Partnering with QFES to learn lessons from Cyclone Debbie

Incident management research from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC has helped the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services assess operations during Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie earlier this year.

QFES utilised findings and expertise from the Improving decision-making in complex multi-team environments project to inform future preparation, response and recovery. The research team of Dr Christine Owen (University of Tasmania) and Dr Chris Bearman (CQUniversity) supported QFES in an effective review of activities that took place across the seven QFES regions after Debbie, as well as facilitating debriefing workshops.

Debbie made landfall on the Whitsunday coast on 28 March 2017 as a Category 4 cyclone, with winds of up to 195 kmph, and gusts of up to 260 kmph. Significant flooding was experienced in Queensland, stretching south to northern New South Wales, with the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton peaking at approximately nine metres in depth. Lismore and surrounding towns in NSW were severely flooded.