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Four major floods have occurred in Brisbane.
The first was on 14 January 1841. This was the biggest flood of the Brisbane River since records began with the river being approximately 8.6 metres above the high tide mark. There was limited destruction to property as the town was still very young and undeveloped.
The next major flood began on 5 February 1893. These floods came within 7cm of the 1841 levels.
The worst floods in terms of death and loss of property occurred in January 1974 when tropical Cyclone Wanda developed into a rain depression that dumped hundreds of millimetres of rain on an already saturated southeast Queensland. This flood reached a height of 5.5 m. Since the construction of Wivenhoe Dam on the Brisbane River within a few years of this flood, Brisbane was believed to be flood-proof.
The most recent major floods to hit Brisbane occurred on 11 January 2011. On this date, the Brisbane River again broke its banks. The flood was the result of a La Nina weather pattern, together with the state being saturated by the rainfall resulting from a cyclone system that hit in the north on Christmas Day 2010. Wivenhoe Dam, which was designed to prevent any further floods, exceeded 160% capacity, requiring the release of a massive amount of water, comparable to the volume of Sydney harbour.
What else can I help you with?
Will the flash flood hit Springfield?
Springfield, west of Brisbane, will not be affected by the floods that are coming to Brisbane in January 2011.
Why did the floods hit Brisbane and not the Gold Coast?
It's a matter of where the Brisbane River flows. The Brisbane floods were largely a result of the massive amounts of water that had to be released from Wivenhoe Dam into the Brisbane River. The Brisbane River does not flow anywhere near the Gold Coast, but empties into the sea at Moreton Bay.
What started the 1974 floods cyclone Tracy or cyclone Wanda?
Cyclone Wanda was responsible for the 1974 floods in Brisbane and Ipswich. Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin at the end of the year, brought very little rain.
What river ways did the Brisbane floods affect?
The Brisbane floods of 1974 affected the Brisbane River and the Bremer River basin.
What month was the 2010 Brisbane floods?
The Brisbane floods actually occurred in January 2011, not 2010.
Where was the Brisbane floods?
Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland, and located in southeast Queensland. The floods affected suburbs along the Brisbane River, and much of Ipswich.
Why does Darwin get more rain than Brisbane?
Darwin has a tropical climate, whereas Brisbane's climate is temperate. The ocean waters around Darwin are warmer, and this generates more cyclones and tropical depressions during summer, whereas Brisbane is rarely hit by cyclones (except for the year Cyclone Wanda contributed to the 1974 Brisbane floods).
Was Sydney Australia affected by the tsunami that hit Brisbane Australia?
No, Sydney was not directly affected by the tsunami that hit Brisbane, Australia. Tsunamis are usually localized events and their impact is limited to specific areas along the coastline where they make landfall.
Was Brisbane affected by the recent floods in Australia?
Yes. An estimated 52 suburbs were affected by the floods in Brisbane in January 2011.
Was Browns Plains affected by the floods in Brisbane 1974?
Yes, Browns Plains was affected by the floods in Brisbane in 1974. The area experienced significant flooding with many homes and businesses affected. The floods in 1974 were one of the worst in Brisbane's history.
What was the name of the cyclone that caused the Brisbane floods to occur?
The Brisbane floods of 2011 were primarily caused by heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Yasi, which formed in early February 2011. Although Cyclone Yasi itself did not directly hit Brisbane, the extensive rainfall and weather patterns influenced by the cyclone contributed significantly to the flooding in the region. These floods resulted in widespread damage and displacement across Southeast Queensland.
What is the name of the dam linked to the Queensland floods earlier in the year?
The dam at the centre of the controversy surrounding the Brisbane floods (but not the Queensland floods) is Wivenhoe Dam.Wivenhoe is the main dam that protects the city of Brisbane from flooding, but excessive rainfalls in the catchment, and a wall of water which came down the Toowoomba Range, sent its capacity to 190% in January 2011. The gates had to be opened, sending the equivalent of two Sydney Harbour's worth of water into the Brisbane River each day. This is why Brisbane and Ipswich flooded.
