2011+Victoria+floods

Natural Hazards in Australia

= 2011 Victorian flood = High intensity rainfall between 12–14 January 2011 caused major flooding across much of the western and central parts of the Australian state of Victoria. Several follow-up heavy rainfall events including Tropical Low Yasi caused repeated flash flooding in affected areas in early February in many of the communities affected by January's floods. Many of the towns were previously affected by floods in September 2010, however the 2011 event was more severe, affecting at least four times as many properties with thousands of evacuations being called for by the State Emergency Service. As of 18 January, more than 51 communities had been affected by the floods. A total of over 1,730 properties had been flooded. Over 17,000 homes lost their electricity supply. The floods forced Vicroads to close hundreds of roads; and train services were also disrupted. The floods devastated farms with 51,700 hectares of pasture and 41,200 hectares of field crops flooded and 6,106 sheep killed. The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Vict orian Farmers Union initially estimated that damages would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, however the Department of Primary Industries later calculated a damage bill of up to A$ 2 billion.Kevin Parkyn, a senior forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology said "Victoria is experiencing one of its worst flood events in its history" after "a week in which rainfall totals have been smashed in parts of Victoria". Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said "It' s the worst flood in western Victoria in their history as far as our records go in terms of the depth of water and the number of places affected". The Premier of Victoria, Ted Ballieu has described it as "one of the biggest floods in the state's history". toc
 * < Duration: ||< 12 January 2011 - present ||
 * < Fatalities: ||< 2 confirmed dead ||
 * < Damages: ||< 2 billion ||
 * < Area: ||< Much of central and northern Victoria including cities of Horsham, Shepparton and Swan Hill as well as towns Charlton, Rochester and Carisbrook, Beaufort, Glenorchy, Rupanyup, Murrabit Echuca, Bridgewater on Loddon , Creswick, Clunes, Kerang, Warracknabeal and Skipton. ||

=Background=

The strongest La Niña event since 1973which fuelled the extensive flooding across Victoria in September 2010, brought wetter conditions across eastern Australia including the 2010-2011 Queensland floods. An already soaked state had the wettest January in its recorded history in January 2011. A deepening low pressure trough over south-east Australia, fed with tropical moisture from the monsoon trough over northern Australia, resulted in record levels of humidity for Victoria (over 96%). Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms formed across the state as well as northern Tasmania, southern New South Wales and eastern parts of South Australia. During the downpour across the state flash flooding occurred in places such as Halls Gap and Beaufort resulting in damage to businesses and homes. However it was not until the downpour began to subside (and fair weather returned) that the accumulated water caused waterways across the region gradually to swell. As waterways began to break their banks, evacuations were called. Despite clearing conditions, flooding continued to spread during January and into February 2011 as it developed into what was increasingly described by the media as an "inland sea" across agricultural north-west Victoria.

=Waterways affected=


 * Wimmera River
 * Loddon River
 * Campaspe River
 * Avoca River
 * Hopkins River
 * Werribee River
 * Goulburn River
 * Yarra River
 * Mount Emu Creek
 * Yarriambiack Creek
 * Glenelg River

=Settlements affected=


 * Ballarat - record rainfall in Ballarat (95 millimetres) caused flooding in the Yarrowee catchment. 20 houses were flooded across the urban area including 10 houses in the outer suburb of Miners Rest as the Burrumbeet Creek overflowed as well as properties in Alfredton and Delacombe. The first spill-over of Lake Wendouree since 2002 occurred after it had been artificially filled in 2010 filled since drying up due to drought in 2007. The Yarrowee River and Creswick Creek were severely swelled but without causing major damage.
 * Bridgewater on Loddon - two flood peaks were experienced, the first on the 14 January and the second the following day. The floodwaters affected around 50 houses, as well as the police station, caravan park, hotel and other businesses.
 * Carisbrook - covered by "four or five feet" of water and a total of 275 houses flooded.
 * Charlton - more than 400 houses were flooded. An electrical substation was also affected, which caused power outages to 8000 properies in the surrounding towns.
 * Creswick - evacuated after the Creswick Creek breached its banks flooding the town centre. 35 houses and businesses were breached by water in the largest flood in the town's recorded history.
 * Echuca - 200 non-levee protected houses were flooded as waters peaked on 16 January
 * Halls Gap - evacuated after flash flooding and landslides threatened to cut off the town.
 * Horsham - flood waters divided the town in two and flooded 600 houses. Areas close to the centre of town are under up to a metre of water. Flooding has been described as a one-in-200-year event.
 * Kerang - Levee failed on the 19th of January, causing widespread flooding affecting nearly 4,000 people
 * Newbridge - floods caused major damage to the Newbridge Recreation Reserve.
 * Rochester - worst floods in its history with around 200 houses, representing 80% of the community, inundated.

=Deaths=

On 18 January, a police diver found the body of a boy who went missing in a flooded billabong, off the Goulburn River, on 17 January at Shepparton in north-east Victoria. On 5 February, the death of a man after falling of the roof of his Glen Waverley home trying to stem a leak was attributed to the flash flooding.