone-prone date are discussed. Although still in preliminary stages, the communities. development of this industry program based on academic research demonstrates the benefits of strategic Introduction partnerships in the field of Australia’s annual insured losses due to natural disasters exceed $480 million natural disaster risk mitigation. on average (ICA 2014), continuously highlighting the need for well-designed Figure 1: Insurance losses by natural hazard (ICA 2014). homes and infrastructure. Cyclone and severe storm events are particularly costly, contributing to nearly half of all nominal natural hazard insurance losses over the period from 1970–2013 (see Figure 1). While cyclone events are relatively infrequent, the resulting losses are excessive and the risk associated with insuring properties in cyclonic regions of Australia (e.g. Queensland) has led to affordability issues. -
Cyclone Factsheet UPDATE
TROPICAL CYCLONES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: FACTSHEET CLIMATECOUNCIL.ORG.AU TROPICAL CYCLONES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: FACT SHEET KEY POINTS • Climate change is increasing the destructive power of tropical cyclones. o All weather events today, including tropical cyclones, are occurring in an atmosphere that is warmer, wetter, and more energetic than in the past. o It is likely that maximum windspeeds and the amount of rainfall associated with tropical cyclones is increasing. o Climate change may also be affecting many other aspects of tropical cyclone formation and behaviour, including the speed at which they intensify, the speed at which a system moves (known as translation speed), and how much strength is retained after reaching land – all factors that can render them more dangerous. o In addition, rising sea levels mean that the storm surges that accompany tropical cyclones are even more damaging. • While climate change may mean fewer tropical cyclones overall, those that do form can become more intense and costly. In other words, we are likely to see more of the really strong and destructive tropical cyclones. • A La Niña event brings an elevated tropical cyclone risk for Australia, as there are typically more tropical cyclones in the Australian region than during El Niño years. BACKGROUND Tropical cyclones, known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, typhoons in the Northwest Pacific, and simply as tropical cyclones in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, are among the most destructive of extreme weather events. Many Pacific Island Countries, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga, lie within the South Pacific cyclone basin. -
NASA Sees Ex-Tropical Cyclone Gillian's Remnants Persist 20 March 2014
NASA sees ex-Tropical Cyclone Gillian's remnants persist 20 March 2014 (PR) instrument revealed that intense convective storms in this area were still dropping rain at a rate of over 97 mm/3.8 inches per hour and returning radar reflectivity values of over 51dBZ. TRMM PR data were used to create a simulated 3-D view that showed the vertical structure of precipitation within the stormy area contained towering thunderstorms. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that animated enhanced satellite imagery on March 20 showed flaring deep convection associated with a slowly-consolidating low-level circulation center. On March 20, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Jakarta noted that Gillian's remnants had maximum sustained winds near 25 knots/28.7 mph/46.3 kph. It was centered near 9.4 south and 119.0 east, about 233 nautical miles/ 268.1 miles/431.5 km east of South Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. TRMM passed above Gillian's remnants on March 20, TCWC issued watches and warnings for parts of 2014, and this 3-D simulation of TRMM data showed the Indonesia archipelago in Bahasa. several of the tallest thunderstorms in Gillian's remnants were reaching heights of over 15.75 km/9.8 miles. Credit: NASA/SSAI, Hal Pierce NASA's TRMM satellite continues to follow the remnants of former Tropical Cyclone Gillian as it moved from the Southern Pacific Ocean into the Southern Indian Ocean where it appears to be re- organizing. The persistent remnants of tropical cyclone Gillian have moved westward over 2,700 km/1,674 miles since forming in the Gulf of Carpentaria on March 8, 2014. -
The Bathurst Bay Hurricane: Media, Memory and Disaster
The Bathurst Bay Hurricane: Media, Memory and Disaster Ian Bruce Townsend Bachelor of Arts (Communications) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2019 School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry Abstract In 1899, one of the most powerful cyclones recorded struck the eastern coast of Cape York, Queensland, resulting in 298 known deaths, most of whom were foreign workers of the Thursday Island pearling fleets. Today, Australia’s deadliest cyclone is barely remembered nationally, although there is increasing interest internationally in the cyclone’s world record storm surge by scientists studying past cyclones to assess the risks of future disasters, particularly from a changing climate. The 1899 pearling fleet disaster, attributed by Queensland Government meteorologist Clement Wragge to a cyclone he named Mahina, has not until now been the subject of scholarly historical inquiry. This thesis examines the evidence, as well as the factors that influenced how the cyclone and its disaster have been remembered, reported, and studied. Personal and public archives were searched for references to, and evidence for, the event. A methodology was developed to test the credibility of documents and the evidence they contained, including the data of interest to science. Theories of narrative and memory were applied to those documents to show how and why evidence changed over time. Finally, the best evidence was used to reconstruct aspects of the event, including the fate of several communities, the cyclone’s track, and the elements that contributed to the internationally significant storm tide. The thesis concludes that powerful cultural narratives were responsible for the nation forgetting a disaster in which 96 percent of the victims were considered not to be citizens of the anticipated White Australia. -
Results for the Mackay-Whitsunday 2018 Report Card
RESULTS FOR THE MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY-ISAAC 2018 REPORT CARD ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS Authorship statement The Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Healthy Partnership (Partnership) Results for Environmental Indicators for the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac 2018 Report Card technical report was compiled by the Partnership’s Technical Officers, Alysha Lee and Jessica Gillespie. Substantial input was received from the Regional Report Cards Technical Working Group (TWG) members. Some content was also drawn from technical reports from earlier Mackay-Whitsunday report cards. Regional Report Cards Technical Working Group members Diane Tarte (TWG Chair July 2018 onwards) Adam Fletcher Paulina Kaniewska Nicola Stokes Richard Hunt Reinier Mann Tegan Whitehead Angus Thompson Emma Maxwell Nathan Waltham Alysha Lee Alex Carter Jessica Gillespie Michael Rasheed Carl Mitchell Glynis Orr Nyssa Henry Luke Galea Michael Holmes Eddie Jebreen David Moffatt Ken Rhode Andrew Moss Travis Sydes Lynne Powell Lyndon Llewellyn Judith Wake Nadine Marshall Donna Audas Paul Groves Chris Dench Stephen Lewis Michael Nash Chris Manning Melinda Louden Adam Folkers Acknowledgements The authors also thank Phillip Trendell, Bernie Cockayne, Bronwyn Houlden, Carol Honchin, Len McKenzie, Jamie Corfield and Matt Curnock for their technical input into various aspects of document development and/or their review of the document. Members of the Reef Independent Science Panel are also gratefully acknowledged for their advice and review of this document. Suggested citation Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (2019). Results for the Mackay- Whitsunday-Isaac 2018 Report Card: Environmental Indicators, Technical Report. Mackay- Whitsunday-Isaac Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership, Mackay. This technical report was finalised and released online in November 2019. -
Local Disaster Management Plan (LDMP) Has Been Prepared to Ensure There Is a Consistant Approach to Diaster Management in the Livingstone Shire
F Document Set ID: 8554803 Version: 1, Version Date: 17/09/2020 FOREWORD Foreword by the Chair, Andrew Ireland of the Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Management Group. The Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Management Plan (LDMP) has been prepared to ensure there is a consistant approach to Diaster Management in the Livingstone Shire. This plan is an important tool for managing potential disasters and is a demonstrated commitment towards enhancing the safety of the Livingstone Shire community. The plan identifies potential hazards and risks in the area, identifies steps to mitigate these risks and includes strategies to enact should a hazard impact and cause a disaster. This plan has been developed to be consistant with the Disaster Management Standards and Guidelines and importantly to intergrate into the Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements (QDMA). The primary focus is to help reduce the potential adverse effect of an event by conducting activities before, during or after to help reduce loss of human life, illness or injury to humans, property loss or damage, or damage to the environment. I am confident the LDMP provides a comprehensive framework for our community, and all residents and vistors to our region can feel secure that all agenices involved in the Livingstone Shire LDMP are dedicated and capable with a shared responsibility in disaster management. On behalf of the Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Management Group, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this important plan. Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Andrew Ireland Chair, Local Disaster Management Group Dated: 26 August 2020 Page 2 of 175 ECM # xxxxxx Version 6 Document Set ID: 8554803 Version: 1, Version Date: 17/09/2020 ENDORSEMENT This Local Disaster Management Plan (LDMP) has been prepared by the Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Management Group for the Livingstone Shire Council as required under section 57 of the Disaster Management Act 2003 (the Act). -
189930408.Pdf
© The University of Queensland and James Cook University, 2018 Published by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ISSN: 2208-4134 Marine Monitoring Program: Annual report for inshore pesticide monitoring 2016-2017 is licensed for use under a Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 International licence with the exception of the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, the logos of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, The University of Queensland and James Cook University, any other material protected by a trademark, content supplied by third parties and any photographs. For licence conditions see: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0 This publication should be cited as: Grant, S., Thompson, K., Paxman, C., Elisei, G., Gallen C., Tracey, D., Kaserzon, S., Jiang, H., Samanipour, S. and Mueller, J. 2018, Marine Monitoring Program: Annual report for inshore pesticide monitoring 2016-2017. Report for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, 128 pp. A catalogue record for this publication is available from the National Library of Australia Front cover image: Turbid river plume emerging from the Russell-Mulgrave river mouth following several days of heavy rainfall in February 2015 © Dieter Tracey, 2015 DISCLAIMER While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this document are factually correct, UQ and JCU do not make any representation or give any warranty regarding the accuracy, completeness, currency or suitability for any particular purpose of the information or statements contained in this document. To the extent permitted by law UQ and JCU shall not be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of or reliance on the contents of this document. -
Post Tropical Cyclone Ita Assessment of Intertidal Seagrass Status in Dugong and Green Turtle Feeding Grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York)
Extreme Weather Incident Response Post Tropical Cyclone Ita assessment of intertidal seagrass status in dugong and green turtle feeding grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York) Len McKenzie, Rob Coles, Louise Johns & Jessica Leech Report No. 14/25 May 2014 i Information should be cited as: McKenzie, LJ., Coles, R., Johns, L. and Leech, J. 2014, ‘Post Tropical Cyclone Ita assessment of intertidal seagrass status in dugong and green turtle feeding grounds ‐ Jeannie River to Cape Bedford (Cape York)’. Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) report 14/25. Cairns, James Cook University, Cairns. 20 pp. For further information contact: Len McKenzie Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) James Cook University [email protected] PO Box 6811 Cairns QLD 4870 This publication has been compiled by the Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University. Email: [email protected] Web: www.jcu.edu.au/tropwater/ © James Cook University, 2014. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of the work may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of TropWATER. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Acknowledgments: This project was funded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and the Centre for Tropical Water & Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER), James Cook University, Cairns. -
Declines of Seagrasses in a Tropical Harbour, North Queensland, Australia, Are Not the Result of a Single Event
Declines of seagrasses in a tropical harbour, North Queensland, Australia, are not the result of a single event SKYE MCKENNA*, JESSIE JARVIS, TONIA SANKEY, CARISSA REASON, ROBERT COLES and MICHAEL RASHEED Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia *Corresponding author (Email, [email protected]) A recent paper inferred that all seagrass in Cairns Harbour, tropical north-eastern Australia, had undergone ‘complete and catastrophic loss’ as a result of tropical cyclone Yasi in 2011. While we agree with the concern expressed, we would like to correct the suggestion that the declines were the result of a single climatic event and that all seagrass in Cairns Harbour were lost. Recent survey data and trend analysis from an on-ground monitoring program show that seagrasses in Cairns Harbour do remain, albeit at low levels, and the decline in seagrasses occurred over several years with cyclone Yasi having little additional impact. We have conducted annual on-ground surveys of seagrass distribution and the above-ground meadow biomass in Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet since 2001. This has shown a declining trend in biomass since a peak in 2004 and in area since it peaked in 2007. In 2012, seagrass area and above-ground biomass were significantly below the long-term (12 year) average but seagrass was still present. Declines were associated with regional impacts on coastal seagrasses from multiple years of above-average rainfall and severe storm and cyclone activity, similar to other nearby seagrass areas, and not as a result of a single event. [McKenna S, Jarvis J, Sankey T, Reason C, Coles R and Rasheed M 2015 Declines of seagrasses in a tropical harbour, North Queensland, Australia, are not the result of a single event. -
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. -
Rockhampton's Resilient Future
ROCKHAMPTON’S RESILIENT FUTURE DESIGN CHARRETTE Centre for Subtropical Design Queensland University of Technology 2 George Street GPO Box 2434 Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia Rosemary Kennedy Liz Brogden December 2015 Page 1 of 45 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................6 Background ...................................................................................................................................................................................7 Rockhampton ..........................................................................................................................................................................7 Impact ....................................................................................................................................................................................8 The South Rockhampton Flood Levee Proposal .............................................................................................. 9 Objectives .................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Approach and Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. -
NASA Covers Tropical Cyclone Lam's Landfall in Northern Territory 19 February 2015, by Rob Gutro
NASA covers Tropical Cyclone Lam's landfall in Northern Territory 19 February 2015, by Rob Gutro Exploration Agency's Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core observatory satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Lam at 1256 UTC and captured data on the rainfall rates within the storm. At that time, sustained winds were estimated to be increasing above 55 knots (63 mph). GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) measured rain falling at a rate of almost 55 mm (2.2 inches) per hour in powerful storms to the northwest of Lam's center. A 3-D view of cyclone Lam's vertical structure was made possible by using GPM's radar (Ku band) data that showed some thunderstorm tops above 7.8 miles (12.6 km). Another instrument took a look at the winds of the storm from its perch in space. The International Space Station's RapidScat instrument captured a look at Tropical Cyclone Lam's winds as it was moving toward landfall. From Feb. 18 at 1:40 UTC to 3:13 UTC RapidScat saw sustained winds to 56 mph/90 kph/25 mps. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a stunning picture of the storm as Tropical Cyclone Lam was making landfall over the the center was making landfall on Feb. 19 at 04:40 Northeast Territory of Australia when NASA's Aqua UTC. The center was an eye-like feature obscured satellite saw it on Feb. 19, 2015 at 4:40 UTC. Credit: by clouds as it exited the Arafura Sea and came NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team ashore near Elcho and Howard Islands in the northeastern part of the Northern Territory.