Why brisbane flooded

As part of the inquiry, the commission hired independent expert hydrologist Mark Babister. The chapter on the management of the operation of the Wivenhoe and Somerset dams concluded:. The Queensland Government, Seqwater and Sunwater were all found liable in a class action in for the negligent operation of the dams that worsened the flooding. Since residences in Grantham have been moved to higher ground, but areas in Brisbane continue to be developed despite the fact they fall within the and flood zones.

Architect James Davidson, whose practice JDA specialises in climate change mitigation and flooding, is not a believer in clearing out the flood plain per se.

He said there had been a general recognition since that there was a problem to be dealt with in Brisbane. An example is the Flood Resilient Homes Program, in which Brisbane City Council is providing funding and expertise to make flood-prone properties better able to handle rising water. When looking at property in Brisbane, it is important to do your research; maps of various flood types and likelihoods are available on the Brisbane City Council website. Bearing in mind the record on which these maps are based is short, every event is different and multiple one-inyear events can happen in your lifetime.

Living in the flood zone is the reality for many — it is about being aware of and managing the risks. A cyclone or ex-tropical cyclone coming through would certainly wet up the catchment. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Floods of the s. Posted 15 Jan 15 Jan Fri 15 Jan at pm. Emotions high as Queensland marks 10 years since 'inland tsunami' killed 36 people. Five years ago these Brisbane streets were underwater: see how they look today.

Brisbane residents who stayed put after flood claw back house values. More on:. ABC Radio Finder. Photograph by Paul Poulsen, Courtesy of State Library of Queensland. The floods accelerated a program of engineering interventions that included dredging the river, truncating bends, building training walls, and ultimately the decision to build Somerset Dam in the early s, even though its completion took another twenty-five years.

Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland. The copyright holder reserves, or holds for their own use, all the rights provided by copyright law, such as distribution, performance, and creation of derivative works.

A slow moving rain depression dumped huge amounts of rain, flooding local creeks and the Bremer River tributary upstream in Ipswich. Brisbane experienced three separate intense rain events, with record rain of mm falling over three days. The capital braced itself for riverine floods. On 29 January the river peaked at 5. Spectators watched in awe as the turbulent river raced at 22—25 km per hour towards Moreton Bay.

Upstream, land lay inundated up to nine meters, leaving buildings submerged to roof height for up to three days. Men rescue beer from a flooded brewery in Brisbane during the floods. Floodwaters cut across highways and railway lines and closed the airport. Only one bridge over the river remained open, streets became canals, and Brisbane became largely isolated.

Flooded suburbs were left without gas, and electricity supplies were thwarted, with suburban substations and the main power station inundated. Forty kilometers upstream in Ipswich, coal production ceased, with stored supplies left rain-soaked. Raw sewage from the submerged Ipswich sewerage plant and domestic outhouses poured into the river.

As the flood waters receded, they left behind layers of disease-carrying sludge, and the rancid smell of mud and effluent permeated the air. The floods claimed 14 lives in Brisbane and affected 13, homes in 30 suburbs that were left submerged, inundated, or damaged, in a city of , people with , dwellings.

People wept openly in the streets as they returned to the shells of their homes to find their possessions ruined, or their homes damaged beyond repair.

With agricultural land rendered unproductive and food left rotting in the Brisbane Markets, the community faced food shortages. Numerous industries, shops, and businesses struggled to resume work, threatening the viability of businesses and the livelihoods of their employees. Many people dealing with flood damage struggled to comprehend why they had been flooded, despite living on a floodplain.

To their mind, Somerset Dam had failed to withhold the floods. But relief was seemingly at hand, as the Bjelke-Petersen state government had implemented plans for a second dual-purpose, flood migration and water supply dam, Wivenhoe, which was completed in Water lapped at the wheels of cars parked in the Yeerongpilly driveway.

I was talking to some of the neighbours and they said this maybe happened once in the last 10 to 15 years or so. The rain reached the Brisbane CBD just after 4.

The city skyline turned green as the system approached , then left hints of yellow in the aftermath. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane recorded almost 25 millimetres of rain between 4. Elsewhere, Wellcamp Airport near Toowoomba recorded more than 20 millimetres and Redcliffe, in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane, received more than 20 millimetres. The weather bureau received reports of five-centimetre hail stones about 3.

Maroochydore also reported hail, while the general Toowoomba region recorded hail about two centimetres. Mr McIntosh said further storms are expected in coming days.

The storm knocked out power to about homes in south-east Queensland this morning. The area around Albany Creek just north of Brisbane was worst hit with about homes and businesses losing power. Showers and thunderstorms will continue to affect eastern and northern NSW tomorrow, with drier weather returning to the west.

Cars underwater as heavy rain hits parts of NSW. View Gallery. However, the respite will be short-lived, with more heavy rain and severe thunderstorms likely to spread over the state between Thursday and Saturday.