MAPPING STORM TIDES TO REDUCE CYCLONE RISK
Published Friday, 08 December, 2006 at 02:22 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Minister for Emergency Services
The Honourable Pat Purcell
The State Government is working with local governments along Queensland’s coast to identify and map the areas most at risk of experiencing storm tides.
Premier Peter Beattie said the local government storm tide mapping project, being run by Emergency Management Queensland, would result in those populated areas of Queensland most at risk from storm tides being mapped.
“The four year storm tide mapping project will greatly assist efforts to manage disasters in those places where there is potential for storm tides to be an issue,” Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie and Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell made the announcement at the Cyclone Summit Living with Cyclones – Queensland Prepared being hosted by the Premier at James Cook University in Cairns.
The storm tide mapping project is jointly funded by the commonwealth and state under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Program.
“Maps for Burdekin, Whitsundays, Cairns, Mackay, Palm Island and Hervey Bay have already been developed, and Burrnett will be finalised soon,” Mr Beattie said.
“The emergency management storm tide maps will make operational responses to storms and cyclones much more efficient,” Mr Beattie said.
“Emergency managers will have the capacity to assess the risk of storm tide more accurately, and make quick decisions on evacuating areas at risk of flooding.
“The project will also be a useful tool in educating residents about the risk of storm tide inundation where they live,” Mr Beattie said
The Minister for emergency Services, Pat Purcell, said each level of the disaster management system would have access to the storm tide maps, including local, district and state disaster management groups.
“Having disaster managers at all levels of government working off the same maps and same system will make coordinated decision making and planning before and during events much easier,” Mr Purcell said.
The maps will be produced to national storm tide mapping standards, using standard colours, zones and definitions. State-of-the-art software giving layered mapping capabilities in PDF format is being used as part of the Local Government storm tide mapping project, taking the national approach to storm tide mapping to the next level.
“The technology being applied in this project is very impressive,” Mr Purcell said.
“When disaster managers receive new information about an event from the Bureau of Meteorology, they will have the capability to use the layers of the map that apply to that specific piece of information.”
Media inquiries: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Mr Purcell’s office - Tim Shipstone 0409 620 571
8 December 2006
What is storm tide?
Simply put, a storm surge is a rise in sea level being pushed towards shore due to winds associated with severe storms or cyclones. This surge combined with the astronomical tide is called storm tide. This rise in sea level can cause severe flooding of coastal areas, particularly if the storm surge coincides with the high tide of the day. Additionally, wind driven waves add extra height.
The impacts of storm tide will vary according to the relative height of the coastal land and whether adjoining rivers, creeks or drainage paths are present, in addition to the tide level at the time combined with the magnitude of the storm surge. The storm surge height depends mainly upon the wind strength and the speed of movement of the cyclone and the slope of the offshore sea bed.
Premier Peter Beattie said the local government storm tide mapping project, being run by Emergency Management Queensland, would result in those populated areas of Queensland most at risk from storm tides being mapped.
“The four year storm tide mapping project will greatly assist efforts to manage disasters in those places where there is potential for storm tides to be an issue,” Mr Beattie said.
Mr Beattie and Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell made the announcement at the Cyclone Summit Living with Cyclones – Queensland Prepared being hosted by the Premier at James Cook University in Cairns.
The storm tide mapping project is jointly funded by the commonwealth and state under the Natural Disaster Mitigation Program.
“Maps for Burdekin, Whitsundays, Cairns, Mackay, Palm Island and Hervey Bay have already been developed, and Burrnett will be finalised soon,” Mr Beattie said.
“The emergency management storm tide maps will make operational responses to storms and cyclones much more efficient,” Mr Beattie said.
“Emergency managers will have the capacity to assess the risk of storm tide more accurately, and make quick decisions on evacuating areas at risk of flooding.
“The project will also be a useful tool in educating residents about the risk of storm tide inundation where they live,” Mr Beattie said
The Minister for emergency Services, Pat Purcell, said each level of the disaster management system would have access to the storm tide maps, including local, district and state disaster management groups.
“Having disaster managers at all levels of government working off the same maps and same system will make coordinated decision making and planning before and during events much easier,” Mr Purcell said.
The maps will be produced to national storm tide mapping standards, using standard colours, zones and definitions. State-of-the-art software giving layered mapping capabilities in PDF format is being used as part of the Local Government storm tide mapping project, taking the national approach to storm tide mapping to the next level.
“The technology being applied in this project is very impressive,” Mr Purcell said.
“When disaster managers receive new information about an event from the Bureau of Meteorology, they will have the capability to use the layers of the map that apply to that specific piece of information.”
Media inquiries: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Mr Purcell’s office - Tim Shipstone 0409 620 571
8 December 2006
What is storm tide?
Simply put, a storm surge is a rise in sea level being pushed towards shore due to winds associated with severe storms or cyclones. This surge combined with the astronomical tide is called storm tide. This rise in sea level can cause severe flooding of coastal areas, particularly if the storm surge coincides with the high tide of the day. Additionally, wind driven waves add extra height.
The impacts of storm tide will vary according to the relative height of the coastal land and whether adjoining rivers, creeks or drainage paths are present, in addition to the tide level at the time combined with the magnitude of the storm surge. The storm surge height depends mainly upon the wind strength and the speed of movement of the cyclone and the slope of the offshore sea bed.