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

Inspector-General Emergency Management

In addition, there was the need to manage the expectations of tourists and back- packers who anticipated accommodation would be paid for by the local council. Fresh ideas, such as setting up mobile information hubs for tourists and developing multi-lingual communication resources for resorts, are already being considered in the Whitsunday region. The system continued further inland, reaching Collinsville as a category 2 cyclone, where gusts range between 125 to 164km/h, and finally dissipated to a tropical low southwest of Collinsville in the early hours of Wednesday 29 March. The severe thunderstorms that followed the cyclone hampered rapid damage assessment and relief activities for an additional 24 hours. When the severe weather finally passed, the region was left with significant power outages – 100 per cent of Proserpine and 99.8 per cent of Bowen – which also affected the local water supply. Road closures were prevalent and there was extensive damage to the townships of Airlie Beach, Bowen, Collinsville, and to the economic hub of Proserpine. Significant structural damage was sustained by the resorts, jetties, wharfs and other critical infrastructure on the Whitsunday Islands. Resorts on Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and Hayman Island closed for repairs and reconstruc- tion. Hamilton Island reopened for visitors on Saturday 8 April 38 and the latter two are expected to open in mid-2018. 39 40 The LDMG transitioned to recovery on Monday 3 April. There were some concerns the transition took place too early. The impacts were mainly felt in the shifting focus of efforts away from response operations, and in the readiness of the community to transition to recovery, which needed the support of the SES. Overall the transition to recovery went well. The Whitsundays was one of the first local groups to develop and finalise the new recovery plan. The plan was completed and circulated very efficiently however there was limited awareness of the process by LDMG members. Better socialisation of the new recovery planning process would improve awareness and input into this part of transition to recovery in future events.

Mackay

Date

North Queensland – MACKAY

22 March • Tropical low identified

On Saturday 25 March, Mackay lay about 220 kilometres south of the cyclone’s predicted track and outside the “cone of uncertainty” of possible track lines. Notwithstanding, a media release was issued for residents, advising them to continue emergency preparations for their home and ensure they were familiar with the storm inundation zones that are particular to the Mackay council area. This media release also advised members of the community that regular updates will be posted on council’s Facebook page. Although the Bureau’s 9.00am Storm Tide Warning on Monday 27 March made no predictions for Mackay, the situation changed during the day. The Bureau advised Mackay could be impacted by dangerous storm tide, and in low-lying areas the risk of storm surge was significant. Police from the Whitsunday district which overlaps some of Mackay local government had doorknocked residents of Midge point and St Helens directing them to evacuate. An EA was issued at 10.48am to residents of the green, red, orange, brown and yellow zones in Midge Point to “act and evacuate now.” The Mackay LDMG advised residents to evacuate to friends and family in high places. They were also able to access the cyclone shelters in Proserpine and Bowen. Not many went. The Mackay local group Interim Evacuation Sub-plan dated September 2013 has thresholds for directed evacuation to enable prompt decision- making. They start at 0.5 metres above the highest tide mark. But the plan also allows for refinement “based on the event specific factors”. 41 By 12.07pm the Bureau’s Storm Tide Warning was for a worst case of 1.8 metres and a most likely tide of 0.3 metres above the highest tide of the year at Mackay. By 1.37pm storm tide figures had worsened to 2.7 and 1.0 metres respectively. After this updated Bureau warning, at around 2.40pm, the local group issued Emergency Alerts for residents in the green, red and orange zones in Mackay and its beach communities. The message was: “prepare and act.” There were eleven campaigns, targeting more than 185,000 fixed and mobile numbers.

• LDMG convened in Townsville • Burdekin local group starts meeting • Whitsunday LDMG leaned forward • Townsville LDMG leaned forward • Townsville Local Disaster Coordinator appointed • Townsville LDCC on standby

24 March

• Townsville LDMG stood up • Townsville Local Disaster Coordinator stood up • Townsville LDCC stood up

4.51am • BoM predicts crossing coast south of Townsville as category 4 on 28 March 10.00am • Low named as TC Debbie 6.00pm • Shute Habour pilotage area closed Before 7.00am • Whitsunday LDMG moved to stand up 11:25am • Whitsunday red and orange zones advised to evacuate 5.22pm • BoM issued storm tide warnings 5.24pm • Burdekin chair directed voluntary evacuation to commence the following day 7.49pm • BoM issues cyclone track map for Townsville Late evening • Burdekin directs specific evacuations via EA of areas Morning • Bowen and Proserpine cyclone shelters opened 6.00am • Directed evacuation of Cape Cleveland, Cungulla and Cleveland Palms started 6.00am • Remaining Townsville red zone directed to evacuate 6.00am • Heatley evacuation centre activated 8.00am • Burdekin multipurpose facility opened as place of refuge 9.00am • Buses provided for the voluntary evacuation of Home Hill and Ayr to Cairns 10.11am • Whitsunday yellow zone evacuated Whitsunday islands and Airlie beach tourists commenced evacuation 11.00am • Townsville deemed outside the cone of uncertainty 11.47am • Mackay LDMG issued act and evacuate now EAs for Midge Point, St Helens Beach areas 1.37pm • Mackay storm tide advice worsened 2.00pm • Four places of refuge opened in Townsville 2.40pm • Mackay issued further EAs to prepare and act 6.00pm • Mackay LDMG advise to evacuate now Mackay area Between 5.00pm–12 midnight • TC intensified to category 4 off Whitsundays 12 midnight • Townsville LDMG evacuation sub-group activated

25 March

26 March

27 March

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The Cyclone Debbie Review

Lessons for delivering value and confidence through trust and empowerment