Floodplain Managers

FLOODPLAIN

VOL 7 No. 1

February 2011 MANAGER

CONNECTING AND INFORMING AUSTRALIAN FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS

OUR FATAL FLOODS INSIDE “Late November 2010 to mid January 2011 was extremely wet Editorial 2 through much of eastern Australia. Six major rain events The Flooding Timeline 2 affected large parts of the eastern states…resulting in Diary 3 widespread flooding on many rivers, culminating in severe flooding (including river and flash flooding) in Brisbane and Flood Studies Database Tool 3 nearby areas of south-east Queensland and northern NSW Aust Flood Risk Survey 3 during the second week of January. Other significant floods Streamflow Forecaster 3 affected the Fitzroy, Burnett and Condamine-Balonne catchments in Queensland in late December and early January, Information Request 3 the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and Castlereagh catchments in Special Editorial 4 inland NSW in early December, and large parts of northern and The Deadly Floods 12 western Victoria and northern Tasmania in mid-January. The flooding, in terms of extent, impact and severity, was amongst The Bottom Line 14 the most significant in Australia’s recorded history” - National Flushing out the Crooks 15 Climate Centre, Bureau of Meteorology 2011: Special Climate Technology’s New Role 16 Statement 24. The Aftermath 17 The floods that have hit the eastern states have forced the Climate Causes 21 evacuation of thousands of people from over 110 towns and Gaps in Our Knowledge 22 cities. Over 200,000 people have been affected. Three-quarters Seasonal Outlook 23 of the state of Qld has been declared a disaster zone. Flooding has also killed 38 people since the beginning of summer to 14 International Floods 24 February. Eight people are still missing, presumed dead.

This extended edition of Floodplain Manager provides a recap of the events and how the aftermath of the devastating flooding will affect the future of floodplain management in Australia.

SUBSCRIBE Floodplain Manager would like to acknowledge the following Floodplain Manager is distributed to sources for the information in this edition: Bureau of subscribers. Six editions are published Meteorology, Queensland Police Service, The Australian, each year. The annual subscription fee is News.com.au, AAP Media, AWA News, Weatherzone, $99 including GST. Back issues are Wikipedia, Herald Sun, EnviroInfo, Sydney Morning Herald, available. The Courier-Mail, Nine-MSN, Brisbane Times, The Sunday Mail, 2UE Radio, ABC News Online, The Northern Rivers P: 02 9354 0300 Echo, WA Today, Qld Government media releases. E: [email protected]

W: www.molinostewart.com.au (cont page 2)

ISSN 1832-4541

Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2011. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Permission inquiries should be emailed to [email protected] FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 2 February 2011

EDITORIAL THE FLOODING TIMELINE

My heartfelt sympathies go out to QUEENSLAND all who have been affected by the recent terrible floods. I can only The Qld floods were a result of heavy precipitation caused by imagine the heartache being felt Tropical Cyclone Tasha that combined with a trough during the by those who have lost valuable peak of a La Niña event. This caused a prolonged period of assets, treasured memories and heavy rainfall over Qld river catchments. their only livelihoods, not to The following is a timeline of the flood crisis in Qld since the mention those who have tragically start of December, carrying on from the November floods lost loved ones. reported in Dec 2010 Floodplain Manager. In December and January more than 250,000 Australians were 30 Nov – 10 Dec directly affected across five states A trough remained over eastern Australia through this period, and 46 have lost their lives. This with the southeast predominantly in a humid northerly issue details those events. airstream. A cold front crossed south-eastern Australia reaching But if you turn to the back page South Australia late on the 7 December and then continuing you will see that more than 1,000 eastwards over the next two days. Total daily rainfalls were people have perished and nearly widely in the 100-300 mm range in central Qld in a band 800,000 people have been extending from Mackay southwards to the Emerald area. impacted around the globe during Mackay received 143mm of rain on 1 December, Emerald the last two months. Those received 120mm of rain on 3 December and Blackall received figures jump during the Asian 128mm of rain on 8 December. The torrential rain caused flash monsoon season. flooding and isolated flooding across parts of the state.

Floods are frequent, fatal and The Capricorn Highway was cut by water in four places foreseeable but in Australia the between Rockhampton and Emerald. The heavy rain also fell in sparcity of our settlement greatly Brisbane and across south-east Qld with flood warnings issued mitigates their impacts and the for more than a dozen rivers across the state. extreme variability of our climate makes us complacent. Dec 11 – 19 As devastating as these recent A trough associated with the cold front in the previous days events have been, I hope that they moved slowly across the southern half of Qld bringing solid rain are a wakeup call to decision to the region. Daily rainfalls for the period often exceeded makers around this country to 50mm in many parts of the Qld coast where Brisbane received take floods seriously. 80mm of rain on 12 December, Beerburrum received 76mm on Better landuse planning, 12 December and Mareeba received 84mm of rain on 13 improved building codes, December. appropriate mitigation structures, investment in warning systems, Dec 20 – 24 effective emergency plans and On 20 December, a trough moved north over Qld, associated ongoing community education with an intense low east of Tasmania. Much of southern and will always be more cost effective central Qld received a further 50 to 100 mm of rainfall. By 23 than replacing foreseeable losses. December, many rivers were already at or near flood level as a Steven Molino result of the rains in the preceding weeks, particularly the Dawson River which experienced major flooding.

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DIARY AUST FLOOD RISK SURVEY

AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCES & Molino Stewart is running a flood risk survey COURSES and invites participation from Australian residents. The survey takes no more than two Workshop on community resilience, minutes and comprises half a dozen questions emergency management and new media related to different degrees of flooding and asks Victoria, 14-15 April 2011 how often it would be acceptable for a house to www.ema.gov.au/aemi be flooded in this way. The results will be compiled to hopefully provide valuable input to INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES decision makers around Australia for floodplain Association of State Floodplain Managers planning. Please forward the link to your Annual National Conference networks and communities to get as many responses as possible. Louisville, KY, USA 15-20 May 2011 www.floods.org/index.asp?menuID=223&firstle Complete the survey at: www.floodrisk.net.au velmenuID=181&siteID=1 STREAMFLOW FORECASTER World Conference on Disaster Management Toronto, Canada 19-22 June 2011 The Bureau of Meteorology has a new three- www.wcdm.org/ month, Seasonal Streamflow Forecast Service which predicts how much water is expected to Solutions to Coastal Disasters 2011 flow into rivers and storages in the Murray- Conference Series Darling Basin. The service will help water managers and users make more informed water Anchorage, USA 20 June – 16 July 2011 availability decisions. www.unisdr.org/ppew/events/v.php?id=15183 FMA INFORMATION REQUEST 5th International Conference on Flood Management The FMA is using the recent flooding as an Tsukuba, Japan 27-29 Sept 2011 opportunity to demonstrate the benefits of sound www.unisdr.org/ppew/events/v.php?id=13641 floodplain management to Members of Parliament and government bureaucrats. To FLOOD STUDIES DATABASE TOOL support their arguments for more funding, they are searching for information about the recent Geoscience Australia has developed a web-based floods. You can provide brief details on topics Data Entry and Maintenance Tool for the such as: Australian Flood Studies Database. The tool was • Flood mitigation works which have deployed to GA’s website in Dec and allows prevented flooding, if possible with registered stakeholders to add summary approximate costs and benefits information on new studies, edit existing summary information and upload attachments to • Flooding which has occurred because the database. This tool delivers on a key proposed works have not been funded commitment made by GA to stakeholders • How additional funding could help your following the review of the Australian Flood communities better prepare for future floods Studies Database and provides the necessary infrastructure for the delivery of information to • Any other information which may assist your the public. Through NFRAG, state/territory authority’s floodplain management. governments have agreed to be responsible for FMA Executive Officer: Glenn Evans: Email the ongoing update of this national database. [email protected] Ph 0415 873353

EDITORIAL: FLOODS TEACH another. Kempsey on the NSW North Coast had TOUGH LESSONS BUT ARE WE a 1-in-100 flood in 1949 and again in 1950. LEARNING? But flooding doesn’t magically stop at the 1-in- 100 flood level. Much larger floods are possible. Steven Molino, Editor Floodplain Manager A perceived tolerable frequency of 1-in-100 One of the great tragedies in my mind of these chance of water entering buildings is a number recent floods, is how many of the losses can be plucked out of the air by an American engineer avoided. I am not suggesting we can eliminate decades ago when people lived in weatherboard flood impacts but there is much we can do to homes with floorboards and a few sticks of mitigate them. furniture. Floodwaters entering modern homes, full of soft furnishings and high value electrical ACKNOWLEDGE THE RISKS goods purchased on credit, causes considerably more physical, financial and emotional damage. The first thing we all need to do is acknowledge our flood risks, including the fact that it will Forty years ago we embraced brick veneer flood in places we have never seen flood and that homes with plasterboard wall linings and floods bigger than those recorded will happen. chipboard kitchens all of which disintegrate And we need to accept that it can happen to us. when they get splashed. These kinds of homes will have to be completely gutted if they were Today we have the tools to model the extent and touched by the recent floods. We have also impacts of flooding for rainfall events. This has moved to using composite timber joists and been done for hundreds of catchments and some plywood bracing for house frames which lose communities have taken the advice, constructed strength if they get wet. While they may still be mitigation works, made emergency plans and standing after a flood, they may have to be implemented appropriate town planning controls. demolished because they are structurally unsafe. Others are in denial, not believing that such events can happen to them. This denial is often Having planning controls for development above driven by the fear that publication of flood risks the 1-in-100 level helps ensure that appropriate will affect property values, despite research building materials and building designs are used. suggesting property values are relatively But it’s risks to lives that is of greater concern. insensitive to the revelation of such information. While I don’t know what the probability was of Yet politicians kowtow to such fears. the flood that claimed so many lives at Grantham, I am sure that it is not the biggest This was well illustrated a few years ago when flood which could come down that valley. Blacktown Council in Western Sydney advised property owners of their flood risks. This In NSW it is mandatory for councils to consider precipitated a deluge of calls to talk back radio the risk to life from flooding up to the probable and an immediate response by the State Planning maximum flood. A 1-in-500 flood might sound Minister who issued a directive that no planning very rare but in the average Australian’s lifetime controls were to be placed on residential there is a 1 in 6 chance of experiencing one if development above the 1-in-100 flood level. you live on a floodplain; similar to a roll of a die. This type of populist policy making on the fly helps no one, least of all those at risk of flooding. Governments are often not willing to acknowledge they have a flood problem let alone It is a misconception that a 1-in-100 flood only investigate the possible impacts. Populist flood occurs once every hundred years. In reality it has policy does no one any good. It’s like a doctor a 1-in-100 chance of occurring every year. That hiding information from you for fear you won’t sounds quite low but in an average Australian’s like what you hear. Yet this is what governments lifetime it has a 50/50 chance of occurring. And do when they fail to fully investigate and if you’ve experienced one you can experience disclose flood risks to communities.

HEED THE ADVICE LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE People who fail to accept advice on managing The 40 plus fatalities during recent flooding is by flood risks are like those who persist with life no means our mostly deadly. In 1852, a flood threatening lifestyles despite the warnings. The destroyed the NSW town of Gundagai and 89 ability to warn people of impending flooding lives were lost. The town was rebuilt on higher varies from place to place. If you receive a flood ground to avoid the same fate in the future. warning be grateful, not everyone can. Flood forecasting is not an exact science because the Twenty years ago, five riverfront houses were Bureau can never know how much rain will fall, destroyed by the 1974 floods in Ipswich. The where and when, until it has fallen. Yet, the owners could not sell the vacant blocks of land Bureau has to make its flood forecasts hours in because it was obvious floods had destroyed the advance to give people enough time to respond. houses. Instead, they rebuilt and then sold the That time is not meant to be time to wait and see new homes to unsuspecting purchasers. I wonder but time to act. People need to prepare the how those homes fared in the recent event. property and, if advised to, evacuate. These recent floods are a wakeup call to avoid To minimise the impacts of a flood on the mistakes of the past but can we afford to fix possessions, it is best to be prepared in advance. them? It is estimated that there are more than We have helped the NSW and Victorian SES 170,000 residential properties in Australia built create templates for flood emergency plans below the 1-in-100 level. There are at least this which people can download from SES websites many again that can be affected by bigger floods. and tailor to their own particular circumstances. It is not practical, affordable nor appropriate to relocate all of these buildings off the floodplain It troubles me that when we have surveyed but we can certainly lift our game in terms of communities about responding to flood floodplain development and response. warnings, nearly half say they will wait until they are convinced that the flood will affect Firstly, we need to stop building on floodplains them. By then it is too late to do much. More houses which disintegrate when they come in worrying is the 10% of people who say that they contact with water. In places subject to flash would never evacuate under any circumstances. flooding, buildings also need to be built to Evacuations are only ordered when there is a real withstand the worst that nature can throw at them risk to life. Such stubbornness places more than and include a safe refuge above the reach of their own lives at risk and ties up valuable floodwater. In some places the risk to life is so human resources which can be better spent. great that buildings need to be removed altogether. Emergency plans and warning A common reason people give for not evacuating systems are also needed to give people time. is to protect possessions, either moving them out of the floodwaters (which in many cases could For any of this to work, well-designed, ongoing have been done earlier) or protecting them from community education is required for people to looters. Not only are looters rare but, ironically, understand the risks and how to reduce loss of insurance is more likely to cover looted life and property. But governments have to be possessions than those which are flooded. willing to reveal the truth about flooding and property owners need to accept that publicising Risking life and limb to save possessions is poor flood information is in everybody’s best interest. judgement. Deliberately entering floodwaters to get to the other side, or worse still, for fun, is We must not brush off these floods as a once in a plain stupid. Over the last 50 years, more than lifetime experience and return to business as half the lives lost in Australian floods were from usual. That would simply leave future people driving, walking or swimming in generations to suffer a similar tragedy because of floodwater. our selfishness.

(from page 2) Charleys Creek hit its highest peak in 70 years. A disaster was also declared in Theodore, which On 24 December, a monsoonal trough crossed experienced a record flood of 13.9m. the coast from the Coral Sea, bringing torrential Meanwhile, 113mm rain also fell in Barcaldine. rain that fell in a broad swath from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gold Coast. Low lying areas Dec 28 of Brisbane were inundated when the Brisbane A disaster was declared in North Burnett, River overflowed after heavy rain. Heavy rain Emerald, Woorabinda, Bundaberg (where also fell in Gayndah (65mm), Ingham (120mm) 165mm of rain fell) and in Rockhampton (where and Bundaberg (46mm). The Myall Creek at 99mm of rain fell and some residents were Dalby peaked at 3.2m, a major flood level. evacuated). Solid rain continued to fall in Dalby and Warwick. In Warwick, hundreds spent the Dec 25 – 26 night in emergency accommodation as the A moist easterly flow covered much of Qld and Condamine River peaked at 7.9m, making the further moisture was brought into the region by floods the town’s second-worst on record. The the circulation associated with Tropical Cyclone Burnett River peaked at 18.25m in Mundubbera, Tasha, which crossed the coast south of Cairns the highest in nearly 70 years and inundating 20 early on Christmas morning, dumping very high houses, and at 16.1m in Gayndah, the highest daily rain over much of the region and cutting level since 1942. power to thousands. Solid rain fell in Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Bundaberg Dec 29 and Rockhampton (140mm). Solid falls were Dalby was left with just two days’ worth of also recorded in Warwick and Emerald. drinking water after the WTP flooded, so tough Proserpine received 119mm of rain and water restrictions were put in place. Emerald was Gladstone received 137mm of rain. totally isolated by water. Rain continued to fall in Rockhampton and Bundaberg. In Bundaberg, Dec 27 the Burnett River peaked at 7.9m, the highest As the trough moved northeast from 26 since 1942. Four hundred people were evacuated December, rainfall continued over a large area of and 300 homes affected. The entire town of central eastern Qld, roughly bounded by Theodore (300 residents) was evacuated, the first Rockhampton, Carnarvon Gorge and Hervey time an entire Qld town had been evacuated. Bay. Similar falls extended northwards along the Qld coast as far north as Cairns, as well as south Dec 30 – 31 towards the Gold Coast. Much of the eastern half By 30 December, vast areas of southern and of Qld received at least 100 mm. The most central Qld were affected by floods. About 300 widespread intense rainfall was at a number of roads were closed, including nine major stations in the Carnarvon Range which set all- highways. Drinking water was trucked into time daily records with daily totals in excess of Dalby. The Nogoa River peaked in Emerald at 200 mm, peaking at 273.6 mm at Carnarvon 16.1m, beating the 2008 flood mark by 0.7m and Station. leaving 80% of the town (1,000 homes) Disaster was declared in Dalby as 67mm more inundated. Military Blackhawk helicopters were rain fell on the town, causing the worst flooding used to evacuate residents to emergency shelters since 1981 and flooding the town’s water and drop off food supplies. Floodwaters split treatment plant (WTP). One hundred people Bundaberg in two. The entire town of were evacuated as the Myall Creek burst its Condamine was evacuated as the Condamine banks. One hundred people were evacuated in River reached an all-time high of 14.25m, and in Chinchilla and in nearby Warra, a disaster was Rockhampton, the supermarkets ran out of declared and the town completely isolated by a groceries and residents were evacuated. A record-breaking flood approaching seven metres. national relief fund was established which kicked

off with $1m from the State and Federal evacuation centres. The town of 75,000 people governments. was completely cut off by raging floodwaters as the highway was cut and the airport went under. The most extreme flooding in the late December event occurred in the Fitzroy and Condamine- Jan 5 – 9 Balonne catchments. Record flood levels The town of St George braced itself for possible occurred at a number of locations, including the flooding that would inundate 80% of the town. Dawson River at Theodore, the Nogoa at The community had barely recovered from its Emerald, the Comet at Rolleston and Comet previous record flood, set when the Balonne Weir, and in the Condamine-Balonne system at River reached 13.39m in March 2010. Tummaville, Millmerran, Condamine township Authorities scrambled to build massive levees to and Surat. In some cases these flood peaks broke protect the town. records which had only just been set during the Feb-Mar 2010 event. The flooding was Major General Mick Slater was appointed to lead prolonged in many areas, with the Dawson River a flood recovery task force. In Brisbane, violent remaining above major flood level for more than storms overnight caused flash flooding. In two weeks. Rockhampton the Fitzroy River peaked at 9.2m, below the 9.4m peak predicted. Jan 1 – 2 Authorities confirmed 200,000 Queenslanders Elsewhere, Emerald floodwaters had finally were affected in 22 cities and towns across the receded and Condamine’s residents were state. The disaster is the worst in Qld’s history. allowed to return to their homes, many of which In Rockhampton, about 1,000 homes remained had been inundated by the floodwaters. surrounded by water as the city waited for the floods to peak. Seventeen evacuation centres Jan 10 were operating across the state, housing An upper-level low combined with a humid thousands of people. All five gates were closed easterly flow brought very heavy rain to at Wivenhoe Dam to ensure the dam’s flood southeast Qld. The heaviest falls were in the mitigation storage was ready for the rain forecast areas north and west of Brisbane. Three-day over the coming week. totals to 12 January exceeded 200 mm over most of the area bounded by Brisbane, Gympie and Jan 3 – 4 Toowoomba, including the majority of the The floods now covered an area the size of Brisbane River Catchment. The rain that fell France and Germany combined. Except for the over Toowoomba was a 1-in-200 year event. southeast coastal fringe south of Maryborough, almost every river in Qld south of the Tropic of The most destructive floods occurred around Capricorn and east of Charleville and Longreach these areas. There was major flooding through reached major flood level at some stage during the Brisbane River catchment, most severely in the period from 26 Nov to 7 January. the Lockyer and Bremer catchments where numerous records were set. Extra police were sent in to Rockhampton, Emerald, St George, Surat, Alpha and Jericho to Intense rainfall of more than 160mm of rain in protect empty homes from looting. In Surat, the 36 hours fell on top of the Great Dividing Range, Condamine River peaked at 12.75m on 4 causing a dramatic downstream deluge. A three January. week period where it had rained on all but three days had left the soil around Toowoomba More than 50 tonnes of supplies were dropped saturated and prime for flooding. When a line of off by helicopters to Rockhampton as the Fitzroy storms hit the city, the resulting torrential rain River peaked at 9.2m and inundated hundreds of rapidly moved down gullies and streets. The homes, forcing more than 500 people into central business district of the city sits in a small

valley where two small water courses, East Road at Dalby, where floodwater in Myall Creek Creek and West Creek, meet to form Gowrie peaked at 3.7m, inundating 200 homes. At Creek. Unable to cope with the volume of water Chinchilla, west of Dalby, flood waters again heading toward them, the creeks burst their rose rapidly and reached 7m by early Tuesday. banks, pushing a devastating torrent of water The town of Condamine also faced a second through the city centre. major flood in less than a fortnight, with the Condamine River reaching the 15m mark. The same rainfall event caused flooding in the Lockyer Valley on the east of the range. The Jan 11 floodwaters which smashed into towns in the Torrential rainfall continued to fall and Valley was described as an ‘inland tsunami’. The authorities turned their attention to Brisbane, flooding hit at "lightning speed" requiring 43 where the body of water bearing down on the helicopter rescues before the aircraft were Wivenhoe catchment was equivalent to one grounded due to fog and weather conditions. million megalitres every day. Wivenhoe Dam Many people were stranded on rooftops until was holding 1,728,590 ML, the most it has ever flood waters subsided. held, and faced its greatest test as a flood mitigation project since it was built. Residents in The surge which passed through Lockyer Valley low-lying suburbs in and around Brisbane, towns of Withcott and Grantham pushed cars including the CBD, were told to evacuate with into shops and forced the evacuation of hundreds floods greater than 1974 expected to hit. of people. According to local media, the flood water reached a height of 7 or 8m. One house The Brisbane River broke its banks on 11 was washed more than two kilometres away January, leading to evacuations in the CBD and from its original position. The downstream town the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and West End. of Gatton saw evacuations as the Lockyer Creek Commuters were frantic to get to higher ground rose to a record height of 18.92m, exceeding the out of the CBD which was made worse when the previous record set in 1893. public transport system was shut down. A large number of barges in the Brisbane River were The Upper Pine Catchment, in Moreton Bay pulled from their moorings and the riverside Regional Council area north of Brisbane, was boardwalks were left deep under the water. already saturated and then received 400mm in 10 hours. The North Pine Dam discharged 2,800 With a third of Ipswich (west of Brisbane) cubic metres per second or the equivalent of a 1- expected to go under when the Bremer River in-1,000 event. Houses downsteam were part of peaked, hundreds of residents poured into the former Pine Shire which had a 750mm evacuation centres as floodwaters rose. Overall, freeboard above the 1-in-100 flood level and 1,500 people were evacuated. shallow flooding occurred in a handful of homes. In comparison, the Caboolture River which is in Authorities closed the Port of Brisbane to all the same local government area and is only a few shipping and power in the Ipswich CBD and kilometres north, also flooded. The former inner-city suburbs was shut down, with twelve Caboolture Shire had a freeboard of 300mm substations at risk and 22,000 south-east Qld above the 1-in-100 level (in accordance with the properties without power. Queensland Urban Drainage Manual) and there dozens of homes in new subdivisions Torrential rain was also hampering the recovery experienced above floor flooding. efforts in Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley as 75% of Qld was declared a disaster zone. Elsewhere in the state, at Gympie, the Mary River burst its banks at a peak of 20m and flooded more than 110 homes and businesses. All roads to the south and west were cut including the Bruce Highway and Mary Valley

Jan 12 safety through by a tugboat driver. The Bridge was later closed again amid fears of more flood Brisbane was in the firing line as the torrent of debris causing major damage. water from the Lockyer Valley and the Bremer River combined with record releases from In other parts of Qld, there were major supply Wivenhoe Dam. Key estimates included 40,000 issues where water levels around Rockhampton people affected by flooding, 19,700 properties to were not falling as fast as hoped. Up to 80 trucks be entirely flooded, 3,500 commercial properties were stranded on the side of the road, north of flooded and 2,100 streets affected. Sewage Coffs Harbour, waiting to get through to treatment facilities near Brisbane broke down, Brisbane. The border town of Goondiwindi leading to raw sewage pouring into the Brisbane prepared for a predicted record flood of 10.9m, River. Thousands of residents lined the Brisbane only 10cm below the levee which protects the River bank to watch as debris floated down the town on the Macintyre River. Dalby’s WTP was river including a partly submerged floating again at risk of failing as the already swollen restaurant, luxury cruisers with noone at the Condamine River started to rise again. helm, water tanks, pontoons, and numerous boats. In the 24 hours to 5am on 13 January, 7,000 calls were made to the SES throughout the state, with Officials revised Brisbane's flood peak down to 3,000 calls from Brisbane and 630 from Ipswich. 5.2m (below the 1974 level) but also issued The floods also disrupted landline, mobile and severe thunderstorm warnings for flash flooding cable services across the state, and Telstra in parts of the Northwest, Central West, Channel experienced fault volumes at four times their Country, Maranoa and Warrego Districts. normal levels, due to loss of power, access issues and damage to key infrastructure. The Bremer River at Ipswich, 30km west of Brisbane, reached a height of 19.4m, inundating Jan 14 – 15 the CBD and at least 3,000 houses. One-third of the city was reported to be underwater and over The Brisbane River levels began to drop 1,100 people took shelter at evacuation centres. significantly and the focus shifted to cleaning It was the worst flood since 1893. and rebuilding. Services were virtually non- existent in some places like in the Lockyer The list of the missing grew to 90 people and Valley with no toilets or water in spots where was then revised back to 67 as emergency people were turning up to help with the clean up. personnel made their way into the town of Thousands of houses and businesses in flood-hit Grantham which “resembled a war zone”. areas were reconnected to the power grid but about 28,750 homes were still without Jan 13 electricity. The number of volunteers who turned The Brisbane River peaked at a lower than out to help in the Brisbane clean-up effort predicted level of 4.46m, the second-highest exceeded expectations, with a 7,000-strong army flood of the last 100 years, after 1974 and the of volunteers signing up. sixth highest in the city’s history. Sixty seven Police discovered the body of a man swept away suburbs and over 30,000 properties were in the flooding 80km from where he disappeared. affected. Some of the Brisbane suburbs worst A map released by Qld Police showed the search affected by the floods were St Lucia, West End, area stretching from Toowoomba through Gatton Rocklea and Graceville. and towards Ipswich, covering over 250km. A 300m section of the Brisbane Riverwalk broke The flood levees protecting Goondiwindi were off in the flooded Brisbane River at New Farm severely tested as the Macintyre River peaked to and hurtled toward the Gateway Bridge at high a record level, less than 15cms from the top of speed. The Bridge was closed to traffic but the the levees. Some evacuations were undertaken at riverwalk broke into two pieces and was steered

the hospital and aged care facilities. The The flooding that was associated with Tropical floodwaters in Condamine were still rising to a Cyclone Yasi in early February will be covered peak of 14.8m. But the central Qld town had in the next issue of FM. already been evacuated and the only inhabitants were several police officers and SES personnel. VICTORIA From the 12-15 January, tropical air was drawn Jan 16 – 17 into a trough near the eastern border of South The evacuated Darling Downs town of Australia, placing much of Victoria, Tasmania Condamine saw a flood peak of 14.7m which and western NSW in an extremely moist air was below the 15.2m record set at the start of the mass. A low formed on the trough, moving month. Plans were made to begin air-lifting southwest and then southeast before passing residents back into the community. The list of south of Tasmania. missing persons in the Lockyer Valley was revised back to nine. Somerset Dam had emptied The heaviest period of general rain in Victoria about 90% of its flood storage and Wivenhoe was on 12-14 January and the morning of the almost 60%. These critically important releases 14th, but there was also heavy rain in western meant that the dams would be able to function as border areas of Victoria. Total rainfalls for a flood mitigation storages again should further four-day period exceeded 100 mm in most parts rain occur. of Victoria north and west of Melbourne. The highest daily falls of between 150 and 200mm Jan 18 – 19 were in upland areas between Ballarat and Horsham, including the Grampians. An intense storm cut power to 23,000 homes as it swept through southeast Qld, hampering Major flooding resulted from this weather, Energex's flood recovery operations. The storm initially in the form of localised flash flooding, was over Boonah, southwest of Brisbane and followed by more extensive river flooding in the was accompanied by very heavy rainfall and state’s north and west in the Wimmera, Avoca, flash flooding. About 15,000 homes and Loddon and Campaspe catchments. Record flood businesses in southeast Qld were without power peaks were observed in all four catchments as and about 10,000 uninhabitable. High tides floodwaters kilometres wide surged across around Brisbane re-inundated 19 homes and 74 northern and western Victoria. businesses in low-lying areas, while their occupants watched neighbours move back into More than 4,300 people have been affected by dry homes. the historic floods, while 1,773 properties have been hit in 72 towns. Emergency services have Reports emerge that weather watchers warned of received more than 5,000 requests for help and flash flooding which wiped out parts of the there have been more than 150 rescues, half from Lockyer Valley hours before the tragedy cars, due to people ignoring advice not to enter occurred. It was also discovered that an alert, floodwaters. Towns that experienced inundation highlighting the danger to the region, didn't across large parts of their urban areas included come until after the deluge had already swept Charlton, Bridgewater, Carisbrook and through. The residents of Grantham began to Rochester, whilst significant flooding also return to their homes but the town was closed to occurred in the larger centres of Horsham, which non-residents at the community's request. The had its highest flood on record (one-in-200-year first funerals for flood victims were held. flood), and Echuca (its worst flood in 100 years).

The Fitzroy River returned to its normal level in The flood surge also hit the towns of Kerang, Rockhampton, after almost three weeks of Culgoa and Warracknabeal which underwent flooding. extensive sand-bagging and had hundreds of homes inundated. Evacuation orders were in

place for a number of small towns across the NEW SOUTH WALES region as towns were expected to be isolated for Whilst not reaching the severity of Qld or up to three days and there were fears that levee Victoria, there was also widespread flooding in banks would be breached. The flood which hit various parts of New South Wales, most Warracknabeal was described as a one-in-200- significantly in the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and year flood. One thousand Kerang residents were Castlereagh catchments. Sixty three local evacuated after the Loddon River began to government areas in NSW have been declared compromise the levee at a 1-in-100 flood level. natural disaster areas since December as a result Residents in the town of Dimboola were urged to of flooding. evacuate when the State Emergency Service advised that the Dimboola Weir was in danger of A severe weather warning for damaging winds failing. and flash flooding was issued for parts of central and western NSW as a trough of low pressure Murray communities were also warned to begin travelled across the state at the start of evacuation preparations in towns such as Swan December. Flood warnings were in place for all Hill, Pental Island and Lake Boga on the Murray western-flowing NSW rivers from the Namoi to River as the massive floodwater movement the Murrumbidgee. slowed in the state’s north-west. Around 1,000 residents in low-lying areas of After police confirmed that an unauthorised Coonamble were ordered to evacuate following levee was built over a freight train line at Beulah, the unseasonably wet summer weather causing a warning was sent out to landowners that major flooding on the Castlereagh River. anyone conducting significant earthmoving to However, hundreds of people chose to defy the build levees without consulting authorities could warning, with the majority of residents choosing be legally liable if they affected the movement of to remain. The Mayor tried to encourage floodwaters downstream and the ability of residents to move to higher ground, even if only hydrologists to predict flooding. Authorities for the few hours when the river peaked, as the provided Warracknabeal as a good example of a Bureau of Meteorology was concerned about the town where a levee was constructed in state of the town’s levee. consultation with local government and emergency services. Wee Waa, a northern NSW town on the Namoi River, was also put on alert, with an evacuation The Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu said warning for its 1,700 inhabitants to be ready to government clean-up grants for flood victims flee, as the rain band moved across the state. will increase to $25,000 and grants for businesses, not-for-profit organisations and Wagga Wagga experienced its worst flooding primary producers would increase from $15,000 since 1974 when the Murrumbidgee peaked at and will be made retrospective to include those 9.7m on 6 December. Across the Wagga region affected by the floods last September and 85mm of rain fell within a few hours causing December. The Baillieu Government also flash flooding and requiring the evacuation of announced a comprehensive package to support about eight properties at Tarcutta and about 700 flood-affected communities, including state people in Wagga Wagga. Major flooding (the school’s relief flood grants for students, rapid highest since 1976) also inundated properties in training funds for people to undertake Queanbeyan on 9 December when up to 90mm reconstruction and recovery, psycho-support of rain fell in the Molonglo Valley. Total River services and assistance for apprentices, parents Murray inflows for December were the highest and employers to maintain and promote on record. traineeships in these areas. At the start of January, the floods and weather system affecting south-east Qld began to move

southwards towards the border. In northern THE DEADLY FLOODS NSW, more than 7,000 people were isolated by floodwaters, including along the Clarence River As of 14 Feb 2011, 33 deaths in Qld had been at Iluka, Yamba and Maclean. The Pacific attributed to the floods, 23 of which were from Highway south of Grafton was closed in both Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley. directions when it was blocked by floodwaters Additionally, eight people were still listed as from the Clarence River. missing, presumed dead.

The border towns of Boggabilla and Toomelah As reported in December 2009 FM, between 30 on the Macintyre River were evacuated after Nov and 19 December, five people were killed. predictions of up to one metre of fast flowing They include Alan Kane, 81, after his ute was water entering the towns. Eighty kilometres west swept off a flooded causeway at Bajool, an at Tenterfield, 20 people were airlifted to higher unnamed man at Nebo after his car disappeared ground when floodwaters isolated the town of in floodwaters, Mitchell Edwards, 15, drowned 6,000 after more than 100mm of rain fell. The in a flooded swimming hole at Yandina, Kay Joy town of Eugowrie was also evacuated. drowned in a car in Downs Creek at Dysart and Che-Nezce Perrie Shepherd, 17, drowned in the TASMANIA arms of her friends after getting caught in a In Tasmania, very heavy rain affected the swimming hole during a freak surge of water at northern parts of the east coast and parts of the Alligator Creek near Townsville. northwest on 13 January, whilst more extensive but less extreme rainfall extended across large Following this, between 20-24 December, a 20- parts of the state’s north. Much of north-western year-old Ipswich man drowned after diving into and north-eastern Tasmania locally exceeded the Brisbane River following heavy rain and a 200 mm of rain over four days. Significant flash 50-year-old Mareeba man was swept off a flooding hit the east coast around St Helens and footbridge to his death. On New Years Day, a Scamandar and several northern rivers woman died trying to cross a flooded causeway experienced major flood levels. Several in Burketown and a 38-year-old fisherman died communities were evacuated. after being swept overboard when his boat was swamped in the swollen Boyne River near Tasmania's Opposition Leader Will Hodgman Gladstone. On 3 January, a man was killed after says funds should be made available for flood- being swept away in a car in Aramac, west of affected farmers in the north and wants money Emerald. These incidents took the total of flood- from the Federal Government to help recover the related deaths in Qld since summer began to ten. state’s vegetable and poppy industries. On 10 January, eight people were immediately WESTERN AUSTRALIA confirmed dead following the Toowomba and Lockyer Valley floods. A young child was also In early December, the region around the town killed in the floodwaters near Toowoomba after of Carnarvon was hit by its worst flooding since rescue authorities saved the mother but were 1960. Heavy rain left residents stranded and unable to save the child. Another four-year-old dependant on food and water drops by boy, was killed when he fell out of a rescue boat emergency authorities. At least 80 people were at Marburg near Ipswich. evacuated from their homes, including 36 people who were rescued from their rooftops at Between 12-16 January, seven more bodies were Gascoyne Junction and Meka Station. found in the Lockyer Valley, bringing the death toll of 10 January to 17. A 24 year-old man was also sucked into a stormwater drain while inspecting his father's property at Durack.

Police released a list of some of the identified accidentally drove into floodwaters in the flood victims, six of whom came from the town Ipswich suburb of Wulkuraka. of Grantham. They include: On 24 January, police were called in to • Llync-Chian Clarke, 31, who was caught in a investigate the discovery of two sets of human Rural Fire Brigade Truck when it was hit by remains in the Lockyer Valley, including that of a wall of water on the Gatton Helidon Road, a child, found in a tree one metre off the along with her two children Jocelyn, 5, and ground,1km downstream from where six-year- Garry, 12. All three were found dead inside old Katie Schefe was swept away. Police have the truck. confirmed that it was a girl but will not determine who the victim is until DNA testing • Jean Gurr, 88, who was trapped inside her had been performed. The other set of human home when the wall of water hit and later remains was discovered near Lowood and were found dead inside. later confirmed to be those of Sylvia Baillie, 72, • Pauline Lesley Magner, 65, who was found from Postmans Ridge who was swept from her on the bank of a creek in Gatton. home. That brought the official death toll to 23. • Selwyn Hector Schefe, 52, who was swept There are grave fears for those who are still away in his home. missing, with police admitting that their bodies • Robert John Kelly, 30, who was found in a may never be found, as the search is scaled back. Toyota Landcruiser upside down in Myall The current list of missing persons in the flood Creek at Dalby. disaster, as provided by Qld police includes: • Van Toan Giang, 24, who was checking on a • James Perry, 40: His car washed off the road family property at Durack when he was while travelling from Brisbane to sucked into a stormwater drain on Bowhill Toowoomba on 10 January. His wife and Road. His body was recovered later. child were winched to safety from the roof of • Steve and Sandy Matthews drowned after the car. getting their four children into the ceiling of • Bruce Warhurst, 60: Believed to be washed their home, before a wall gave way and away from inside his car at Murphys Creek. swept them out of the house. • Regina Vanderwerf, 82: Was unable to reach • Jessica Keep, 23 months, was swept out of safety with other family members and was her mothers arms in flood waters in last seen inside her house at Grantham. Grantham. • Dawn Radke, 56: Last seen floating away in • 13-year-old Jordan Rice and his mother flood water near house in Grantham. Donna were killed in their car in the main • street of Toowoomba, despite rescue Brenda Ross, 56: Disappeared after her attempts from a pair of local men. His house collapsed at Grantham, last contact younger brother was rescued from the car was a phone call made to her sister to say first at Jordan’s insistence. goodbye. Also listed as deceased are Bruce Marshall, 66, • Joshua Ross, 25: Disappeared after his house Merv Knight as well as several identified (names collapsed at Grantham, when he refused to withheld) and unidentified males and females. leave his disabled, elderly mother. • Christopher Face, 63: Disappeared after his On 17 January, the official death toll had risen to house collapsed at Grantham. 20 following the discovery of another body in Grantham and the confirmation that a man found • Willo Walker: Reported missing after in a vehicle at Ipswich died of flood-related disappearing on 10 January in Lockyer causes. The man in his fifties died when he Valley.

With the exception of those deceased who were THE BOTTOM LINE caught unawares by the flash flooding, many of the flooding deaths could have been prevented. The flooding across eastern Australia is likely to Throughout the floods, police and emergency be the most costly natural disaster in the nation’s services consistently requested people not to history. Of Qld's 73 council areas, 51 were drive on flood-affected roads, to observe signage affected by flooding. and not to swim in swollen rivers or creeks. Rockhampton police reaffirmed that the public Extra Centrelink staff have been sent to flood- should be responsible for their actions after a affected regions, as more than 110,000 disaster man was charged with public drunkenness after assistance payments claims top $136m. The jumping into the Fitzroy River. flooding is also expected to impact on the cost of living in terms of higher food prices. Although not directly attributed to the flood event, a 55-year-old truck driver died when his The Qld Premier’s Relief Fund, established in truck crashed about 60km outside of Condamine. the wake of the flood crisis, has, as of 16 Feb, He was travelling with a Condamine-bound raised more than $216m. water transport convoy to deliver vital water supplies to the residents of the flood-ravaged Offers of help have been received from over 100 town. foreign governments, including help from New Zealand emergency workers. Offers of general There are also serious legal implications for assistance have been made by countries people who voluntarily enter floodwater. The including Britain, the US, Spain, Japan and death of the 62-year-old man at Aramac was Singapore. Aid donations have come in from caused when a 19-year-old man drove the car countries including Indonesia and Papua New over a flooded causeway and was swept into Guinea. The Queen made a private donation to Cornish Creek. The young man and another the Qld premier's flood relief appeal, while the passenger managed to survive but the driver of Chinese Red Cross contributed $50,000. Sri the car has now been charged with dangerous Lanka, where floods have forced almost one operation of a motor vehicle. million people from their homes, offered supplies of tea. A group of homeless people from Elsewhere in the country, other flooding deaths Sydney also pitched in and gave their last few have also been reported. In Victoria, eight-year- coins to help the flood relief effort, helping to old Lachlan Collins drowned while swimming in raise just over $100. floodwaters with his siblings at Kialla, near Shepparton. Local and international sporting stars also contributed, including tennis players in the A three-year-old boy drowned when he Australian Open who raised $1.5m and the wandered away from the family home at cricketing community at the One Day Marthaguy, north west of Dubbo, in central west Internationals against England who raised over NSW. $3m. The Australian business community has also been extremely generous with many A 51-year-old man was also killed after trying to companies donating large sums of money and drive across a flooded causeway, north of materials. Lockhart in southern NSW. His passenger managed to escape and flag down an SES crew. There has also been growing political pressure for insurers to show compassion to Qld flood In an attempt to curb the number of deaths, the victims, with the federal government meeting Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner warned with companies over their “no policy, no payout” that people caught swimming or riding boats in position. flood-affected areas faced a fine of $191 and criminal charges.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has also billion in lost stock and damage. This included warned Greens Leader Bob Brown about livestock loss from the floods, rain damage to “pointing the finger” after he called for the coal crops from wine grapes to stone fruits to grains, mining industry to foot the bill for the floods and the effects on sheep and cattle. because it helped cause them. Industry and Investment NSW has estimated that "It's the single biggest cause, burning coal, for the latest round of flooding in NSW wiped up to climate change and it must take its major share $850 million off the expected $3.2 billion value of responsibility for the weather events we are of the NSW winter crop. However, the NSW seeing unfolding now," Bob Brown said. He says Farmers Association says that the government scientists agree the current floods come from predictions are a significant underestimate and record-high temperatures of Australian oceans the true costs won’t be known until farmers can this season. get back to their paddocks and survey the damage. It estimates that the number could be Mr Brown called for half of the tax on excess closer to $1 billion. profits by the coal mining industry to be set aside for future natural catastrophes as it was unfair In Qld, the predicted losses from the agricultural that the cost of recovery is put on taxpayers, sector has topped $1.6 billion, with significant rather than the “culprits” that contribute to losses in the markets of fruit and vegetable ($561 climate change. million), sugar, grains and livestock.

The Bligh Government is currently working FLUSHING OUT THE CROOKS closely with approximately 40 mines across the state affected by the floods. The government is Although it has been widely acknowledged that concerned about the quality of water being during this time of strife, the Australian discharged from flooded mines into the community has pulled together and donated surrounding catchments. much of its time, effort and money, there are a small number of people who are taking Dewatering activities are going ahead under advantage of the crisis situation. strict government supervision while there are high volumes of water to dilute the discharge and Qld Police has arrested and charged at least ten minimise the risk of environmental impact. Any people with looting from flooded and deserted discharges that have occurred outside of licence businesses and boats following incidents in conditions are being investigated by the Brisbane suburbs. The mayor of Ipswich, Paul Department of Environment and Resource Pisadale, resorted to issuing a statement to the Management (DERM). Since 1 December, media stating that the “people of Ipswich will DERM has issued 11 Transitional Environmental take the law into their own hands” if looting Programs (TEPs) to coal mines to allow them to events occur and any looters that are caught “will safely discharge water. be used as flood markers.” A 200-strong taskforce of Qld police were joined by 13 The government has insisted that flooded mines officers from South Australia and a contingent would not be allowed to discharge water without from NSW to patrol flood affected areas and making sure of the environmental implications. curb looting in Ipswich and Brisbane. Twenty There have so far been six reported breaches of two anonymous calls to Crime Stoppers from the environmental approvals as a result of mines public helped catch a number of looters. trying to discharge water from the floods and heavy rain. A Facebook group has also been set up that names and shames businesses allegedly The Victorian flood disaster has been estimated overcharging for basic items. Some shops in by the Department of Primary Industries to North Ipswich, Brassall and Leichhardt were possibly cost the farming industry up to $2 touted as charging up to $15 for bread and milk.

On the flip side, the website also named a bakery members needed to be aware that the emergency on Glebe Rd as selling bread for 80c a loaf or services were working to ensure the safety of the free, if the customer didn’t have any money. entire community, rather than just one property.

Flood victims have also been targeted by There has also been a discussion for some international scammers calling them and measure of means testing for the emergency purporting to be from official organisations who relief payments with Federal Treasurer Wayne can fast-track disaster relief payments for a $200 Swan expressing his disgust that some people fee. These scams are expected to last for several were claiming payments when all they suffered months and the police wish to get the message was a power outage. Centrelink payments of out that no such organisations exist, no payment $1,000 for adults and $400 for children were is required and no fast-tracking occurs. available to people without means testing, even if the only ill-effect the disaster had on them was Other Australians are being warned amid reports 48 hours without power. of scammers exploiting the outpouring of generosity for the flood appeal. There have been Mr Swan told ABC Radio that "if there are reports of fraudulent emails, websites, phone people who have been eligible for the levy but calls and door-to-door collectors, demanding haven't required it and have gone in and claimed money and bank details. Police arrested two it, I think they are simply low life." But he stated teenagers door knocking homes in Shepparton that it would be difficult to implement more rigid asking for donations. rules as victims face extraordinary circumstances and may not be able to produce personal Westpac Bank issued a warning via Twitter of identification or information as required. For potential flood relief donation fraud. It advised this reason, some people who weren't deserving that it was not contacting customers seeking of the payment would be able to get it, Mr Swan donations and anyone who had received a call said. and responded should contact it on 132 032. TECHNOLOGY’S NEW ROLE Other scams have involved bogus tradespeople doorknocking parts of Qld and Victoria, One thing that has come to light in the wake of targeting vulnerable people with offers to the flooding disasters is the important role that redecorate or repair fences, driveways and roof technology currently plays in emergency but demanding money in advance for their situations and its increasing use for future events. repairs and clean-ups, then disappearing without In addition to the uses described in the previous doing anything. Anyone requiring home repairs article, social networking sites have been should first contact their insurance company and increasingly used by victims, family members check their insurance policies, check a repairer's and authorities to communicate information credentials and beware of tradespeople who give before, during and after an event and for only a first name or a mobile phone number. logistical organisation.

Another incident from the town of Swan Hill in Flood warnings were issued on Twitter. Victoria saw residents stealing strategically Facebook was used to desperately contact loved positioned sand bags from the ageing town levee ones, to check on their wellbeing and to send out structures to protect their own homes. Swan Hill general messages of love and hope to the people mayor Greg Cruickshank said he was “disgusted affected. Australians around the country were that someone could do that. If we win on the able to watch on television a 3D simulation of front line, we protect everybody (but) if the the flooding to come. resources aren't there, then we're going to lose.” The Qld Police worked around the clock to keep Victorian Police issued a statement that while it the public informed on the movement of flood understood the reaction somewhat, community waters and it turned to these popular sites to

publish updates and combat myths and rumours. Emergency services have also stated that they Some web services, such as the Brisbane City are using online social networks to monitor and Council flood flag map, were unable to cope “eavesdrop” on information, videos and images with the high demand for updates so increasingly being posted regarding current events. They are the more available social networks were a crucial using this information to bolster their level of lifeline to publish flood bulletins, road closure knowledge of what is going on in the community information and evacuation notices. Everyday and using it to help mould their official citizens, both local and international, posted responses and statements. photos, updates and words of encouragement to one another. In Victoria, community members chastised a local man’s webpage for posting flood The official Qld Police Service Facebook page information as he was not an “official” source. served as a noticeboard for those with local However, the SES began to post messages on his information, with desperate requests for new web page to reinforce the fact that his information on affected areas answered by those information had been taken directly from their with firsthand knowledge. Others used the page own site and was consistent with the warnings to offer lodgings to evacuees, and posted issued. messages of support and advice on everything from which bridges are closed to safe locations It is also understood that an on-line video alerted for leaving evacuated pets. emergency services personnel to a leak in a levee which they were able to send crews to respond The same official updates were also relayed via to. Twitter, which many private citizens and media outlets re-tweeted, adding their own comments The use of social networks in this way is not and photographs of the unfolding disaster. completely unique to these recent flood events. It has been revealed in the recent bushfires in WA Unfortunately, some posts caused unnecessary many people received warnings via Facebook panic in the afternoon after relaying false before receiving official warnings from the information, leaving the police to undertake a State’s official telephone alert system. mythbusting exercise. Other more knowledgeable Twitter users also attempted to THE AFTERMATH stem the panic from false information. In spite of the confusion, most tweets posted sought to help THE ANIMALS rather than hinder, with some even offering The floodwaters were not the only threat to neighbours free access to their WiFi networks. human safety in the recent events. In Rockhampton, a rescue team inspecting flooded Brisbane City Council’s Facebook page was houses came face to face with a 2m crocodile in used to sign up and request volunteers to help a backyard. Crocodiles living in the Fitzroy with the flood clean up. Facebook pages have River around the region are expected to be on the also been set up to help reunite people separated move because their traditional feeding grounds from their pets by the floodwaters and to register have been wiped out in the floods. In floodwater and connect qualified tradespeople with those they are easily mistaken for floating debris. needing assistance. Snakes have also posed a danger for rescue In Victoria, a call on the Facebook site of a local crews and flood victims as they try to escape the radio station for volunteers to help with sandbags rising waters by finding dry ground, usually brought more people than were needed and a inside people’s homes. Extra snakebite anti- request for someone to take their pets to higher venom was airlifted into north Qld and in ground was met by willing strangers. Google Theodore, the evacuated town turned into a Earth was also used to help track the pace of the snake haven with handlers being called in to get floodwaters, using its elevation information.

rid of them when residents were allowed to THE MARKETS return. Major new infrastructure projects, such as Brisbane’s cross city rail project, are now being Two bull sharks were spotted swimming down reconsidered with the funding priority focusing the main street in Goodna, more than 30km from on the salvage operation. Instead, questions the coast, after the floods opened up waterways. regarding building flood defence options such as They are noted for their aggressive behaviour levees along the river are now being considered, and can tolerate shallow fresh water along coasts with the government flagging that land may be and rivers. rezoned to accomplish this. THE DISEASES Its also bad news for the Qld housing market, Many people, including Foreign Minister Kevin with experts predicting that rents are set to soar Rudd, have contracted flood-related infections. and house prices plummet, as the market Health experts have warned that the biggest experiences a surge in property for sale listings. threat is from bacteria carried in the Real estate agents have stated that it could be 10 contaminated floodwaters that can cause to 15 years before some flood-affected suburbs infections in cuts or gastroenteritis if swallowed. regain their popularity. More serious infections include melioidosis - a bacteria that lives in tropic-area soils and has not Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has also flagged been seen in Brisbane since the 1974 floods. changes to the insurance industry, amid concerns Mosquitoes breeding in the wet, warm over insurers refusing to compensate people who conditions could also be carrying diseases such thought they were covered for flood damage. as dengue fever, Ross River virus and Murray River encephalitis. “I don’t think there is any doubt that there is a need for reform in this area. But at the moment, Dead animals, rotten food and spilled chemicals we’re concentrating on dealing with the practical are all adding to the sources of contamination in realities of what people are facing,” he said. the floodwaters. The Master Builders Queensland have said that Residents in Gayndah, Mundubbera, Atkinson one positive thing to come of the tragedy is the Dam, Somerset Dam, Toowoomba, Condamine increased building activity for tradespeople. and Dalby are being advised to boil drinking There was over 34,000 workers who lost their water. Fishermen should also be cautious taking jobs in the past two years that may now be catch from flood-affected areas until water required to assist with the recovery. Likewise, testing has been finalised. the flood crisis is set to give the nation’s car industry a boost, with plenty of vehicles likely to The Gailes Caravan Park in Goodna is now a be have been damaged beyond repair. ‘no-mans-land’ after a mass of sewage from the caravans and the nearby town centre was THE INQUIRIES deposited on the site by floodwater, turning the Ms Bligh has announced an Independent park’s 100 permanent residents homeless. Commission of Inquiry into the flood disaster, to be headed by Justice Cate Holmes. Deputy Health officials are also warning about the Commissioners will include former Qld police possibility of high rates of mental health commissioner Jim O'Sullivan and dam expert problems in areas that had been flooded. He said Phil Cummins. The first interim report is recent studies of flooded towns in Britain found expected in August, with its final report to be up to three-quarters of the population later delivered by January 2012. The Inquiry will have suffered mental health disorders, and there will the powers of a Royal Commission, will take be a significant need for counselling over the public submissions from across Qld and will next few months. make recommendations for future wet seasons.

The adequacy of forecasts and warning systems, Treasurer Wayne Swan and including Assistant particularly in relation to what happened in the Treasurer Bill Shorten, trucking magnate Lockyer Valley area, would also be examined. It Lindsay Fox and Qld Treasurer Andrew Fraser will be able to summon witnesses, compel among its 10 members. The aim of the taskforce production of documents and issue search is to further leverage corporate support for the warrants. recovery and rebuilding.

A Queensland Reconstruction Authority has Meanwhile, the federal opposition has been set up to oversee rebuilding and repairing announced plans to set up a taskforce to infrastructure. The authority will be charged with investigate building a series of new dams around the task of deciding if infrastructure, and even Australia. The taskforce will be charged with entire suburbs, should be rebuilt in flood-hit preparing a dam plan within 12 months that parts of the state. Ms Bligh has suggested that would include potential locations for new dams. some properties in flood-prone areas may not be rebuilt, particularly those which are very old. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT However, she also admitted that questions will Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has be raised over some properties that have been demanded that experts tell authorities what flood approved by various authorities in the past 30-40 standards homes should be built to as soon as years in clearly flood-prone areas, which also possible. He stated that the development industry need to be considered when planning the re- needed to be given certainty about appropriate building phase. The authority will also prioritise flood levels for the city, preferably within a which roads, bridges and railways should be month of the flooding. The city’s current defined repaired first. flood level was 3.7m at the city gauge, with a river flow of 6,800 cumecs. The Brisbane River Major General Mick Slater will chair the board peaked at 4.46m during the latest event. of five. Ms Bligh said the new entity would have greater powers than other taskforces (see below) An unpublished report has been cited recently by and would be established by an act of parliament scientific and engineering experts that warned of next month. She said communities would be significant risks from Brisbane River flooding consulted and the process would be given the over a decade ago. The recommendations in the sensitivity it required. report for radical changes in planning strategy, emergency plans and transparency about the true Brisbane City Council is also launching its own flood levels were rejected by government and the independent review of the flood event in report kept under wraps. Brisbane to help the council learn lessons from the disaster. The Council’s handling of the The 1999 Brisbane River Flood Study predicted flooding will be scrutinised by former Qld devastation to tens of thousands of flood-prone Governor Peter Arnison, QC Robert Gotterson properties, which were given approval by and hydrologist Colin Aspelt. council for residential development since the 1974 flood and whose owners were lead to The final report is due by May 2011 and will believe that they would be out of harm’s way in summarise the key findings regarding Council’s a flood on the scale of 1974. The major finding response to the flood events, to document of the study was that the calculated one-in-100- observations and to make recommendations on year design flood flow was 1-2m higher than the amendments to plans, procedures, roles and current development control in the Brisbane responsibilities, and on improvements that will River corridor. The levels of inundation enhance BCC’s disaster management experienced throughout Brisbane as a result of arrangements and the response to future events. January’s flood show that the Flood Study, Julia Gillard also announced a business taskforce correctly warned that the development control to help with the recovery chaired by Federal lines set in 1984, were incorrect.

The study was leaked in June 2003 by a high- back and clear out houses from flood-prone land level public servant, who revealed that the local and set aside the land for parklands, playing and state governments at the time were less fields and other open space. He is advocating a concerned with flood risks and more interested new set of flood protocols which would see in seeing property development in low-lying would-be homeowners in flood areas required to areas, despite being advised that it would reduce have documentation outlining the extent to flood immunity, increase council’s liability and which their property was at risk. The plans cause the loss of Natural Disaster Relief funds. would stipulate how any property could be developed or extended, how it could be used and The Crime and Misconduct Commission exactly when residents would be required to investigated the cover-up of the study and move their belongings or to evacuate the recommended better transparency for ratepayers. residence. The then Labor lord mayor Tim Quinn described the study as a "draft" and requiring further WIVENHOE DAM OPERATION analysis and checking and that was why neither Wivenhoe Dam was built with flood mitigation he nor his predecessor had acted on its findings. capacity above its full water supply storage level He maintained that further studies commissioned in response to the devastating floods of 1974. from 1999 to 2003 had satisfied that the council's During the recent floods, the dam filled to a level development control levels were not inaccurate equivalent to 191% of its water supply capacity. and the status quo could be maintained. Although the dam can hold the equivalent of Mr Quinn was ousted as Lord Mayor months 225%, storage exceeding 100% is required to be after the furore by Campbell Newman who progressively released through the floodgates to campaigned against secrecy over the flood study restore mitigation capacity for future floods. The and radically overhauled policies to warn the dam had never held such large amounts of water public of the severe risk of another major flood. since being built in 1984 and had never operated Mr Newman said at the time "How can it be under such extremes. 'buyer beware' when the council is not providing Engineering experts have made claims that the the necessary information to purchasers?” Brisbane River flooding would have been largely However, not all the blame can be laid solely on avoided if the dam operators had increased their the previous local government. New figures have release rates prior to the deluge that occurred on been released that the majority of residents in Monday 10 January. Experts who have examined flood-prone parts of Brisbane have largely data on river height, dam flow rates and weather ignored opportunities to sell their properties to systems have stated that the dam stored far too the local council as part of a voluntary purchase much water in its flood compartment over the program the council was running. weekend of 8-9 January. Over that weekend and prior to the extreme rainfall event on 10 January, Council introduced the buy-back scheme in 2006 the dam’s operators released a total of about to protect lives and property in the most flood- 200,000ML. prone locations around Rocklea, Oxley and Acacia Ridge which were judged to have a 50% It has been suggested that the Brisbane flood was chance of flooding every year. A report from largely attributable to the dam's operators 2008 stated that only 19 out of 400 eligible home releasing unprecedented and unnecessarily vast owners had accepted the offer and subsequently volumes of water on 11 January after they lost the others had missed the opportunity to avoid their flood buffer because the dam had not been the current floods. drawn down significantly. The flooding surge resulted in the dam’s operators having to release The man charged with flood-proofing Brisbane about 645,000ML or 30% of the total dam more than 30 years ago, Professor Trevor Grigg, capacity. has stated that he wants authorities to now buy

Other flooding experts have stated that the dam's THE FIXES operators had no way of knowing the severity of There has been mixed reactions to the Federal the weather that was coming and releasing water Government’s solution to help pay for the early may have caused flooding in other parts of flooding crisis. Prime Minister Julia Gillard the catchment. announced that the Medicare levy will be increased by around $5 a week to help pay for There were also recommendations made by city the repair of public infrastructure including engineers more than a decade ago that the long- roads, bridges and rail lines. The Government is standing policy that the dam be operated at full committed, through the Natural Disaster Relief supply level, compromising its flood capacity, be Arrangements, to footing 75% of the changed to ensure a larger buffer against floods. infrastructure bill which is expected to top $5 Suggestions have been put forward that billion. The flood levy would bring around $3.5 operating Wivenhoe at 75% and using the billion to go towards the costs and would only balance as additional flood storage would make a last for one year. The remainder of the money significant difference to the level in the Brisbane will be raised by cutting other government River during any flooding. The State schemes and placing a hold on other Government seems to have heeded these infrastructure projects around the country. suggestions with the announcement that But the question has been asked that if we have Seqwater intends to reduce the level to 75% for on-going services such as Medicare, should there the remainder of the wet season, given current be a Disastercare program established as well, water security of south-east Qld. rather than relying on one-off levies after the Pressure on Wivenhoe Dam to run at 100% was fact. reinforced six weeks ago, despite the onset of the The Federal Opposition has also pushed to see wet season, when the Qld government delays to the water buybacks scheme in the announced new cost-saving policies, including Murray-Darling Basin and defer 75% of buy putting the new Tugun desalination plant on backs for two years to pay for flood recovery. standby, saving $10m a year. The policies meant Most irrigators agree but environment groups say that Wivenhoe Dam continued to run at 100% stopping buybacks will make it harder to restore full supply (about 1.15 million ML), leaving its the river's health. flood storage compartment of about 1.45 million ML to handle any extreme rainfall events. CLIMATE CAUSES Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson revealed there will be a review into the Australia is currently in the grips of a Wivenhoe Dam's workings after the criticism of particularly intense La Niña weather cycle. 2010 water releases before the deluge. Anna Bligh was the third wettest year for Australia (since also pledged that the operations and national records began in 1900) with a mean requirements of the dam would be the subject of total rainfall of 690mm, well above the average early and forensic scrutiny by the Commission of of 465mm. Inquiry. The devastating flooding in Qld was a result of Mr Robertson has re-iterated that currently all some extreme weather conditions. Record or the evidence showed that Seqwater grid near-to-record sea surface temperatures were managers had done everything they could to recorded off the coast in late 2010. December minimise the impacts and it had all been done 2010 was Qld's wettest on record, with record according to the operations manual. high rainfall totals set in 107 locations for the month. The state average rainfall level of 209mm exceeded the previous record of 200mm set in

1975. 2010 was also recorded as the state's Fluvial geomorphologist Dr Jerry Maroulis says wettest spring on record. the flood in Toowoomba was caused by a freak convergence of several factors; a “perfect storm” Across Australia, the second half of the year and the urban environment was one of the main (July to December) was the wettest on record. contributing factors. Yet, it has not been uniform across the country. Southwest Western Australia had its driest year Records back to the 19th century tell us that the on record and Tasmania reported near-to-average amount of rainfall that fell in the catchment was rainfall. not unusual and had been exceeded in the past. With the nature of development, the catchment’s The Murray-Darling Basin recorded its wettest natural vegetation, including reed beds in a chain year on record, ending a record sequence of of ponds, has been replaced with impervious below-average rainfall years extending back to surfaces which channels run off into the 2001. That led to a dramatic recovery in water concreted watercourses. storages across the basin from 26% at the start of 2010 to 80% at the start of 2011. Stephen Gale, a hydrologist at the University of Sydney, agrees that badly planned urban The La Niña weather pattern is still continuing development causes flood damage and that flood for at least another month before it begins to modelling needs to be undertaken for towns in dissipate. Still, weather forecasters and space similar geographical situations. agency NASA say that this level of intensity of the weather pattern has rarely been seen in recent According to Gale, the flood modelling currently climate history. It is probably within the top five used is inadequate because of the lack of events in over 130 years of records. As such, instrumental records. He stated that forty or fifty above average rainfall is expected to continue years of records are insufficient to predict with a with further flooding a possibility. level of reliability what the one hundred year flood level would be, and because we haven’t Climate change has also been mooted as one of experienced many of these events it’s hard to the reasons for the severity of the floods, as more model their exact probability. In fact, some intense weather patterns is one of the strong scientists have said the flood in Brisbane was predictions of global warming, but climate only a one-in-25 year flood, and only the sixth scientists are careful about saying that the highest on record. intensity of the La Niña pattern is a product of climate change and not natural variability. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the Brisbane River exceeded last month’s peak of Yet, globally, the World Meteorological 4.5m at least five times before 1900, reaching Organization (WMO) has declared that 2010 is 7m once and exceeding 8m twice. almost certain to rank in the top three warmest years since the beginning of instrumental climate Gale also says modelling is complicated by the records in 1850. A cooler-than-average global fact that climate goes through natural oscillations mean temperature has not been recorded since - phenomena like El Niño and La Niña - which 1985 (for the last 25 years). The past 10 years can change predictions depending on whether have been the globe’s hottest on record with an you are in a drought-dominated regime or a anomaly of +0.46 °C. flood-dominated regime.

GAPS IN OUR KNOWLEDGE It has been suggested that natural archives such as sediment cores and coral reefs, may provide a Scientists and experts are now calling for an better understanding of past events, and often urgent change in thinking about how we predict indicate that big floods occur much more and cope with flood events. frequently than the instrumental records suggest.

SEASONAL OUTLOOK In contrast, the outlook favours drier conditions across a region extending from southern SA to The national outlook for the February to April the far southwest of Queensland. The odds of period favours wetter conditions over most of the exceeding the median rainfall are between 30 tropics and Western Australia. and 40% in this region. However, this outlook should be used with caution in this area due to The pattern of seasonal rainfall odds across the low confidence levels. Australia is a result of cool conditions in the central tropical Pacific Ocean associated with the Strong La Niña conditions persist across the current La Niña, as well as recent warm tropical Pacific. Computer models surveyed by conditions in the Indian Ocean. the Bureau suggest the current La Niña event will persist through the southern hemisphere The chances of receiving above median rainfall summer. during the February to April period are between 60 and 75% across the the northern halves of the Source:www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/rain_ah Northern Territory and Queensland, as well as ead.shtml most of Western Australia (see map).

INTERNATIONAL FLOODS 325,000 in central and eastern Sri Lanka between 5-18 Jan. There were 20 international floods reported by Dartmouth Observatory during December and Indonesia January across 23 countries. More than 1,070 Twelve thousand people were displaced in West people have perished and almost 778,000 have Java in three days of heavy rainfall in the middle been displaced. Significant floods included: of Jan.

Venezuela Malaysia Twelve days of torrential rainfall killed 30 Four days of heavy rain caused flooding which people and displaced 60,000 more across killed two people and displaced 20,000 at the Venezuela at the end of Nov and start of Dec. end of Jan.

Serbia Bolivia Heavy rain from 1-6 Dec that also affected parts Thirty people were killed as a result of two days of Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia resulted in of torrential rain in remote areas of southern the deaths of three people and the displacement Bolivia at the end of Jan. of 30,000 more. Brazil India Across Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro One hundred and seventy people were killed in and Espirito Santo State, 18 days of heavy rain Tamil Nadu by flooding from 23 days of which began on 1 Jan resulted in widespread monsoonal rain that started in Nov and ended on flash flooding which caused enormous mudslides 7 Dec. across the mountainous region.

Panama The tsunami-like wave of mud wiped out mostly Between 8-17 Dec, torrential rainfall resulted in poor communities in the middle of night. The floods which killed ten people and displaced hardest hit was the village of Teresopolis. The 2,000 others. rivers of mud carried large rocks and other debris which crashed through houses and buried the Philippines inhabitants.

In the southern part of the Philippines, 18 days of Over 660 people were killed and a further heavy rain which started on 1 Jan produced flash 100,000 were displaced. Attempts to rescue the flooding which resulted in the deaths of 53 people trapped under mud and debris were people and the displacement of 10,000 more. hampered by the continuing rainfall.

Torrential rain between 25-31 Jan, again resulted Miraculously, one man was rescued from the in the displacement of over 30,000 more people. wreckage of his house which had been buried under three metres of mud. Workers had heard South Africa noises coming from the ground and were able to Heavy rain, which also affected parts of dig him out. Mozambique, lasted for the entire month of Jan, killing 50 people and displacing 300 more. Half of the victims were thought to be children and many were found several kilometres away Sri Lanka from their houses, while it is unlikely that all the Fourteen days of monsoon rain is responsible for bodies will be recovered. It was one of the killing 23 people and displacing a further country’s worst natural disasters.