East Coast Lows and the Pasha Bulker storm - lessons learned nine years on

Abstract

East Coast Lows (ECLs) are intense low pressure systems that form several times a year off the east coast of Australia. When these systems occur close to land they can cause major damage to infrastructure and communities due to gale force winds, intense rainfall, storm surge and coastal erosion. In June 2007, Newcastle and Central Coast regions of New South Wales (NSW) experienced severe weather and subsequent flash flooding. The ‘Pasha Bulker’ storm, as it has become known, was one of the most significant meteorological events in Australia’s history, with large economic losses and social disruption due to the loss of critical infrastructure. This paper provides background information on the meteorology of the event, the impact of the Pasha Bulker storm and a discussion of the lessons learned from the event and subsequent adaptation strategies employed. The paper also provides important reflections, at both regional and national level, on the Pasha Bulker storm and other similar storm events. Lessons for all levels of government and community groups are discussed, including preparedness before the event, actions during the event, and recovery processes post-event. From this, recommendations and conclusions are made on actions and strategies to increase adaptive capacity and resilience to extreme weather events like ECLs.

Predicting and Changing Intentions to Avoid Driving into Urban Flash Flooding

“…Flood risk is compounded as some of the city's upper catchments are steep, and intense rain can quickly turn into run off because much of the city is paved and impervious to water. The city was heavily impacted by the Pasha Storm in 2007, which saw many parts of the Newcastle city road network become quickly inundated with floodwater during a peak transit period, resulting in 5000 vehicles being written-off due to flood damage and numerous flood rescues being carried out by trained NSW SES volunteers, the police, and civilians [17]. To aid the Newcastle SES, and key decision makers in general who are responsible for flood prone urban areas, in understanding driver decisions in times of flood, the present research aimed to examine the social cognition factors that guide driver intentions to avoid driving into urban floodwater in Newcastle.…”