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Cyclone Tracy
Category 4 Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, Australia over the Christmas holiday in 1974. The storm killed 71 people, and caused $837 million in damages.
203 Questions
Why did no one leave Darwin when cyclone Tracy hit?
It is not true that no-one heeded the warnings - just too few. Many took precautions to try and secure their homes, but a large number simply did not believe the cyclone would hit. For a start, it was Christmas, and no-one believed a disaster could disrupt Christmas. Secondly, several cyclones had threatened Darwin in recent years, but none of them had made landfall. Many people assumed that Tracy would follow the same pattern of the previous cyclones.
What did the government do to help assist after cyclone Tracy?
The Government organised for Major-General Stretton, Director of the newly formed National Disasters Organisation, to organise evacuations. A team of surgeons and nurses sent from interstate arrived with him. The local police and volunteers were still important during this, and the army also came to assist. There were unpleasant tasks such as searching for bodies, cleaning out refrigerators which were filled with (by now) rotting food, and having to shoot packs of starving dogs that posed a threat to the survivors. The Army and Navy were brought in to deal with these sometimes dangerous cleanup tasks. From 25 December, the Federal Department of Housing and Construction (in Melbourne) organised officers to begin clearing debris and restore power and communications. Electrical contractor crews cleared fallen power lines organised portable generators wherever available. The officers also worked to repair and restore water pumps and pipelines to get water and sewerage systems working again. Where houses were still intact, tarpaulins were placed over damaged roofs. Beginning from 27 December, hundreds more police were organised from interstate to help out. Emergency supplies and equipment were brought to Darwin from other cities. Equipment included generators and emergency accommodation. The RAAF (Royal Australia Air Force) transport fleet helped bring in supplies to Darwin, and evacuate over 9,500 people to southern centres.
How much money's worth of damage was done in cyclone Tracy?
The damage bill following Cyclone Tracy was $800 million (Australian dollars). That was in 1974 figures, so would translate to much higher figures now.
Is there a death roll of cyclone Tracy Darwin 1974?
Cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin, Australia, on December 24-25, 1974, resulted in 71 confirmed deaths. The cyclone caused widespread devastation, destroying over 70% of the city's buildings and leaving thousands homeless. Its impact led to significant changes in building codes and disaster response planning in Australia. The event is remembered as one of the most destructive cyclones in Australian history.
Was there any warning for cyclone Tracy?
Yes, a number of warnings were given. The cyclone had been tracked for a few days before it hit Darwin.
How many days did Cyclone Tracy last for?
Once cyclones make landfall, they never last longer than a few hours. Cyclone Tracy lasted from shortly after 2am to just before 7am on 25 December 1974.
How did people protect themselves from Cyclone Tracy?
Not everyone took steps to protect themselves from Cyclone Tracy. Whilst some people prepared for the cyclone, many ignored what they thought would be another false alarm.
Those who heeded the warnings took basic precautions such as tying down loose objects that could become flying missiles, boarding up windows, and taking shelter in the strongest room of their house. Some people even left town before it hit.
How many houses were destroyed in Cyclone Tracy?
9,000 Darwin homes were destroyed by Cyclone Tracy, out of the city's total of 12,000 homes. This figure does not include the shanty homes inhabited by the Aborigines on the city's fringes. Many of them were simply not counted, because it is unknown how many there were.
What changes were made after cyclone Tracy?
Cyclone Tracy destroyed one fifth of the residences in Darwin in 1974, so it was clear that changes had to be made to ensure the city would be more cyclone-proof in the future.
When Darwin had to rebuild, it started off with far fewer people living there. The city was then rebuilt according to new building codes, and it is now regarded as a modern multicultural city of around 100,000 people. The new building codes also spread to other cyclone-prone areas of Australia.
A significant development which came from the cyclone was that of the Northern Territory's self-government. Until 1974, the Northern Territory had minimal self-government, with a federal minister being responsible for the Territory from Canberra. However, the cyclone and subsequent response highlighted problems with this arrangement that led directly to the decision of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser to grant the Territory self-government in 1978.
The Cyclone Tracy devastation and loss of life also resulted in improvements to the Australian Cyclone Warning system.
How did the government respond to cyclone Tracy?
The government mobilised reasonably quickly to assist those who had been affected by Cyclone Tracy. Late on Christmas night after Cyclone Tracy hit, Major-General Stretton, Director of the newly formed National Disasters Organisation, arrived at Darwin to coordinate evacuations, with a team of surgeons and nurses.
The government also organised for the army to assist. There were unpleasant tasks such as searching for bodies, cleaning out refrigerators which were filled with (by now) rotting food, and having to shoot packs of starving dogs that posed a threat to the survivors. The Army and Navy were brought in to deal with these sometimes dangerous cleanup tasks.
From 25 December, the Federal Department of Housing and Construction (in Melbourne) organised officers to begin clearing debris and restore power and communications. Electrical contractor crews cleared fallen power lines organised portable generators wherever available. The officers also worked to repair and restore water pumps and pipelines to get water and sewerage systems working again. Where houses were still intact, tarpaulins were placed over damaged roofs.
Beginning from 27 December, hundreds more police from interstate began to arrive to help out. Emergency supplies and equipment were brought to Darwin from other cities. Equipment included generators and emergency accommodation. The RAAF (Royal Australia Air Force) transport fleet helped bring in supplies to Darwin, and evacuate over 9,500 people to southern centres.
How did the community help during cyclone Tracy?
During Cyclone Tracy in December 1974, the community in Darwin, Australia, came together to support each other in the aftermath of the disaster. Neighbors provided shelter, food, and emotional support to those who lost their homes. Local organizations and volunteers organized relief efforts, distributing necessities and helping with clean-up operations. This strong sense of community resilience played a crucial role in the recovery process, showcasing the importance of solidarity in times of crisis.
What was the Size of cyclone Tracy?
Cyclone Tracy was not very big but its effects were massive as it swept out all of Darwin.
What was Darwin's population after Cyclone Tracy?
It went from around 45,000 to around 5,000 due to a mass evacuation to other Australian cities.
How did people react to Cyclone Tracy?
- Ignoring the warnings - many residents chose this option because there had been previous threats of cyclones, yet Darwin had not actually been hit by a cyclone for many years, and it was also Christmas Eve - surely they wouldn't be hit at Christmas?!
- Heeding the warnings and taking the suggested precautions for securing items and preparing for loss of services, e.g. water, electricity.
- Evacuating early, before the cyclone hit.
After the cyclone had hit, the general feeling was disbelief and shock. People were quickly evacuated, and a great many of them (who were mostly transient workers) never returned.
The people of the rest of Australia reacted by helping out wherever they could. This involved taking in evacuees or sending goods to help out.
so if it happened again people might actually listen to the warnings.
made by martha
What were the economic impacts of Cyclone Tracy?
There were numerous economic effects from Cyclone Tracy. They included:
- Huge loss of homes - the city had to be virtually rebuilt from scratch. There were enormous costs involved in rebuilding infrastructure and damaged buildings.
- Reduced income for businesses affected by damage resulting from the cyclone.
- Local businesses had building damage and lost some of their produce. This drove up prices of goods and supplies because they had to be brought in from further away, so the businesses had to pay more for transportation costs.
- Many residents moved away permanently, never to return.
- Many businesses closed down permanently, leading to unemployment.
What diseases were present at cyclone Tracy?
Aside from death and injuries caused by Cyclone Tracy the Authorities in Australia got on top of the situation sufficiently to avert the outbreak of disease, by evacuating people as soon as possible.
The impact and effects of Cyclone Tracy on Australia?
Cyclone Tracy, 1974, ended in almost complete destruction, which caused a catastrophic disruption to Darwin. Water supplies were down as Darwin's supply was contaminated and there were no clean supplies. Sewerage lines were cut, resulting in a lack of sanitation, and poisons therefore leached out into the environment. Surprisingly, there was not a lot of drenching rain or storm surge associated with Cyclone Tracy, so none of the usual problems resulted from that quarter. Trees were uprooted, and animal habitats destroyed. Witnesses reported absolute silence the following morning, signalling the loss of the majority of bird life at that time. As with any such natural disaster, the food chain was broken, and it was many months before food chain order was reestablished among the various species. The beaches were strewn with dead marine or coastal-dwelling creatures. Cyclone Tracy's environmental impact is quite large because: * litter was in the ocean, destroying animals habitats. * trees were turned over, * metal and glass was thrown all over town. * gardens were pulled out of the ground. Further information:
Many coral reefs, fish and animals were damaged and are still recovering. Wind speeds of 217 km/h registered at Darwin Airport before the equipment was itself blown away and there are estimates of maximum speeds of up to 300 km/h.
Seeing this destruction also brings home another matter - Darwin is a very new city simply because there was almost nothing left standing when Tracy had finished her work. With so much destruction of both homes and infrastructure, the population of about 45,000 was reduced to about 10,000 by a mass evacuation of people to other Australian cities. This was organised by Major-General Alan Stretton, Director-General of the Natural Disasters Organisation and Minister for the Northern Territory, Rex Patterson. Many of the families that left never returned and the rebuilding attracted people from many different places resulting in a young, diverse population who rebuilt the city. If you are buying a house, setting up a business or simply thinking of moving to Darwin, it is important to understand this because of the effect this rebuilding has had on how this city functions. After the cyclone building codes were upgraded dramatically to try to prevent such extensive damage next time a cyclone passed by. And the rebuilding was largely done by the NT Housing Commission using only a limited number of designs on a large scale. At one stage nearly 90% of homes in Darwin were owned by either Government Departments or large national companies such as banks.
How much did it cost to rebuild Darwin after cyclone Tracy?
Over 800 Million Dollars and 837 Million in damages =)
What was the individual response to Cyclone Tracy?
There were quite different individual responses. For example: * Ignoring the warnings - many residents chose this option because there had been previous threats of cyclones, yet Darwin had not actually been hit by a cyclone for many years, and it was also Christmas Eve - surely they wouldn't be hit at Christmas?! * Heeding the warnings and taking the suggested precautions for securing items and preparing for loss of services, e.g. water, electricity. * Evacuating early, before the cyclone hit.
How many people were killed when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin?
In Darwin, 65 people got killed in Cyclone Tracy, either killed in the city or drowned at sea.
What day did Cyclone Tracy happen?
Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin shortly after 2am on 25 December 1974 - Christmas Day.
When did Cyclone Tracy destroy Darwin?
Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin on Christmas Day, 25 December 1974, destroying three-quarters of the city.
