Natural Disasters Research Task: Floods

Here are some books that you may find useful during your studies.  Search the Bennies catalogue Accessit for more, or browse the Non-fiction collection NFS.

Drought is a frequent visitor in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology describes the typical rainfall over much of the continent as “not only low, but highly erratic.” Over the last decade, drought has dominated Australian weather. 

Australia is often perceived as a sunburnt country of sweeping plains and rugged mountains, surrounded by beautiful oceans. Australia is also highly susceptible to flooding which poses a significant threat to lives, property, and the environment.

Torrential rain, floods and storms in north Queensland have been declared a catastrophe by the Insurance Council of Australia. On Friday, the Government declared a disaster situation after towns were cut off, residents evacuated from their homes and more than 200 dwellings were flooded.

A catastrophic flood cripples the NSW Mid North Coast, rewriting history. Witness the unfolding of an unprecedented disaster.

Eminent national and international scientists agree that Peter Andrews potentially has the solution to alleviating the affects of drought on many parts of the Australian landscape. Peter Andrews is a racehorse breeder and farmer credited with remarkable success in converting degraded, salt-ravaged properties into fertile, drought-resistant pastures.

In November 2011, the Australian Government introduced a standard definition of flood for certain insurance policies. For this purpose a flood is defined as:

'The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: any lake, or any river, creek or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or any reservoir, canal, or dam.'

From year to year, Australia’s climate is subject to natural variability generated by the surrounding Pacific, Indian and Southern oceans. The dominant drivers for a given year set up the background climate conditions that influence rainfall and temperature.

It is a combination of these natural climate drivers that makes Australia the land of drought and flooding rains.

To put it simply flooding is a when a normally dry area is covered in water. Floods can have both positive and negative impacts. They can bring welcome relief for people and ecosystems suffering from prolonged drought, but also are estimated to be the costliest natural disaster in Australia.