IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

The Cyclone Debbie Review

The meeting resulted in two direct outcomes. Late in the evening, a directed evacuation d for parts of Townsville’s red evacuation zone,

Burdekin Like Townsville, the Burdekin group started meeting on 24 March. Its arrangements were well established. Its agenda for reporting, and reporting mechanisms, its understanding of member’s status, scalability and actions gave it the information about the situation and the capability to perform effectively. In the event all agencies had representatives available. Messaging to the community, about sandbag availability and warnings on the Bureau’s website, started early. Community members were advised to undertake any necessary pre-event clean-ups. Not everyone is able to deal with the effects of a cyclone by themselves. Recent work by the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (DCCSDS) has gone a long way to help service providers identify people with vulnerabilities in disasters. During Debbie, these people included the elderly particularly those in aged-care facilities, tourists, transient workers, and the homeless. Some councils have already put measures in place to support them. Burdekin Shire Council includes the Lower Burdekin Home for the Aged as a specialist adviser on the Burdekin local group, enabling a high level of integration for planning purposes. On Saturday 25 March, with the cyclone forecast to cross the coast in its area and early predictions showing coastal communities impacted by storm surge, the chair of the Burdekin local group advised those in the community who wished to evacuate to do so on Sunday – the next day. Due to the unpredictable nature of Debbie, the Burdekin local group planned for three options, a crossing to the north, to the south or a direct impact. The prepared storm tide evacuation zones worked well from a planning perspective. However, in hindsight, the Burdekin group itself realised that they would have worked even better had the warning messages contained place names rather than been aimed at coastal communities in general as this would have made the messages easier for the community to understand.

The three concurrent events

Cape Cleveland, Cungulla and Cleveland Palms was issued through the Emergency Alert (EA) community warning system. People in this area were directed to evacuate from 6.00am Monday 27 March 2017, and seek shelter with friends and family in a safer location. The Townsville group also decided they would be unable to receive evacuees from the Burdekin region, indicating an understanding of both risk and the limits to their capacity. The Townsville group met again the next morning at 4.30am to discuss whether the remainder of the red zone required evacuation. It decided to advise remaining residents in the red zone to consider a voluntary evacuation to family and friends. On Monday 27 March at 6.00am, the directed evacuation of the Cape Cleveland area including Cungulla and Cleveland Palms commenced. The governance processes for recording decision-making is robust. The Heatley Public Cyclone Shelter was activated from 6.00am and four places of refuge were opened from 2.00pm. The group was also aware of staff safety as a result of the cyclone, and decided that the LDCC would not be staffed “until it was deemed safe to return.” 34 During the morning of 27 March, the cyclone’s predicted tracks resumed their southerly drift, and by 11.00am Townsville was outside the “cone of uncertainty.” On 29 March the Townsville local group “stood down.” Their approach throughout demonstrated the kind of effective risk-based planning and action that is encouraged by Queensland’s arrangements.

North Queensland

State-level operations

Central Queensland

South East Queensland

4.30am • “Approx. 4000-5000 guests/ staff on Hamilton Island, 430 guests/staff on Daydream Island and 607 guests/ staff/contractors on Hayman Island”taff/ contractors on Hayman Island” Morning (approx. 10.30am) • TC crossed over Whitsunday islands 12.40pm • TC Debbie made landfall Airlie Beach as a category 4 1.00pm • TC crossed over Proserpine as a category 3 From 3.00pm • BoM advised gale force winds to impact Ayr 10.00pm • TC crossed over Collinsville as a category 2 Bowen and Proserpine cyclone shelters transitioned to evacuation centres Early hours • System dissipated to a tropical low south west of Collinsville Townsville LDMG stood down Mackay airport reopened with restrictions 3.00pm • Whitsunday Pilotage Area reopened Commercial flights arranged from Hamilton Island to Cairns, Sydney and Bowen Whitsunday PCYC opened as evacuation centre pm • Navy evacuates 200 from Daydream Island to Airlie Beach 5.00pm • Police assist evacuation flights on Hamilton Island 9.30pm • Last 100 evacuees from Daydream Island move from Airlie Beach to Townsville Late evening • Private charter takes Hayman Island guests to Sydney via Hamilton Island

28 March

29 March

30 March

Notes d. Exposed persons are directed by the DDC or Declared Disaster Officer under legislation to evacuate an exposed area – Queensland Evacuation Guidelines for Disaster Management Groups.

31 March Burdekin LDMG stood down 3 April Whitsunday LDMG transitioned to recovery

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4 THE THREE CONCURRENT EVENTS

North Queensland: Townsville • Burdekin