THE RELENTLESS DELUGE that has flooded towns and cities in Queensland and New South Wales is one of the most extreme disasters in Australian history, and the devastation is wide ranging.
New Climate Council report ‘A Supercharged Climate: Rain bombs, flash flooding and destruction’ comes as the Prime Minister declares a national emergency, and outlines the sheer intensity and magnitude of the devastating rainfall and storms that caused widespread flooding and destruction along Australia’s east coast.
Key Findings:
- Within three days, the Brisbane River below Wivenhoe received 1,450 billion litres of water – the equivalent of three Sydney Harbours’ worth.
- 80 percent of Brisbane’s annual rainfall fell in the city over three days, which is more rain than typically falls in London over an entire year.
- Insured losses are currently on track to reach $2 billion. The estimated current cost of insurance claims related to the Feb/March 2022 Queensland and New South Wales flooding disaster is $1.45 billion (as of 8 March 2022).
- The recovery time for communities and emergency services between events is shrinking. In the 10 years preceding this disaster, the NSW coast suffered five severe rainfall events with daily totals exceeding 400 millimeters.
- The NSW State Emergency Service conducted a record 932 rescues within 24 hours (28 Feb – 1 March 2022).
- Climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall. The frequency of these events is likely to almost double with each degree of further global warming.
Professor Will Steffen, Climate Councillor, climate change expert and ANU Emeritus Professor said:
“Climate change is playing out in real time here in Australia. We are dealing with a climate system on steroids.”
“For many communities dealing with flood emergencies, this is the latest in a long line of climate-fuelled extreme weather events they have faced recently. Unless we act now and join the rest of the world to reduce emissions this decade, such disasters will only get worse.”