2010–11 Queensland floods
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2010–2011 Queensland and New South Wales floods
Date November 2010 – January 2011
Location
Much of central and southern Queensland including Brisbane, Rockhampton, Gympie, Emerald, Bundaberg, Dalby, Toowoomba, Roma, and Ipswich
Death(s) 33 dead and 3 missing (presumed dead)Property damage A$2.38 ($2,389,225,876) billion; 200,000 people were affected.[1]
A series of floods hit Queensland, Australia, beginning in November 2010. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities.[2] At least 90 towns and over 200,000 people were affected.[2] Damage initially was estimated at around A$1 billion[3] before it was raised to $2.38 billion.[1] The estimated reduction in Australia's GDP is about A$30 billion.[4] As at March 2012, there were 33 deaths attributed to the 2010–11 Queensland floods with a further three people still missing.[5]
Three-quarters of the council areas within the state of Queensland were declared disaster zones.[6] Communities along the Fitzroy and Burnett Rivers were particularly hard hit, while the Condamine, Ballone and Mary Rivers recorded substantial flooding. An unexpected flash flood caused by a thunderstorm raced through Toowoomba's central business district. Rainfall from the same storm devastated communities in the Lockyer Valley.
A few days later thousands of houses in Ipswich and Brisbane were inundated as the Brisbane River rose and Wivenhoe Dam used a considerable proportion of its flood mitigation capacity. Volunteers were quick to offer assistance, and sympathy was expressed from afar. A large mobilisation of the Australian Defence Force was activated and a relief fund created. The head of the recovery taskforce was Major General Michael Slater. The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (CEO was Graeme Newton) was formed to coordinate the rebuilding program beyond the initial task force, and a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate all matters related to the floods.
if dams were not involved why have an enquiry into them?..
Dams weren't involved in most of those deaths .... what can't you understand in that?
Floodwaters coming down from unprecedented rains on systems that don't have large dams/storages cannot be safeguarded against.
And deaths of people who deliberately & stupidly driving into flood waters have nothing to do with dams.
Wivenhoe & Somerset actually saved 2011 from being worse.
You seem to have some sort of mental block about understanding that when a dam gets beyond optimal capacity water releases have to be made ....
perhaps if anything Wivenhoe should have made releases earlier.
But because of our long dry spells & "water wise" & now money making mentality councils/govts/ water corporations try & save every litre they can.