Australia Up Close

Floods Remind Australians of Mother Nature'S Harsh Hand

By DARREN McLEAN

Australia is a continent with large expanses of desolate bush, mountain ranges and desert. This unique landscape means Australia is prone to many devastating natural disasters like cyclones, flooding and bushfires.

Most recently, Australians have suffered severe flooding from record breaking rains that fell during most of February. An area of inland Australia approximately the same size as Japan was declared a disaster area after torrential rains stranded townships and engulfed homes, businesses and farms. Most properties in the worst hit areas were at least 1 meter under water.

The Queensland government pledged around A$500 (¥35,000) in aid relief for each family affected by the flooding. The famous outback Australian town Longreach was perhaps the worst hit. Floodwaters streamed down the Thompson River through Longreach at a record depth of 6 meters. The main bridge that passes through the township was 3 meters under water.

One Longreach resident, Jack Owens, saw massive flooding in the region in 1955, but he describes the 2000 flooding as even worse. "It looks like a big ocean, a big brown ocean around the western and northern parts of the town," he said.

Cattle, sheep and wildlife fled to higher areas where they were left to scavenge for food and clean water. Many died helplessly in the silty floodwaters. There are still risks of local water supply contamination and the spread of disease from sewage overflowing into the water basin.

Fortunately there were no human lives lost from the flooding, only hearts broken, crops destroyed and millions of dollars lost. In the past, however, Australia has had its share of tragic natural disasters in which many helpless people were killed.

In the early hours of Christmas Day, 1974, tropical cyclone Tracy struck the city of Darwin in northern Australia. A total of 65 people lost their lives on this tragic Christmas.

Wind speeds of up to 217 kph tore most homes and buildings apart, while torrential rains drenched anything left standing. No other cyclone in Australia's history has caused so much devastation and heartache.

A decade later those living in southern Australia experienced another natural disaster. This event, etched into the memory of millions of Australians, is known as the Ash Wednesday bushfires.

In the months leading up to the bushfires, the state of Victoria experienced the driest period on record, causing severe drought in the region.

A dangerous combination of dry grasslands and bush, extreme temperatures — up to 43 degrees Celsius — low humidity and high wind gusts was the fuel for the most devastating fires Australians have seen. Around 180 separate bushfires broke out on Feb. 16, 1983, some started by fallen power lines and natural causes, and some lit deliberately by arsonists.

The Ash Wednesday fires swept through 200,000 hectares of Australian countryside, including the district of Warrnambool, where I was born. A total of 75 lives were lost in the fires, including the lives of 12 volunteer firefighters who were trying to control the blazes. More than 2,000 homes were burned to the ground.

A friend of mine, Susannah Lathlean, from Burleigh, was living in south Australia on Ash Wednesday.

"I remember driving through the mountain ranges with fire on both sides of me. I was dropping my father off to do volunteer firefighting," she said. "There was suddenly a strong wind gust, and within three seconds the entire side of a mountain, larger than a football field, become completely engulfed in flames."

It is experiences like these that make us realize how vulnerable we are to the forces of nature. Macquarie University, Melbourne, has established a world-class research center for natural hazards research in the hope we can better understand and prepare for such events.

People in different countries experience different dangers every day, but when faced with a natural disaster, we can only hope Mother Nature is on our side.

Shukan ST: March 10, 2000

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