Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers
Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers summarises the current state of knowledge on flood causes, impacts, forecasting and management, and discusses what the future of flooding in Australia might look like.
From December 2010 to January 2011, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland experienced widespread flooding. There was extensive damage to both public and private property, towns were evacuated, and 37 lives were lost, 35 of those in Queensland. Three quarters of Queensland was declared a disaster zone, an area greater than France and Germany combined, and the total cost to the Australian economy has been estimated at more than $30 billion.
The Queensland Chief Scientist ( http://www.chiefscientist.qld.gov.au/about.aspx ), Dr Geoff Garrett AO, convened the Queensland Floods Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Panel, to prepare a report explaining fundamental concepts of floods in clear and simple language. The panel’s report, Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers, focuses on a number of critical, underlying questions important for improving our understanding of and preparedness for floods in the future.
To read the full report please visit the Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist's website
