Brisbane Northern Suburbs Brace for More Floods
Tatiana Gerus, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In the last couple of years, Brisbane has been experiencing some serious tropical weather – and this summer is no different. Muggy, uncomfortable heat has been taking turns with storms, heavy rainfall, and flash flooding.
The History of Brisbane Floods
Brisbane has gone through three major flood events in the last 50 years, in 1974, 2011 and 2022.
In 1973, a wet spring season meant that the Brisbane River was brought to capacity. In January 1974, Cyclone Wanda caused the river to overflow and flood the surrounding areas.
Similarly, in 2010, a very wet December led to the rivers reaching capacity. In January 2011, Tropical Cyclone Tasha broke the riverbanks once again.
Finally, in February 2022, intense rainfall over several days led to major creek flash flooding and overland flow flooding.
The Main Northern Suburbs to Worry About
We can never say for certain when there will be a major flood event next, but you can always expect the smaller floods that happen every year. Brisbane is regularly impacted by floods due to being built on a floodplain. Combined with how hard it rains in Brisbane, just a couple of days of rain can lead to flash flooding.
For example, just earlier this year in February, Kedron Brook Creek broke its banks when North Brisbane was hit with 85mm of rain in only two hours. The same creek also overflowed in 2011 and 2022, leading to major flooding in surrounding areas.
According to Suncorp, of the Top 10 most storm-affected suburbs, seven were in Brisbane North – meaning that suburbs near creeks, rivers and the bay are the ones to look out for. High-risk areas include Brighton, Deagon, Shorncliffe, Aspley and Sandgate in North Brisbane, and suburbs surrounding Breakfast Creek like Newstead and Bowen Hills.
To know the flood risk of your area, check the Flood Awareness Map.
What Homeowners Can Do About Flood Risk
There are things you can do to minimise damage to your home and backyard during Brisbane rain and flooding events.
Ensure your roof is in good repair, window seals and fittings are fixed, and that tree branches and garden debris are all cleaned up. These maintenance works help prevent water damage in your home.
It’s essential to ensure your backyard drainage and stormwater drainage are functioning well. Inspect trench drains, downpipes and gutters, landscaping, yard drains and water pumps. Not only must your drainage systems be in good repair, they need to be sufficient for directing water away from your home.
“Backyard and stormwater drainage have been in very high demand in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, especially bayside. In a major flooding event, the best backyard drainage in the world won't save you, but stormwater drainage systems can prevent water inundation in a moderate rain event," said John from Salmon Plumbers North Brisbane.
Being Prepared
From the major flood events to the more minor ones, floods hit Northern Brisbane hardest in January and February. That means now is the time to call in your North Brisbane plumber and get your backyard plumbing up to standard.
