Overall Green Flood for Australia
in Australia

Event summary

Flood Australia can have a low humanitarian impact based on the magnitude, exposed population and vulnerability.

GDACS ID FL 1101298
Death: 14
Displaced: -
Countries: Australia
From - To 22 Feb - 02 Mar

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Australia - Floods (ECHO 28 Feb 2022)Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:07

  • Extensive floods caused by heavy rainfall have been affecting south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales (eastern Australia), resulting in casualties.
  • According to media reports, at least eight people have died and two others are missing in Queensland. Many areas of Brisbane City (Queensland) have been flooded, while major roads have been cut off. More than 1,000 schools remain closed and more than 18,000 houses have been damaged by floods that occurred in coastal areas from Gympie to the Gold Coast. 
  • In north-eastern New South Wales, at least 540 people were rescued in Lismore City (New South Wales) and about 15,000 individuals have been evacuated. 
  • Emergency alerts are in place for several areas in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, preparing residents for evacuations. Major floods warnings have been issued for nine rivers in Queensland and New South Wales, as moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast on 28 February – 1 March for the already affected areas.
  • The Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service was activated () to provide satellite maps for the areas affected by floods in Queensland.
Australia - Floods, update (ECHO 02 Mar 2022)Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:35

  • Floods continue to affect south-east Queensland and east New South Wales, leading to at least 14 fatalities. 
  • According to media reports, nine people died in Queensland, and five in New South Wales. Flooding has been reported in Metropolitan Sydney, while Warragamba Dam (west of Sydney) reached its capacity and started spilling, as reported by national authorities.
  • Thousands of residents are evacuating, as evacuation orders are in effect for Regions in coastal New South Wales, including Sydney Western Region and Sydney Southern Region.  Several rivers in south-east Queensland north-east and central-east New South Wales are at major flooding levels.
  • The Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service () was activated for Queensland to support damage assessment and 24 maps have been produced so far.
  • Moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast on 2 March over coastal New South Wales, while light to moderate rainfall is expected on 3-4 March over coastal Queensland and New South Wales. 

Australia - Floods, update (ECHO 04 Mar 2022)Fri, 04 Mar 2022 12:28

  • Floods triggered by heavy rainfall continue to affect eastern Australia, particularly south-eastern Queensland and coastal New South Wales (NSW), resulting in an increased human impact.
  • The Queensland Police Service reported at least ten people have died, as vast areas from Gympie to the NSW border have been flooded. The Government of NSW confirmed five fatalities. 
  • In Queensland, 260 people are living in emergency evacuation centres. Several communities west of Brisbane and north of Gympie City are cut off by floodwaters. Across south-eastern Queensland, more than 15,000 residents are without power and school remain closed. Several dams have reached their capacity and are spilling, while a number of rivers are at major flooding levels. Evacuation orders continue to be in effect for coastal areas, including Greater Sidney Area.
  • The Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service (EMSR567) was activated for Queensland and NSW to support damage assessment and 44 maps have been produced so far.
  • Moderate to locally heavy rainfall is forecast on 4-5 March across south-eastern Queensland and eastern NSW.
Australia - Floods, update (ECHO 08 Mar 2022)Tue, 08 Mar 2022 12:01

  • Floods caused by persistent heavy rainfall continue to affect coastal eastern Australia, resulting in at least 20 fatalities. 
  • According to media, at least 13 people have died in south-eastern Queensland, where wide areas from Gympie to Brisbane have been flooded. In New South Wales, the number of fatalities has increased to seven and floodwaters have been affecting Greater Sidney Area. 
  • Evacuation orders continue to be in effect for coastal New South Wales, including Sidney. Several dams are spilling, after reaching their maximum capacity, and rivers in central-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland are at major flooding levels. 
  • The Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service (EMSR567) was activated for Queensland and NSW to support damage assessment, and 44 maps have been produced so far.
  • On 8-9 March, moderate to locally heavy rainfall is forecast over central and south-eastern Queensland, coastal New South Wales and Victoria. 
Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, Late February 2022Heavy rain from 22 February caused flooding in south-east Queensland. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) issued emergency alerts for flash flooding in Gympie, Noosa and Sunshine Coast local government areas. QFES crews responded to more than 100 requests for assistance. Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) swiftwater rescue technicians responded to multiple incidents involving people stranded in floodwater. Heavy rain continued on 25 February, affecting Somerset, Lockyer Valley, North Burnett and Fraser Coast government areas. The BoM said an area near Biggenden recorded 423mm of rain in the 24 hours to early 25 February, with 389mm falling in just four hours. QFES issued alerts for the Cedar Pocket Dam catchment area in Gympie, areas of the Lockyer Valley, and Maryborough. QFES crews responded to almost 1,000 incidents across southern Queensland 24 to 25 February. Residents of Forest Hill in Lockyer Valley were urged to self-evacuate.Fri 25 Feb 2022Provided by Copernicus EMS GloFAS
Detailed event map. European Union, 2026. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

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Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (36), NASA (3), WMO (1), INFORM (2), (1),