117-528: A series of floods hit Queensland , Australia, beginning in December 2010. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least 90 towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was estimated at A$ 1 billion before it was raised to $ 2.38 billion. The estimated reduction in Australia's GDP is about A$ 30 billion. As of March 2012, there were 33 deaths attributed to
234-509: A Queensland town was a first for the state. Major flooding at Theodore persisted for more than two weeks. Emerald was cut off by road on 29 December as the Nogoa River rose. By the next day, the river surpassed the 2008 flood peak level of 15.36 metres (50.4 ft). At the peak of the flooding, 80% of the town was flooded, the worst the town ever experienced. Twelve hundred Emerald residents registered as evacuees. Rockhampton had nearly
351-449: A dam , landslide, or glacier . In one instance, a flash flood killed eight people enjoying the water on a Sunday afternoon at a popular waterfall in a narrow canyon. Without any observed rainfall, the flow rate increased from about 50 to 1,500 cubic feet per second (1.4 to 42 m /s) in just one minute. Two larger floods occurred at the same site within a week, but no one was at the waterfall on those days. The deadly flood resulted from
468-646: A flash flood . Flash floods usually result from intense rainfall over a relatively small area, or if the area was already saturated from previous precipitation. The amount, location, and timing of water reaching a drainage channel from natural precipitation and controlled or uncontrolled reservoir releases determines the flow at downstream locations. Some precipitation evaporates, some slowly percolates through soil, some may be temporarily sequestered as snow or ice, and some may produce rapid runoff from surfaces including rock, pavement, roofs, and saturated or frozen ground. The fraction of incident precipitation promptly reaching
585-468: A flood the dam is designed to hold back 1.45 million megalitres (320,000 × 10 ^ imp gal; 380,000 × 10 ^ US gal) of additional water for flood mitigation or 225% capacity. Under the water release plan which is defined by law, excess water must be released from the dam within seven days or a week of it reaching 100% capacity. In February 1999, the level reached 135% of full capacity. Between April 2004 and September 2008,
702-515: A landslide , earthquake or volcanic eruption . Examples include outburst floods and lahars . Tsunamis can cause catastrophic coastal flooding , most commonly resulting from undersea earthquakes. The primary effects of flooding include loss of life and damage to buildings and other structures, including bridges, sewerage systems, roadways, and canals. The economic impacts caused by flooding can be severe. Every year flooding causes countries billions of dollars worth of damage that threatens
819-484: A tropical cyclone or an extratropical cyclone , falls within this category. A storm surge is "an additional rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides". Due to the effects of climate change (e.g. sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events) and an increase in the population living in coastal areas, the damage caused by coastal flood events has intensified and more people are being affected. Flooding in estuaries
936-540: A trough during the peak of a La Niña Modoki event. The 2010 La Niña Modoki weather pattern, which brings wetter conditions to eastern Australia, was the strongest since 1973. This La Niña event caused a prolonged event of heavy rainfall over Queensland river catchments. Record or near record sea surface temperatures were recorded off the Queensland coast in late 2010. December 2010 was Queensland's wettest on record, with record-high rainfall totals set in 107 locations for
1053-571: A 165-metre (541 ft) wide auxiliary spillway with a three-bay fuse plug was installed on the western portion of the dam to further mitigate flooding. In 2007, a feasibility study concluded that Wivenhoe Dam failed to satisfy the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) guidelines on acceptable flood capacity. Brisbane water levels reduced to under 20% of capacity, having had no substantial inflow for five years. [REDACTED] The largest ever recorded inflows for
1170-399: A boat ramp at Logan Inlet. Cormorant Bay, Hamon Cove and Spillway Common also have facilities for picnic. A stocked impoundment permit is required to fish in the dam. Swimming is permitted and camp sites have been established. Electric and non-powered boating with a permit is allowed, but domestic animals are banned. The dam is home to the endangered Australian lungfish . Anne Kemp ,
1287-676: A concrete spillway across the Brisbane River in South East Queensland , Australia. The dam takes it names from the local Wivenhoe Pocket rural community. The dam wall is located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) by road from the centre of Brisbane . The primary purpose of the dam is the supply of potable water for the Brisbane and Ipswich regions. South-east Queensland's largest dam also provides for flood mitigation control, hydroelectricity , and recreation. The impounded reservoir
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#17328524320311404-461: A country can be lost in extreme flood circumstances. Some tree species may not survive prolonged flooding of their root systems. Flooding in areas where people live also has significant economic implications for affected neighborhoods. In the United States , industry experts estimate that wet basements can lower property values by 10–25 percent and are cited among the top reasons for not purchasing
1521-553: A devastating wall of water through the city centre. This water then headed west—not towards the Lockyer Valley which was also experiencing extreme rainfall that fell on eastern facing slopes. The surge associated with rainfall which fell on the eastern side of the range passed through the Lockyer Valley town of Withcott , where the force of the water pushed cars into shops and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people. The scene
1638-537: A discharge capacity of 12,000 cubic metres per second (420,000 cu ft/s). The dam also has an auxiliary spillway to stop over-topping. The dam is managed by SEQ Water since July 2008 when most dam assets were transferred to the statutory authority , as part of a water security project in the South East Queensland region, known as the South East Queensland Water Grid . Wivenhoe
1755-538: A drainage channel has been observed from nil for light rain on dry, level ground to as high as 170 percent for warm rain on accumulated snow. Most precipitation records are based on a measured depth of water received within a fixed time interval. Frequency of a precipitation threshold of interest may be determined from the number of measurements exceeding that threshold value within the total time period for which observations are available. Individual data points are converted to intensity by dividing each measured depth by
1872-627: A few minutes for roof and parking lot drainage structures, while cumulative rainfall over several days would be critical for river basins. Water flowing downhill ultimately encounters downstream conditions slowing movement. The final limitation in coastal flooding lands is often the ocean or some coastal flooding bars which form natural lakes . In flooding low lands, elevation changes such as tidal fluctuations are significant determinants of coastal and estuarine flooding. Less predictable events like tsunamis and storm surges may also cause elevation changes in large bodies of water. Elevation of flowing water
1989-605: A few. Gastrointestinal disease and diarrheal diseases are very common due to a lack of clean water during a flood. Most of clean water supplies are contaminated when flooding occurs. Hepatitis A and E are common because of the lack of sanitation in the water and in living quarters depending on where the flood is and how prepared the community is for a flood. When floods hit, people lose nearly all their crops, livestock, and food reserves and face starvation. Floods also frequently damage power transmission and sometimes power generation , which then has knock-on effects caused by
2106-452: A half-degree Celsius rise in ocean temperatures around Australia to global warming (which produces extra water vapour and intensifies the monsoon). Other scientists say that it is too early to draw such a conclusion. Assertions were also made by Professor Hubert Chanson , an expert in dam and reservoir engineering with extensive firsthand knowledge of the Wivenhoe system, that mismanagement of
2223-721: A home. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), almost 40 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a flooding disaster. In the United States, insurance is available against flood damage to both homes and businesses. Economic hardship due to a temporary decline in tourism, rebuilding costs, or food shortages leading to price increases is a common after-effect of severe flooding. The impact on those affected may cause psychological damage to those affected, in particular where deaths, serious injuries and loss of property occur. Fatalities connected directly to floods are usually caused by drowning ;
2340-406: A level equivalent to 191% of its supply capacity on 11 January 2011. Although the dam can hold the equivalent of 225% of its supply capacity, storage exceeding 100% is required to be progressively released through the floodgates to restore capacity to mitigate future flood events. Brisbane experienced its wettest December since 1859. Wyaralong Dam , near Beaudesert , had recently been completed and
2457-486: A more distant point controls at higher water levels. Effective flood channel geometry may be changed by growth of vegetation, accumulation of ice or debris, or construction of bridges, buildings, or levees within the flood channel. Periodic floods occur on many rivers, forming a surrounding region known as the flood plain . Even when rainfall is relatively light, the shorelines of lakes and bays can be flooded by severe winds—such as during hurricanes —that blow water into
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#17328524320312574-592: A peak in the early hours of Thursday morning, 13 January. The dam's releases into the Brisbane River also caused the Bremer River , which winds through the city of Ipswich , and the Lockyer Creek to back up and cause much of the flooding outside Brisbane ." This was corroborated by a panel of engineers hired by Insurance Council of Australia . O'Brien also found that the Wivenhoe Dam and Somerset Dam did not hold
2691-426: A relief fund created. The head of the recovery taskforce was Major General Michael Slater . The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (CEO was Graeme Newton) was formed to coordinate the rebuilding program beyond the initial task force, and a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate all matters related to the floods. The state's coal industry was particularly hard hit. The Queensland floods were followed by
2808-472: A researcher from the University of Queensland , estimates there was a population of 800 in 2010 but many are swept out of the dam when the spillway is opened and that their food source of molluscs and clams is insufficient to maintain the lungfish in the dam. Self-sustaining populations of lungfish have lived in dams in South East Queensland for over 100 years since 1896. Lungfish were originally restricted to
2925-444: A result of the floods. National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements were made available to a total of 31 local government areas across Queensland . New Zealand announced that the country would send two fifteen-member civil defence teams to assist in flood rescue efforts. New Zealand also offered x3 RNZAF Bell UH-1H helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft, to assist with relief efforts, and air transport, however this offer
3042-413: A thunderstorm over part of the drainage basin, where steep, bare rock slopes are common and the thin soil was already saturated. Flash floods are the most common flood type in normally-dry channels in arid zones, known as arroyos in the southwest United States and many other names elsewhere. In that setting, the first flood water to arrive is depleted as it wets the sandy stream bed. The leading edge of
3159-440: A tremendous spirit of volunteering right across Queensland ...". Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard toured flood-affected areas on 31 December, the day before The Queen ( Elizabeth II ), sent her expressions of concern and sympathy for the victims of the floods to her representative in Queensland, Governor Penelope Wensley . The Queen later made a donation to her Queensland premier's flood relief appeal, as did her son,
3276-520: A type of hybrid river/areal flooding can occur, known locally as "overland flooding". This is different from "overland flow" defined as "surface runoff". The Red River Valley is a former glacial lakebed, created by Lake Agassiz , and over a length of 550 mi (890 km), the river course drops only 236 ft (72 m), for an average slope of about 5 inches per mile (or 8.2 cm per kilometer). In this very large area, spring snowmelt happens at different rates in different places, and if winter snowfall
3393-606: A week to prepare for an expected flood peak from the Fitzroy River , which courses through the centre of the city. The airport was closed on 1 January. A metal flood barrier was erected around the terminal to prevent flood-borne debris from causing damage to the structure. An evacuation centre was set up at the Central Queensland University . The Bruce Highway leading south out of Rockhampton was closed to traffic. The river peaked at 9.2 metres (30 ft), just short of
3510-405: Is also the intentional flooding of land that would otherwise remain dry. This may take place for agricultural, military, or river-management purposes. For example, agricultural flooding may occur in preparing paddy fields for the growing of semi-aquatic rice in many countries. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river , lake , sea or ocean. In these cases,
3627-466: Is appealing the decision for which a hearing is scheduled for May. The appeal was successful. Brisbane experienced major flooding in 1893 and 1974 as the Brisbane River broke its bank and inundated low-lying areas. Towns, including St. George and Theodore, had dealt with major flooding earlier in 1996. The floods were a result of heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Cyclone Tasha that combined with
2010–2011 Queensland floods - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-612: Is called Lake Wivenhoe and the dam, the lake and a narrow strip of surrounding land forms a locality also called Lake Wivenhoe. Wivenhoe Dam was planned in the early 1970s. The 1974 Brisbane flood highlighted the need for flood protection for South East Queensland . The lake also forms part of the water storages for the Wivenhoe Power Station . The earth and rock dam structure is 59 metres (194 ft) high and 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) long. The 4,140-thousand-cubic-metre (146 × 10 ^ cu ft) dam wall holds back
3861-419: Is common when heavy flows move uprooted woody vegetation and flood-damaged structures and vehicles, including boats and railway equipment. Recent field measurements during the 2010–11 Queensland floods showed that any criterion solely based upon the flow velocity, water depth or specific momentum cannot account for the hazards caused by velocity and water depth fluctuations. These considerations ignore further
3978-493: Is commonly caused by a combination of storm surges caused by winds and low barometric pressure and large waves meeting high upstream river flows. The intentional flooding of land that would otherwise remain dry may take place for agricultural, military or river-management purposes. This is a form of hydraulic engineering . Agricultural flooding may occur in preparing paddy fields for the growing of semi-aquatic rice in many countries. Flooding for river management may occur in
4095-400: Is controlled by the geometry of the flow channel and, especially, by depth of channel, speed of flow and amount of sediments in it Flow channel restrictions like bridges and canyons tend to control water elevation above the restriction. The actual control point for any given reach of the drainage may change with changing water elevation, so a closer point may control for lower water levels until
4212-461: Is more significant to flooding within small drainage basins. The most important upslope factor in determining flood magnitude is the land area of the watershed upstream of the area of interest. Rainfall intensity is the second most important factor for watersheds of less than approximately 30 square miles or 80 square kilometres. The main channel slope is the second most important factor for larger watersheds. Channel slope and rainfall intensity become
4329-437: The 2011 Victorian floods which saw more than fifty communities in western and central Victoria also grapple with significant flooding. On 26 February 2021 the result of legal action, started in 2014 and won in 2019, was a partial settlement of A$ 440 million in compensation for thousands of flood victims, from the Queensland government and SunWater . The remaining $ 440 million is owed by State-owned dam operator Seqwater who
4446-678: The Coroner on 5 June 2012. Flooding began to affect low-lying areas of Brisbane on the morning of 11 January 2011. By around 2:30 p.m. AEST, the Brisbane River broke its banks leading to evacuations in the Brisbane CBD and the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and West End . An evacuation centre was established for flood-affected residents at the RNA Showgrounds in Bowen Hills . Residents of 2,100 Brisbane streets were advised to evacuate prior to
4563-526: The Darling Downs , was hit by flash flooding after more than 160 millimetres (6.3 in) of rain fell in 36 hours to 10 January 2011; this event caused four deaths in a matter of hours. Cars were washed away (see video ). Toowoomba sits on the watershed of the Great Dividing Range , some 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. A three-week period where it had rained on all but three days had left
4680-505: The Rally for Relief which was held at Rod Laver Arena and attended by 15,000 people, which raised A$ 750,000. The Seven Network televised the event. Players who took part included Roger Federer , Rafael Nadal , Lleyton Hewitt , Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick . On 27 January, the 2011 Legends of Origin charity match was contested between former New South Wales and Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players. Organised by Mark Geyer ,
4797-554: The Second World War ). Floods are caused by many factors or a combination of any of these generally prolonged heavy rainfall (locally concentrated or throughout a catchment area), highly accelerated snowmelt , severe winds over water, unusual high tides, tsunamis , or failure of dams, levees , retention ponds , or other structures that retained the water. Flooding can be exacerbated by increased amounts of impervious surface or by other natural hazards such as wildfires, which reduce
2010–2011 Queensland floods - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-765: The Western Corridor Recycled Water Scheme into the dam to supplement supply were made public. Sixty million litres of recycled water were to be pumped into the dam by early 2009. Increasing rainfall from 2008 resulted in the plan for recycled water to enter the region's drinking water supply to be postponed. Lake Wivenhoe is also a camping and outdoor recreation destination. Camping sites are provided at Captain Logan and Lumley Hill Areas. The managed camping facilities at Captain Logan Camp include hot showers, barbecues and toilets, and are adjacent to playgrounds and
5031-506: The Wheel of Brisbane , was itself inundated by flood waters only two days later. At the first Twenty20 cricket match between Australia and England in Adelaide on 12 January, both teams donated part of their match fees to help the victims and A$ 28,450 was collected from people in attendance. On 16 January, the day before the 2011 Australian Tennis Open commenced, a number of players took part in
5148-408: The Wivenhoe Dam might be a contributor to the some flooding in the lower Brisbane valley. While an expert engineer, Michael O'Brien—a senior manager of an ASX-listed resources company and an outside consultant evaluating cause—agrees that "massive releases of water from Wivenhoe Dam on Tuesday, 11 January, did indeed produce most of the flooding in the Brisbane River the following afternoon, with
5265-440: The Wivenhoe Power Station . The upper reservoir is formed by Splityard Creek Dam , of earth and rock construction, with a capacity of 28,700 megalitres (6,300,000 × 10 ^ imp gal; 7,600,000 × 10 ^ US gal). Under normal conditions the dam supplies water via pipeline to both Tarong Power Station and Tarong North Power Station , but during drought conditions only supplies water to Tarong North. During
5382-562: The water table is shallow, such as a floodplain , or from intense rain from one or a series of storms . Infiltration also is slow to negligible through frozen ground, rock, concrete , paving, or roofs. Areal flooding begins in flat areas like floodplains and in local depressions not connected to a stream channel, because the velocity of overland flow depends on the surface slope. Endorheic basins may experience areal flooding during periods when precipitation exceeds evaporation. Floods occur in all types of river and stream channels, from
5499-618: The 1,165,000-megalitre (256 × 10 ^ imp gal; 308 × 10 ^ US gal) reservoir when at full capacity. From a catchment area of 7,020 square kilometres (2,710 sq mi) that includes much of the south–western slopes of the D'Aguilar National Park , the dam creates Lake Wivenhoe, with a surface area of 1,094 hectares (2,700 acres), a maximum shoreline of 462 kilometres (287 mi), and an average annual evaporation level of 1,872 mm (73.7 in). The gated spillway, with five steel crest gates that are 12 metres (39 ft) wide and 16.6 metres (54 ft) high, has
5616-503: The 337.5 square kilometres (130.3 sq mi) of land required for the dam, 200 properties were acquired. The catchment area has an average annual rainfall of 940 millimetres (37 in). The dam holds twice as much water as Sydney Harbour and can hold about seven times more water than the Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast. Wivenhoe Dam contributes to the Gold Coast's water supply. The dam
5733-506: The Brisbane suburbs worst affected by the floods were St Lucia , West End , Rocklea and Graceville . The floods damaged some of Brisbane's icons. The Brisbane Riverwalk, a floating walkway over the Brisbane River linking the inner city neighbourhoods of Fortitude Valley and New Farm , broke up, with a section forming a 300-metre (980 ft) "floating missile" that threatened the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges . The largest part of
5850-459: The British people for those who have died, those who have lost their homes and all those who have been affected by the floods in Queensland." "As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are. We are Queenslanders. We're the people that they breed tough, north of the [New South Wales] border. We're
5967-543: The Prince of Wales (now Charles III ). In March 2011, Charles' eldest son, Prince William , toured the affected areas in Queensland, as well as those damaged by the floods in Victoria . US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated, "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer my condolences for the loss of life and damage in Queensland caused by the recent flooding." US President Barack Obama said he
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#17328524320316084-687: The adverse ecological impact of the inundation. That impact may also be adverse in a hydrogeological sense if the inundation lasts a long time. Examples for uncontrolled inundations are the second Siege of Leiden during the first part of the Eighty Years' War , the flooding of the Yser plain during the First World War , and the Inundation of Walcheren , and the Inundation of the Wieringermeer during
6201-423: The amount of water damage and mold that grows after an incident. Research suggests that there will be an increase of 30–50% in adverse respiratory health outcomes caused by dampness and mold exposure for those living in coastal and wetland areas. Fungal contamination in homes is associated with increased allergic rhinitis and asthma. Vector borne diseases increase as well due to the increase in still water after
6318-427: The arrival of floods, which struck the city on 12 January. Lord Mayor Campbell Newman stated than an estimated 20,000 homes would be affected when the river peaked on 14 January. He subsequently advised that the Brisbane River transport infrastructure had been "substantially destroyed". The Brisbane River peaked on 13 January at a lower level than predicted, but still 20,000 houses in Brisbane were inundated. Some of
6435-490: The central business district and at least 3,000 houses. One third of the city was reported to be underwater and over 1,100 people took shelter at evacuation centres. At Minden, on the border of Ipswich City, a four-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters when he fell from a rescue boat. A man in his fifties died when he accidentally drove into floodwaters in the Ipswich suburb of Wulkuraka . The worst affected areas of Ipswich were
6552-626: The coast). By 30 December vast areas of Southern and Central Queensland were affected by the flood. The conditions led to a large influx of snakes in the Rockhampton area, as well as some crocodiles. Flooding was widespread across Queensland and New South Wales from the end of December 2010 to January 2011 with several separate rain events causing rivers to rise over a lengthy period. Many places, including Condamine and Chinchilla were inundated by flood waters on multiple occasions. About 300 roads were closed, including nine major highways. During
6669-460: The dam occurred in January 2011 . On 11 January 2011, Wivenhoe Dam reached its highest level ever, 191% of normal water supply storage capacity, as it held back floodwater. Because it is an embankment dam, it was not designed to spill over its crest or overtop and there is a risk that if waters spilled over the crest, this could erode the dam wall and potentially cause the dam to fail. In this scenario
6786-434: The deadliest floods worldwide, showing events with death tolls at or above 100,000 individuals. Floods (in particular more frequent or smaller floods) can also bring many benefits, such as recharging ground water , making soil more fertile and increasing nutrients in some soils. Flood waters provide much needed water resources in arid and semi-arid regions where precipitation can be very unevenly distributed throughout
6903-515: The deployment was the largest for a natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy . About 35 State Emergency Service personnel from New South Wales and 20 personnel from Victoria were deployed to provide relief to exhausted staff and volunteers. A national appeal was established on 29 December, with the state and federal governments giving A$ 1 million each. Small businesses and primary producers in 13 local government areas became eligible for grants of up to A$ 25,000 to pay for costs from damage incurred as
7020-450: The evacuation of 300 homes. The Bundaberg Port , a major sugar exporting facility, was closed late in December 2010 as flooding deposited silt in the port, forcing its closure. The port re-opened in early March 2011 after successful dredging operations allowed ships to berth. Chinchilla and Jericho were also inundated. At least 40 residents were evacuated from Chinchilla. Flooding in Dalby
7137-563: The field that is intended to impede the movement of the enemy. This may be done both for offensive and defensive purposes. Furthermore, in so far as the methods used are a form of hydraulic engineering, it may be useful to differentiate between controlled inundations and uncontrolled ones. Examples for controlled inundations include those in the Netherlands under the Dutch Republic and its successor states in that area and exemplified in
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#17328524320317254-466: The floating boardwalk was safely guided under the bridge by a tugboat and past other infrastructure before being safely secured. Brisbane's major Rugby league and Soccer (Association Football) venue, Suncorp Stadium , filled with water up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) deep, reaching the third or fourth row of seats. With the flood peaking at 4.46 metres (14.6 ft) in Brisbane City, the flood level
7371-470: The flood process; before, during and after. During floods accidents occur with falling debris or any of the many fast moving objects in the water. After the flood rescue attempts are where large numbers injuries can occur. Communicable diseases are increased due to many pathogens and bacteria that are being transported by the water .There are many waterborne diseases such as cholera , hepatitis A , hepatitis E and diarrheal diseases , to mention
7488-630: The flood that followed, saying the "dam was run with outstanding precision." Isolated flooding started across parts of the state in early December. On 23 December, a monsoonal trough crossed the coast from the Coral Sea , bringing torrential rain that fell in a broad swath from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gold Coast . The widest range of intense rainfall occurred on 27 December (with very high daily totals recorded on 25 December, near where Cyclone Tasha crossed
7605-492: The flood thus advances more slowly than later and higher flows. As a result, the rising limb of the hydrograph becomes ever quicker as the flood moves downstream, until the flow rate is so great that the depletion by wetting soil becomes insignificant. Coastal areas may be flooded by storm surges combining with high tides and large wave events at sea, resulting in waves over-topping flood defenses or in severe cases by tsunami or tropical cyclones. A storm surge , from either
7722-505: The flood waters had reached a height of 7 or 8 metres (23 or 26 ft) by the time it struck Grantham. The peak discharge rate around Withcott and Grantham where Lockyer Creek is joined by Gatton Creek, was estimated to be 3,500 m second. At least 100 people were evacuated to the Helidon Community Hall. Nine people were confirmed dead, and many more feared dead among 66 reported missing. The body of one victim washed away at Grantham
7839-475: The flooding it was reported that more than three-quarters of Queensland was affected by flooding. The flooding initially forced the evacuation of 1,000 people from Theodore and other towns, described as unprecedented by the acting chief officer of the Emergency Management Queensland . The military transported residents by helicopter to an evacuation centre at Moura . The total evacuation of
7956-403: The floods have settled. The diseases that are vector borne are malaria , dengue , West Nile , and yellow fever . Floods have a huge impact on victims' psychosocial integrity . People suffer from a wide variety of losses and stress . One of the most treated illness in long-term health problems are depression caused by the flood and all the tragedy that flows with one. Below is a list of
8073-529: The floods, with a further three people still missing. Three-quarters of the council areas within the state of Queensland were declared disaster zones. Communities along the Fitzroy and Burnett Rivers were particularly hard hit, while the Condamine, Ballone, and Mary Rivers recorded substantial flooding. An unexpected flash flood caused by a thunderstorm raced through Toowoomba's central business district. Rainfall from
8190-428: The flow rate exceeds the capacity of the river channel , particularly at bends or meanders in the waterway . Floods often cause damage to homes and businesses if these buildings are in the natural flood plains of rivers. People could avoid riverine flood damage by moving away from rivers. However, people in many countries have traditionally lived and worked by rivers because the land is usually flat and fertile . Also,
8307-481: The following weeks, five others died from similar circumstances. Nine people drowned after being caught directly by the flowing waters and thirteen people died in other circumstances. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Lucas Rice died 10 January 2011 after insisting that his 10-year-old brother, Blake, be saved from the flood waters before him. He drowned along with his mother, 43-year-old Donna Maree Rice, both being residents of Toowoomba . He has been called an Australian hero by
8424-641: The form of diverting flood waters in a river at flood stage upstream from areas that are considered more valuable than the areas that are sacrificed in this way. This may be done ad hoc , or permanently, as in the so-called overlaten (literally "let-overs"), an intentionally lowered segment in Dutch riparian levees, like the Beerse Overlaat in the left levee of the Meuse between the villages of Gassel and Linden, North Brabant . Military inundation creates an obstacle in
8541-492: The hydro-electric project was A$ 450 million. In March 1977, the first construction contract was awarded. The dam was designed by the Queensland Water Resources Commission. In June 1983, the partially completed dam mitigated a potentially severe flood that may have caused damage equal to the 1893 Brisbane flood . Construction work, carried out by Thiess Brothers , was complete by 1985. To provide
8658-774: The intensity and frequency of flooding. Examples for human changes are land use changes such as deforestation and removal of wetlands , changes in waterway course or flood controls such as with levees . Global environmental issues also influence causes of floods, namely climate change which causes an intensification of the water cycle and sea level rise . For example, climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and stronger. This leads to more intense floods and increased flood risk. Natural types of floods include river flooding, groundwater flooding coastal flooding and urban flooding sometimes known as flash flooding. Tidal flooding may include elements of both river and coastal flooding processes in estuary areas. There
8775-403: The land in quantities that cannot be carried within stream channels or retained in natural ponds, lakes, and human-made reservoirs . About 30 percent of all precipitation becomes runoff and that amount might be increased by water from melting snow. River flooding is often caused by heavy rain, sometimes increased by melting snow. A flood that rises rapidly, with little or no warning, is called
8892-608: The livelihood of individuals. As a result, there is also significant socio-economic threats to vulnerable populations around the world from flooding. For example, in Bangladesh in 2007, a flood was responsible for the destruction of more than one million houses. And yearly in the United States, floods cause over $ 7 billion in damage. Flood waters typically inundate farm land, making the land unworkable and preventing crops from being planted or harvested, which can lead to shortages of food both for humans and farm animals. Entire harvests for
9009-469: The local hospital and aged care home were evacuated as a precaution and an evacuation centre was established. Heavy rain in the Mary River catchment on 8–9 January 2011 led to flooding at Maryborough and Gympie . The Mary River at Maryborough was expected to initially peak at 8.5 metres (28 ft) at midday 9 January with some houses and businesses inundated by flood waters. The city of Toowoomba , in
9126-417: The location of the flood. Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to mobilize aid to those affected or to provide emergency health treatment. Flooding can cause chronically wet houses, leading to the growth of indoor mold and resulting in adverse health effects, particularly respiratory symptoms. Respiratory diseases are a common after the disaster has occurred. This depends on
9243-436: The loss of power. This includes loss of drinking water treatment and water supply, which may result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination. It may also cause the loss of sewage disposal facilities. Lack of clean water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of waterborne diseases , which can include typhoid , giardia , cryptosporidium , cholera and many other diseases depending upon
9360-415: The match raised $ 380,587 to go towards the recovery effort. Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids ) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide . Floods are of significant concern in agriculture , civil engineering and public health . Human changes to the environment often increase
9477-407: The maximum capacity they were capable of holding during the crisis period, which would have significantly alleviated flooding. Only one source, Neal Ashkanasy , who specialises in social and organisational psychology (and 35 years ago was involved in the design of Wivenhoe Dam ), found fault with these results and instead finds that the dam was operated correctly throughout the time of the storm and
9594-579: The media and in 2015 was post-humously awarded the Australian Bravery Medal for his sacrifice. More than 55,000 volunteers registered to help clean up the streets of Brisbane, with thousands more unregistered volunteers wandering the muddy streets with gumboots and mops. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the volunteering effort showed tremendous 'Aussie spirit' and that, "... right across Queensland today people have got up, they've marched out of their homes and they've gone to find people to help. It's
9711-525: The month. The state's average rainfall level of 209.45 millimetres (8.25 in) exceeded the previous record of 200.1 millimetres (7.88 in) set in 1975. 2010 was also recorded as the state's wettest spring since 1900, and the Australian continent's third-wettest year. Climate scientist Kevin Trenberth thought climate change was a contributing factor in the unusually high precipitation rates. He attributed
9828-588: The ones that they knock down, and we get up again. Together we can pull through this and that's what I'm determined to do, with your help, we can achieve it". Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh . Major General Michael Slater was appointed head of a civilian recovery task force. Slater was at the time also the Commander of the 1st Division based at the Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera , Brisbane. The taskforce
9945-457: The period of time between observations. This intensity will be less than the actual peak intensity if the duration of the rainfall event was less than the fixed time interval for which measurements are reported. Convective precipitation events (thunderstorms) tend to produce shorter duration storm events than orographic precipitation. Duration, intensity, and frequency of rainfall events are important to flood prediction. Short duration precipitation
10062-673: The predicted 9.4-metre (31 ft) maximum. The Port of Gladstone reduced its export capacity because the coal stockpiles at the port were saturated and further coal deliveries could not be made by rail. The Goonyella railway line which serves a number of coal mines in the Bowen Basin was closed for one week and shipments of grain were also delayed. The central Burnett towns of Gayndah and Mundubbera saw major flooding on 28–29 December. The Burnett River peaked at 18.25 metres (59.9 ft) at Mundubbera—the highest river height since 1942—inundating more than 20 houses. Downstream at Gayndah,
10179-569: The result of sustained rainfall, rapid snow melt, monsoons , or tropical cyclones . However, large rivers may have rapid flooding events in areas with dry climates, since they may have large basins but small river channels, and rainfall can be very intense in smaller areas of those basins. In extremely flat areas, such as the Red River Valley of the North in Minnesota , North Dakota , and Manitoba ,
10296-480: The risks associated with large debris entrained by the flow motion. Floods can be a huge destructive power. When water flows, it has the ability to demolish all kinds of buildings and objects, such as bridges, structures, houses, trees, and cars. Economical, social and natural environmental damages are common factors that are impacted by flooding events and the impacts that flooding has on these areas can be catastrophic. There have been numerous flood incidents around
10413-530: The river peaked at 16.1 metres (53 ft) with floodwaters reaching two houses. Both towns were isolated for several days and there was major disruption to the potable water supply and local agricultural production. Bundaberg experienced severe flooding, the worst in 40 years, after the Burnett River flooded the city, although the Paradise Dam reservoir contributed to some flood mitigation. This resulted in
10530-454: The rivers provide easy travel and access to commerce and industry. Flooding can damage property and also lead to secondary impacts. These include in the short term an increased spread of waterborne diseases and vector-bourne disesases , for example those diseases transmitted by mosquitos. Flooding can also lead to long-term displacement of residents. Floods are an area of study of hydrology and hydraulic engineering . A large amount of
10647-469: The same storm devastated communities in the Lockyer Valley. A few days later, thousands of houses in Ipswich and Brisbane were inundated as the Brisbane River rose and Wivenhoe Dam used a considerable proportion of its flood mitigation capacity. Volunteers were quick to offer assistance, and sympathy was expressed from afar. A large mobilisation of the Australian Defence Force was activated and
10764-497: The shore areas. Extreme flood events often result from coincidence such as unusually intense, warm rainfall melting heavy snow pack, producing channel obstructions from floating ice, and releasing small impoundments like beaver dams. Coincident events may cause extensive flooding to be more frequent than anticipated from simplistic statistical prediction models considering only precipitation runoff flowing within unobstructed drainage channels. Debris modification of channel geometry
10881-538: The smallest ephemeral streams in humid zones to normally-dry channels in arid climates to the world's largest rivers. When overland flow occurs on tilled fields, it can result in a muddy flood where sediments are picked up by run off and carried as suspended matter or bed load . Localized flooding may be caused or exacerbated by drainage obstructions such as landslides , ice , debris , or beaver dams. Slow-rising floods most commonly occur in large rivers with large catchment areas . The increase in flow may be
10998-416: The soil around Toowoomba super saturated and when a line of storms hit the city on 10 January, the resulting torrential rain rapidly ran off down gullies and streets. The central business district of the city sits in a small valley where two small water courses—East Creek and West Creek—meet to form Gowrie Creek . Unable to cope with the volume of water heading toward them, the creeks burst their banks, pushing
11115-448: The suburbs of Goodna and Gailes . The flooding led to a rare plausible claim of sharks swimming in a flooded urban area , with reports of bull sharks swimming in two streets in Goodna's center. Further upstream, Hubners Bridge and Richards Bridge near Kilcoy were washed away. Both bridges have been rebuilt and reopened in 2012. In South East Queensland , the Wivenhoe Dam filled to
11232-527: The supply of vegetation that can absorb rainfall. During times of rain, some of the water is retained in ponds or soil, some is absorbed by grass and vegetation, some evaporates, and the rest travels over the land as surface runoff . Floods occur when ponds, lakes, riverbeds, soil, and vegetation cannot absorb all the water. This has been exacerbated by human activities such as draining wetlands that naturally store large amounts of water and building paved surfaces that do not absorb any water. Water then runs off
11349-440: The third most important factors for small and large watersheds, respectively. Time of Concentration is the time required for runoff from the most distant point of the upstream drainage area to reach the point of the drainage channel controlling flooding of the area of interest. The time of concentration defines the critical duration of peak rainfall for the area of interest. The critical duration of intense rainfall might be only
11466-669: The two Hollandic Water Lines , the Stelling van Amsterdam , the Frisian Water Line , the IJssel Line , the Peel-Raam Line , and the Grebbe line in that country. To count as controlled , a military inundation has to take the interests of the civilian population into account, by allowing them a timely evacuation , by making the inundation reversible , and by making an attempt to minimize
11583-409: The water level would need to rise to 225% capacity. To prevent this, the dam was designed and built to include a second emergency spillway. During the peak of the flooding event the dam water level reached 60 centimetres (24 in) below the auxiliary spillway height. Wivenhoe Dam reaches a 180% capacity as of 27 February 2022 In 2006, emergency plans for placing fully treated recycled water from
11700-487: The water overtops or breaks levees , resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries. Flooding may also occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground. This is called an areal flood . The size of a lake or other body of water naturally varies with seasonal changes in precipitation and snow melt. Those changes in size are however not considered a flood unless they flood property or drown domestic animals . Floods can also occur in rivers when
11817-515: The waters in a flood are very deep and have strong currents . Deaths do not just occur from drowning, deaths are connected with dehydration , heat stroke , heart attack and any other illness that needs medical supplies that cannot be delivered. Injuries can lead to an excessive amount of morbidity when a flood occurs. Injuries are not isolated to just those who were directly in the flood, rescue teams and even people delivering supplies can sustain an injury. Injuries can occur anytime during
11934-508: The western suburbs of Brisbane were cut off for three days. Resident of suburbs including Bellbowrie , Karana Downs , Moggill and Pullenvale were running low on food and other items when Moggill Road was cut, until the Australian Army was able to reach the area on 15 January with supplies. The Bremer River at Ipswich , 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Brisbane, reached a height of 19.4 metres (64 ft) on 12 January, inundating
12051-450: The world which have caused devastating damage to infrastructure, the natural environment and human life. Floods can have devastating impacts to human societies. Flooding events worldwide are increasing in frequency and severity, leading to increasing costs to societies. Catastrophic riverine flooding can result from major infrastructure failures, often the collapse of a dam . It can also be caused by drainage channel modification from
12168-557: The world's population lives in close proximity to major coastlines , while many major cities and agricultural areas are located near floodplains . There is significant risk for increased coastal and fluvial flooding due to changing climatic conditions. Floods can happen on flat or low-lying areas when water is supplied by rainfall or snowmelt more rapidly than it can either infiltrate or run off . The excess accumulates in place, sometimes to hazardous depths. Surface soil can become saturated, which effectively stops infiltration, where
12285-438: The year and kills pests in the farming land. Freshwater floods particularly play an important role in maintaining ecosystems in river corridors and are a key factor in maintaining floodplain biodiversity . Flooding can spread nutrients to lakes and rivers, which can lead to increased biomass and improved fisheries for a few years. Wivenhoe Dam The Wivenhoe Dam is a rock and earth-fill embankment dam with
12402-454: Was about the tenth-highest in the city's history, several metres below the 1890 flood and the two major floods in 1893. Some unique field measurements about the peak of the floods showed very substantial sediment fluxes in the Brisbane River flood plains consistent with the murky appearance of floodwaters. The field deployment showed also some unusual features of flood flow in an urban environment linked with some local topographic effects. Parts of
12519-718: Was declined by the Australian government. In addition to this, New Zealand sent a number of New Zealand Defence Force soldiers, mainly engineers, as well as New Zealand Police and New Zealand Fire Service firefighters. A New Zealand Red Cross team was also dispatched. On 9 January, the Flood Relief Appeal: Australia Unites telethon broadcast by the Nine Network from the Suncorp Piazza at South Bank Parklands , Brisbane raised more than A$ 10 million in pledged aid. The South Bank area, which includes
12636-493: Was described by an onlooker as "like Cyclone Tracy has gone through it ... If you dropped an atom bomb on it, you couldn't tell the difference." Nearby Helidon had several homes and farms flooded but did not break the main creek bank and enter the town. It was cut off from all sides by destroyed roads. Grantham was also devastated by the surge of water. Houses were left crumpled by what Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh described as an "inland tsunami ". According to local media,
12753-415: Was designed as a response to the floods that damaged Brisbane in 1974. Built in the late 1970s – early 1980s as a multifunction facility by a consortium of construction companies including Thiess Brothers , Wivenhoe Dam provides a safe water supply to the people of Brisbane and adjacent regions. Additionally, Wivenhoe Dam serves as the lower storage in a pumped-storage, hydro-electric generating facility,
12870-765: Was heavy, a fast snowmelt can push water out of the banks of a tributary river so that it moves overland, to a point further downstream in the river or completely to another streambed. Overland flooding can be devastating because it is unpredictable, it can occur very suddenly with surprising speed, and in such flat land it can run for miles. It is these qualities that set it apart from simple "overland flow". Rapid flooding events, including flash floods , more often occur on smaller rivers, rivers with steep valleys, rivers that flow for much of their length over impermeable terrain, or normally-dry channels. The cause may be localized convective precipitation (intense thunderstorms ) or sudden release from an upstream impoundment created behind
12987-517: Was initially investigated for a dam site in the 1890s and again in 1933. Further investigations into a dam began in the mid 1960s. In November 1971, Government approval was given to proceed with construction. Acquisition of lands of the submerged portion of the dam began in March 1973. In 1976, the Government gave approval to proceed with construction of the pumped storage hydro-electric scheme. Total cost for
13104-561: Was later replaced by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, a new body created to co-ordinate the rebuilding program. The Australian Defence Force 's contribution to flood relief efforts was designated Operation Queensland Flood Assist . The ADF established Joint Task Force 637, based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, for operational command on 1 January 2011. According to the Australian Prime Minister,
13221-431: Was mandatorily evacuated on 30 December. A second rain event on 9–10 January saw floodwaters again threaten Chinchilla and Condamine with Chinchilla residents again asked to evacuate. The Macintyre River , which forms part of the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland, began to threaten the town of Goondiwindi on 13 January. While the town is protected by an 11-metre (36 ft) levee,
13338-489: Was praised for mitigating flooding in downstream Logan , having exceeded 80% of its capacity. In North Queensland , the town of Ingham became isolated as the Herbert River peaked. Homes at Babinda and Gordonvale were flooded. As of March 2012, 33 deaths have been attributed to the floods with 3 people still missing. The first death occurred on 30 November 2010, when a woman drowned in her vehicle near Dysart . In
13455-613: Was ready to help. John Key , the Prime Minister of New Zealand , held a telephone call with Gillard, during which she thanked New Zealand for its help. Len Brown , the Mayor of Auckland , a sister city of Brisbane, offered assistance to Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman . David Cameron , the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom offered his sympathies. Downing Street stated: "The Prime Minister offered his deep sympathy on behalf of
13572-415: Was recovered 80 kilometres (50 mi) downstream and Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson warned that some bodies may never be found. Nearby Gatton saw voluntary evacuations as the Lockyer Creek rose to a record height of 18.92 metres (62.1 ft), exceeding the previous record set in the 1893 Queensland floods . Three people from Grantham listed as missing were officially declared dead by
13689-453: Was the worst since 1981. The town's water purification system was flooded, resulting in water restrictions that hampered clean-up efforts. 112,500 litres (24,700 imp gal; 29,700 US gal) of water were transported to the town of 14,000 residents. Warwick was isolated when all roads into the town were cut off. The Condamine River reached 14.25 metres (46.8 ft) on 30 December, its highest level ever recorded. Condamine
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