The recent heavy rainfall all over Australia and the floods that followed it have fueled the debates about climate change and its consequences. The current flood season is already called the most destructive and expensive in the history of the continent's climate observation. But does it mean that floods in Australia are something really new, or has the "Great Down Under" faced something similar before, just without the current social media power to spread the information?
In fact, the current floods in Australia turn out to be an almost identical repetition of the harsh weather situation on the continent that happened over 70 years ago. And what did we learn from it? Probably, absolutely nothing, considering the scale of current damage and the fact that most people haven't even heard about anything like this in Australian history before.
So, let's take a closer look at the history of the Australian climate and water-related disasters to try and understand whether the current flood season is a natural course of events and the worst is behind for the next 70 years again, or maybe we should start getting used to "new normal" once again and take the current situation as the last call before a full-fledged climate crisis.
North South West has seen something similar in the 1950s
"There was a period from about 1949 to about 1956 in which pretty well every river in New South Wales had a genuinely big flood. And some of them had records which haven't been beaten since," said Chas Keys, former deputy director-general of the New South Wales SES.
So, as you see, Australia has seen not just one but seven years of outstanding floods in a row. Does it mean that today's floods in Australia are just the beginning of another climate crisis, or is it something else?
To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at the forces behind the floods rather than the resulting disasters.
Australia's climate is driven by the Ocean, and there is nothing to do about it.
While the observation back in 1950 was documented pretty poorly, modern scientists came to the conclusion that today's and the mid-XX century flood seasons were driven by the same force - La Nina - the notorious storm that made headlines this autumn.
It is obvious that Australia's climate is formed and driven by the Ocean, but when it comes to extreme periods like the one we are observing right now, La Nina is the brain behind the operation.
So, does it mean that Australia is about to face a new 7-year flood spree? Not necessarily. According to the scientists who observe the phenomena and focus on studies of the Indian Ocen, it is coming from, La Nina can double its power, come back to back with its "twin", and therefore cause a massive flood season. According to what we see today, it is not the case. This is the good news.
The bad news is that the Australian climate is also heavily influenced by another phenomenon that was discovered relatively not so long ago but will probably play a key role in the way the situation will deploy in the observable future. It is Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.
"The Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation is the warming and cooling of the Pacific Ocean on a 10, 20, 30-year timescale," Dr Kiem explained.
In other words, it is like the notorious La Nina lasting for several years or even decades in a row. And according to the current observation, the Australian climate has entered another period of Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation in early 2022.
The legacy of 1950s floods and possible forecast
It would be wrong to say that Australia has not learned anything from the 1950s flooding and therefore suffers from the consequence.
Not only has the country acknowledged the importance of climate and weather observation, but it also introduced several rules of construction development and urbanisation that are now saving the lives of thousands of people every year.
However, despite the fact that most experts claim that the current floods in Australia are hardly anything new, climate change still remains on the table. It means that we cannot claim that the ongoing flood season will be precisely like it was when La Nina stroke before.
Not to mention the fact that today you can find modern, efficient flood control solutions for homes and businesses that make you more independent when it comes to flood safety.
For example, modern flood barriers for homes and businesses, flood gates and extension poles you can use to connect them and create a sufficient 3-foot dike take the burden of preparation and cleaning before and after flooding off your shoulders. Those are versatile multi-use devices made out of lightweight yet robust plastic. It allows using those flood barriers even as window shutters during hurricane season to cut the damage even more and stay safe.
Do you want to learn more about flood safety in Australia and modern flood control solutions you can use in your house or business right now? Contact Dam Easy today! Together we shall analyse the flood risk for your property and help you collect a sufficient flood control kit that will fit your property and allow you to stay safe and dry during the upcoming flooding and for many years later on.
Contact Dam Easy today and enjoy the safety and efficiency of flood barriers!
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