Flood information - links

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> King tides and big seas forecast lead into a wet Christmas for Brisbane and southeast

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20032.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES

For people in parts of the
Wide Bay and Burnett and
Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 10:11 am Saturday, 15 December 2012.

Synoptic Situation:
A trough over the southern Coral Sea is expected to gradually weaken during the weekend.

Water levels on today and tomorrow's morning high tide are likely to exceed the highest tide of the year in exposed coastal areas between Sandy Cape and Point Danger. Powerful surf and high tides may lead to strong currents, beach erosion and local inundation of low lying coastal areas.

The water levels are likely to be similar to those experienced during yesterday morning's high tide.

Locations likely to be affected include the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and eastern coasts of the Moreton Bay Islands and Fraser Island.

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20038.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND
for DAMAGING WIND and LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in parts of the
GOLD COAST CITY and
SCENIC RIM Council Areas.

Issued at 4:34 pm Monday, 17 December 2012.

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/brisbane.shtml

Forecast for Tuesday (18th December 2012)

A few showers and gusty thunderstorms. Storms may be severe. Moderate N to NE winds, fresh about the bayside in the afternoon. Fire Danger: High.

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20041.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
for DAMAGING WIND, HEAVY RAINFALL and LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in the Gulf Country, Wide Bay and Burnett and parts of the Peninsula, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Northwest, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 1:38 pm Tuesday, 18 December 2012.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours in the Gulf Country and parts of the Peninsula, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders and Northwest districts. Locations which may be affected include Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Georgetown, Burketown, Mornington Island, Normanton, Camooweal, Croydon and Kowanyama.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones over the next several hours in the Wide Bay and Burnett and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia, Maranoa and Warrego, Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast districts. Locations which may be affected include Warwick, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Kingaroy, Biloela, Stanthorpe, Taroom, Monto and Baralaba.

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65621.gif?foolcache=201212181647

Whoaaa ......

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20038.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND
for DAMAGING WIND, HEAVY RAINFALL and LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in the LOCKYER VALLEY, IPSWICH CITY, SOUTH BURNETT, CHERBOURG SHIRE and parts of the BRISBANE CITY, GYMPIE, MORETON BAY, DALBY, SOUTHERN DOWNS, SCENIC RIM, SOMERSET and TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 4:46 pm Tuesday, 18 December 2012.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 4:50 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Laidley, Gatton, Toowoomba, the area north of Toowoomba, the area north of Kilkivan and Clifton. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east to northeast. They are forecast to affect Murphy's Creek, Rosewood, Marburg and Hampton by 5:20 pm and Ipswich, the area south of Esk, the area southwest of Esk and Boondooma by 5:50 pm.

Damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.

Golf ball size hail has been observed at Gatton, marble size hail at Laidley and Toowoomba.

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20038.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING - SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND
for DAMAGING WIND, HEAVY RAINFALL and LARGE HAILSTONES

For people in the LOCKYER VALLEY, IPSWICH CITY, CHERBOURG SHIRE and parts of the BRISBANE CITY, GYMPIE, DALBY, SOUTHERN DOWNS, SCENIC RIM, SOMERSET, SOUTH BURNETT and TOOWOOMBA Council Areas.

Issued at 5:13 pm Tuesday, 18 December 2012.

The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 5:15 pm, severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Laidley, Grandchester, the area northwest of Murgon and the area south of Biggenden. These thunderstorms are moving towards the east to northeast. They are forecast to affect Rosewood, Hatton Vale and the area northwest of Cunninghams Gap by 5:45 pm and the area south of Toowoomba, Lowood and Murgon by 6:15 pm.

Damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones are likely.

3cm hail and strong winds at Clifton at 4:50pm.
Golf ball sized hail reported at Gatton at 4:30pm.
Marble/50 cent sized hail from Laidley at 4:30pm.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2012/12/19/yasi-report-helps-plan-for-future?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Acting Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
The Honourable David Crisafulli

Yasi Report helps plan for future

Water levels from Cyclone Yasi would have peaked up to three metres higher and wreaked even more damage between Townsville and Cairns if the storm had crossed the coast just four hours earlier, according to a new State Government report released today.

Acting Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts Minister David Crisafulli said the information could be used to better prepare Northern communities in the future.

"Cyclone Yasi gave us a belting, but it could have been far worse," Mr Crisafulli said.

"You can only imagine the carnage if Yasi had crossed the coast at high tide."

The largest surges were recorded south of Yasi's path near Cardwell, where water levels more than five metres high swept boats and debris two blocks inland.

The debris line at Saunders Beach, 18 kilometres north of Townsville, suggested a surge of similar height.

"The Townsville wave buoy recorded 9.6 metre waves about five hours before Yasi crossed the coast," he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology and Emergency Management Queensland used real-time data from 25 storm tide gauges and 14 wave measuring buoys strategically placed along the coast to make the big calls about when to evacuate and where to go.

"We've had other big storms but never before did we have the science to collect data while the storm was happening," he said.

"We know that cyclones are unpredictable, but we'll be able to make better plans for the future now that the equipment is in place to help us learn more."

The information in the report could help councils and emergency services.

"It's vital that we're armed with the latest storm surge information so we can evacuate residents, and protect ports and council assets in the danger zones the next time we're hit," he said.

"It will also help councils plan future developments and identify erosion prone areas."

A copy of Tropical Cyclone Yasi 2011: Post cyclone coastal field investigation is available at http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/coastal/monitoring/tropical_cyclone_yasi.html

Acting Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
The Honourable David Crisafulli

Yasi Report helps plan for future

Water levels from Cyclone Yasi would have peaked up to three metres higher and wreaked even more damage between Townsville and Cairns if the storm had crossed the coast just four hours earlier, according to a new State Government report released today.

Acting Science, IT, Innovation and the Arts Minister David Crisafulli said the information could be used to better prepare Northern communities in the future.

"Cyclone Yasi gave us a belting, but it could have been far worse," Mr Crisafulli said.

"You can only imagine the carnage if Yasi had crossed the coast at high tide."

The largest surges were recorded south of Yasi's path near Cardwell, where water levels more than five metres high swept boats and debris two blocks inland.

The debris line at Saunders Beach, 18 kilometres north of Townsville, suggested a surge of similar height.

"The Townsville wave buoy recorded 9.6 metre waves about five hours before Yasi crossed the coast," he said.

The Bureau of Meteorology and Emergency Management Queensland used real-time data from 25 storm tide gauges and 14 wave measuring buoys strategically placed along the coast to make the big calls about when to evacuate and where to go.

"We've had other big storms but never before did we have the science to collect data while the storm was happening," he said.

"We know that cyclones are unpredictable, but we'll be able to make better plans for the future now that the equipment is in place to help us learn more."

The information in the report could help councils and emergency services.

"It's vital that we're armed with the latest storm surge information so we can evacuate residents, and protect ports and council assets in the danger zones the next time we're hit," he said.

"It will also help councils plan future developments and identify erosion prone areas."

A copy of Tropical Cyclone Yasi 2011: Post cyclone coastal field investigation is available at http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/coastal/monitoring/tropical_cyclone_yasi.html

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20041.html

QLD Severe Thunderstorm Warning: Large Hail, Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds

Source: Bureau of Meteorology
For people in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt and parts of the Gulf Country, Northwest, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 1:23 pm Friday, 28 December 2012.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding over the next several hours in parts of the Gulf Country and Northwest districts. Locations which may be affected include Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Burketown, Mornington Island, Normanton and Camooweal.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones over the next several hours in the Darling Downs and Granite Belt and parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Central West, Wide Bay and Burnett, Maranoa and Warrego and Southeast Coast districts. Locations which may be affected include Warwick, Toowoomba, Dalby, Roma, Stanthorpe and Goondiwindi.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Wivenhoe put under pump to save region

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> A ways to go on flood rebuild, Quirk says

[ozbob]

Sky News --> Floods, fire hit southern Qld towns

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane housing precinct not flood-proof

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Maurice Blackburn's maps show properties that would have been spared "if dams were properly managed" in 2011 floods

[somebody]

Couriermail Quest --> Maurice Blackburn's maps show properties that would have been spared "if dams were properly managed" in 2011 floods

It would be a bit of an affront to the legislation preventing such lawsuits if this is successful.

[colinw]

It would appear that the floods washed plenty of nutrition downstream for the bottom feeders to thrive on.

[SurfRail]

Maurice Blackburn and Slater & Gordon are the classic ambulance-chasers.  Don't lump us all in with them...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Tropical low brings torrential rain to Queensland, expected to become cyclone in 24 hours

[somebody]

Maurice Blackburn and Slater & Gordon are the classic ambulance-chasers.  Don't lump us all in with them...

Ooh, our beloved PM worked for the second of those firms.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Flood class action could drown in costs

[HappyTrainGuy]

Maurice Blackburn and Slater & Gordon are the classic ambulance-chasers.  Don't lump us all in with them...

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Class actions are becoming a part of the legal landscape but there is risk of unsatisfactory results

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Law firm Maurice Blackburn confirms flood maps not accurate as they prepare for class action

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Residents fear flood maps may impact on land values

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Queensland 'under-prepared' for storm surges

[ozbob]

Channel 7 News --> Northern Queensland cops a drenching

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane and southeast face localised flooding over weekend with potential for 300mm to fall before Monday

[ozbob]

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20032.html

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for DESTRUCTIVE WINDS and HEAVY RAINFALL

For people in the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett and parts of the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Central Highlands and Coalfields and Southeast Coast Forecast Districts.

Issued at 1:15 am Friday, 25 January 2013.

Synoptic Situation:
At 10pm, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald was located over land, approximately 150 km west-northwest of Mackay and moving south-southeast at about 20 kilometres per hour. The monsoon trough extended from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald and then to the east coast near Fraser Island.

Destructive winds with gusts in excess of 125 km/hr are possible about the Central Coast-Whitsundays and Capricornia districts. Areas that may be affected include islands and coastal areas between Mackay and Agnes Water.

Damaging winds with gusts to 90 km/hr are possible over the Wide Bay and Burnett district. Areas that may be affected include islands and coastal locations between Agnes Water and Sandy Cape.

Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is likely over southern parts of the Central Coast-Whitsundays, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, eastern parts of the Central Highlands and Coalfields, extending to the Sunshine Coast during Friday and possibly reaching areas north of Brisbane late in the day. Coastal locations and adjacent inland areas between Mackay and Brisbane may be affected. Six hour rainfall accumulations of 100 to 200mm are possible. Heavy rain areas are expected to begin easing from the Central Coast-Whitsundays district during Friday morning.

At around 1am Friday, severe flash flooding has been reported in the Yeppoon area where rainfall of 58mm has been recorded in the last hour, and 198mm in total since 9am Thursday.

Flood Warnings are current for various rivers and streams in these districts, see www.bom.gov.au/qld/warnings.

[ozbob]

Floodwaters close North Qld rail line

[colinw]

Oh goody, more flooding.  Whom can I blame & sue? 

Someone's gotta pay!

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Floodgates to open at North Pine Dam to lower levels before weekend downpours

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Rescues and dam releases as deluge hits

... Premier Campbell Newman said water releases from Wivenhoe/Somerset and North Pine dams would begin on Friday afternoon. ''We're adopting a precautionary principle here,'' he told reporters.

SEQWater did not advise the move, with the order instead coming from Energy and Supply Minister Mark McArdle's office.

Mr McArdle and Mr Newman said the move was a bid to reassure people who were concerned about river flooding.

The Wivenhoe Dam system is currently about 91 per cent full in the water supply capacity and about 41,000 litres will be released over the next 24 hours.

Mr Newman said the real concern in Brisbane over the weekend would be suburban flooding.
...

41,000 litres?    That is a tiny amount of water in the big picture ... typo?

[somebody]

Brisbanetimes --> Rescues and dam releases as deluge hits

... Premier Campbell Newman said water releases from Wivenhoe/Somerset and North Pine dams would begin on Friday afternoon. ''We're adopting a precautionary principle here,'' he told reporters.

SEQWater did not advise the move, with the order instead coming from Energy and Supply Minister Mark McArdle's office.

Mr McArdle and Mr Newman said the move was a bid to reassure people who were concerned about river flooding.

The Wivenhoe Dam system is currently about 91 per cent full in the water supply capacity and about 41,000 litres will be released over the next 24 hours.

Mr Newman said the real concern in Brisbane over the weekend would be suburban flooding.
...

Oh goody, water is to be released from an under-full dam just in time to coincide with local flooding in Brisbane.

[colinw]

Why on earth would any water be let out?  Its only 91% of the normal water storage level, the dam is at something like 40% of its true capacity including the flood margin.

[ozbob]

Listened to McArdle on the radio.  He actually said 41,000 Mega Litres from Wivenhoe, 8,000 Mega Litres from Pine ..

[Golliwog]

Why on earth would any water be let out?  Its only 91% of the normal water storage level, the dam is at something like 40% of its true capacity including the flood margin.

So they're going to drop it from 91% to 88% (taking Ozbob and the radio's ML rather than L, units are important!) in the lead up to rain over the whole city. How long does it take water from Wivenhoe to reach Brisbane City? If anything this has the chance of making minor flooding from the rain worse.

Yay for playing politics with EVERYTHING! 

EDIT: But remember, it's ok because its about reassuring people, rather than actually listening to the engineers who know what they're doing...

SEQWater did not advise the move, with the order instead coming from Energy and Supply Minister Mark McArdle's office.

Mr McArdle and Mr Newman said the move was a bid to reassure people who were concerned about river flooding.

[ozbob]

I tweeted this to 612 ABC Radio,  Kelly HD read it out following the audio of Premier and Minister ..

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

@612brisbane releasing water from the major dams which are under-full and still with massive reserve, will only worsen local flooding ..

[somebody]

Why on earth would any water be let out?  Its only 91% of the normal water storage level, the dam is at something like 40% of its true capacity including the flood margin.

So they're going to drop it from 91% to 88% (taking Ozbob and the radio's ML rather than L, units are important!) in the lead up to rain over the whole city. How long does it take water from Wivenhoe to reach Brisbane City? If anything this has the chance of making minor flooding from the rain worse.

Yay for playing politics with EVERYTHING! 

EDIT: But remember, it's ok because its about reassuring people, rather than actually listening to the engineers who know what they're doing...

SEQWater did not advise the move, with the order instead coming from Energy and Supply Minister Mark McArdle's office.

Mr McArdle and Mr Newman said the move was a bid to reassure people who were concerned about river flooding.

Even the flood commission recommended the bolded bit.  Honestly, I don't know why such powers should rest with the politicians in the first instance.

There is no guarantee that the rain will even fill up Wivenhoe.

[ozbob]

Been corrected to 41000 mega litres ...  I let them know 

Brisbanetimes --> Rescues and dam releases as deluge hits

... Premier Campbell Newman said water releases from Wivenhoe/Somerset and North Pine dams would begin on Friday afternoon. ''We're adopting a precautionary principle here,'' he told reporters.

SEQWater did not advise the move, with the order instead coming from Energy and Supply Minister Mark McArdle's office.

Mr McArdle and Mr Newman said the move was a bid to reassure people who were concerned about river flooding.

The Wivenhoe Dam system is currently about 91 per cent full in the water supply capacity and about 41,000 litres will be released over the next 24 hours.

Mr Newman said the real concern in Brisbane over the weekend would be suburban flooding.
...

41,000 litres?    That is a tiny amount of water in the big picture ... typo?

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Wivenhoe to release water - but not on Seqwater's advice