Storm Tides, Coastal Erosion and Inundation
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Case Study Storm tides, coastal erosion and inundation Synthesis and Integrative Research Program Historical Case Studies of Extreme Events Storm tides, coastal erosion and inundation Authors: P. Helman, Griffith University F. Thomalla, Griffith University C. Metusela, Griffith University R. Tomlinson, Griffith University Published by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility 2010 ISBN: 978-1-921609-19-0 NCCARF Publication 17/10 Australian copyright law applies. For permission to reproduce any part of this document, please approach the authors. Please cite this report as: Helman, P, Thomalla, F, Metusela, C & Tomlinson, R 2010, Storm tides, coastal erosion and inundation, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, 37 pp. Author contact details Professor Rodger Tomlinson Griffith Centre for Coastal Management Gold Coast Campus Griffith University Queensland 4222, Australia T: +61 7 5552 8499 Email: [email protected] Acknowledgement This work was carried out with financial support from the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF). The role of NCCARF is to lead the research community in a national interdisciplinary effort to generate the information needed by decision makers in government, business and in vulnerable sectors and communities to manage the risk of climate change impacts. Disclaimer The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the Commonwealth or NCCARF, and neither the Commonwealth nor NCCARF accept responsibility for information or advice contained herein. Cover image: © Peta Williams Preface The National Climate Change Research Facility (NCCARF) is undertaking a program of Synthesis and Integrative Research to synthesise existing and emerging national and international research on climate change impacts and adaptation. The purpose of this program is to provide decision-makers with the information they need to manage the risks of climate change. This report on storm tides along East Coast Australia forms part of a series of studies/reports commissioned by NCCARF that look at historical extreme weather events, their impacts and subsequent adaptations. These studies examine particular events – primarily extremes – and seek to explore prior vulnerabilities and resilience, the character and management of the event, subsequent adaptation and the effects on present-day vulnerability. The reports should inform thinking about adapting to climate change – capacity to adapt, barriers to adaptation and translating capacity into action. While it is recognised that the comparison is not and never can be exact, the over-arching goal is to better understand the requirements of successful adaptation to future climate change. This report compares the adaptive response to storm tides of coastal communities along East Coast Australia. Australia’s coastal communities are vulnerable to coastal erosion and inundation as a result of major storm surges and storm tides. Throughout the 1950s until the mid-1970s, Australia’s East Coast experienced a particularly stormy period. One of the worst years was 1967, when five Tropical Cyclones (TC) and three East Coast Lows (ECL) caused extensive damage during the first half of the year. Many coastal communities experienced severe erosion and flooding. Since the mid-1970s, calmer weather has prevailed, and the knowledge of how to prepare and respond to storm tide impacts is in danger of being forgotten as the memory of past events fades. This case study focuses on the adaptive response of three coastal communities – the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and the Collaroy- Narrabeen region – to the stormy period from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. Other reports in the series are: • East Coast Lows and the Newcastle-Central Coast Pasha Bulker Storm • The 2008 Floods in Queensland: Charleville and Mackay • Adaptation Lessons from Cyclone Tracy • Heatwaves: The Southern Australian Experience of 2009 • Drought and the Future of Rural Communities: Drought Impacts and Adaptation in Regional Victoria, Australia • Drought and Water Security: Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill To highlight common learnings from all the case studies, a Synthesis Report has been produced, which is a summary of responses and lessons learned. All reports are available from the website at www.nccarf.edu.au. Erratum [added 3rd April 2013] In the original version of this report, Figure 4 (page 16) contained a footnote that read: When Suffolk Park was subdivided in 1922, the distance ‘A’ was set at 5 chains [100m] between the property boundary and mean high water (MHW). In 1996, ‘A’ was 60 m. This reduction is supported by anecdotal accounts from residents who described the loss of the original foredunes and swales in storms between the 1950s and 1970s. In 2010, ‘A’ is around 20 m. This footnote has been found to contain inaccurate data and has been removed. This does not affect the main arguments of the Report. Note that minor typographic errors have been corrected at the same time. Storm Tides, Coastal Erosion and Inundation iii iv Historical Case Studies of Extreme Events Contents Preface ..................................................................................................................................... iii Erratum ..................................................................................................................................... iii List of tables and figures ......................................................................................................... vii Executive summary ................................................................................................................. 1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Study aims ......................................................................................................... 4 2. Vulnerability of coastal settlements to coastal erosion and inundation ............................................................................................................ 4 2.1 Storm tide .......................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Sea level rise ..................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Storm cycles, erosion and inundation ................................................................ 6 2.4 Vulnerable coastal settlements .......................................................................... 7 2.5 Storm surge inundation ...................................................................................... 8 3. Extreme storm events ................................................................................................ 8 3.1 Past extreme storm surge events ...................................................................... 8 3.2 Recent coastal erosion events ........................................................................... 9 3.2.1 Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish, 4–11 March 2009 ........................... 9 3.2.2 East Coast Low, May 2009 ................................................................. 11 4. Case studies ............................................................................................................. 11 4.1 Gold Coast ....................................................................................................... 11 4.1.1 Storm/erosion history .......................................................................... 11 4.1.2 Protection strategies ........................................................................... 12 4.1.3 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 14 4.2 Byron Bay ........................................................................................................ 14 4.2.1 Storm/erosion history .......................................................................... 14 4.2.2 Coastline erosion response ................................................................ 15 4.2.3 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 17 4.3 Collaroy/Narrabeen .......................................................................................... 18 4.3.1 Storm/erosion history .......................................................................... 19 4.3.2 Coastline planning response .............................................................. 19 4.3.3 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 20 5. Responses to past events ....................................................................................... 20 5.1 Long-term adaptation ....................................................................................... 20 5.2 Community attitudes ........................................................................................ 21 5.3 Emergency response ....................................................................................... 22 6. Coastal adaptation strategies ................................................................................. 24 6.1 Protective structures ........................................................................................ 25 6.2 Beach nourishment .......................................................................................... 25 6.3 Retreat