Tropical Cyclone Les was a Category 2 storm in the
1997–98 Australian region cyclone season
The 1997–98 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It ran from 1 November 1997 to 30 April 1998. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a ''tropical cyclone year'' separately f ...
, which affected the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
of Australia in January 1998.
Meteorological history
On 19 January 1998, an
area of low pressure
In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather (such as cloudy, windy, with possible ...
developed over the
Gulf of Carpentaria. Little development occurred as the system traveled initially towards the southwest and later towards the east. Late on 21 January, the low moved over the
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...
and began to strengthen.
A surge of moisture from a northwest
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...
and a tightening
pressure gradient
In atmospheric science, the pressure gradient (typically of air but more generally of any fluid) is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure increases the most rapidly around a particular location. The p ...
due to an
area of high pressure located over the
Great Australian Bight
The Great Australian Bight is a large oceanic bight, or open bay, off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia.
Extent
Two definitions of the extent are in use – one used by the International Hydrog ...
, allowed the system to develop. The first warning published by the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
was issued on 23 January, after the storm had moved back over the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Storm and impact
The intense rainfall also occurred during "king high tides" in the Timor Sea that pushed water from the lower reaches upstream, as a result, floodwater drainage was impeded. Flooding was most severe in
Katherine, Northern Territory, where flooding began 24 January. Many residents were evacuated to cyclone shelters, while several others were stranded on rooftops. On
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...
, 26 January, roads north and south from Katherine were closed due to rising floodwaters, and
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
personnel from
RAAF Base Tindal
RAAF Base Tindal is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and civil aviation airfield located east southeast of the town of Katherine, Northern Territory in Australia. The base is currently home to No. 75 Squadron and a nu ...
joined local police and emergency services to assist with sandbagging critical infrastructure. Some 5000 residents were evacuated as an estimated 500 businesses and 1200 homes were inundated by floodwaters, including the
Katherine District Hospital
Katherine District Hospital is a district public hospital servicing the Katherine Region in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is located from the centre of town on the banks of the Katherine River, overlooking Knott's Crossing. It services ...
.
On 27 January, a state of emergency was declared for Katherine as the
Katherine River
Katherine River is located in the Northern Territory, Australia. Its headwaters are in Nitmiluk National Park, it flows through the town of Katherine, and is a major tributary of the Daly River. The Katherine River drops around 384m over its 328 ...
reached a level of 20.3 m (66.6 ft). The floodwaters peaked at at the Katherine railway bridge, passing the previous record of 19.3m during major flooding in 1957.
Two days later, 392 residents were evacuated from the
Daly River region, approximately downstream from Katherine, where floodwaters had risen above 11.5m and would continue to rise to a peak of on 3 February.
The cyclone dumped over 380mm of rainfall in the area within a 48-hour period, leaving water up to 2 m (6.5 ft) through much of the town. The flooding forced at least 2,000 people out of their homes, and killed 3 people. Total damages from the storm amounted to at least A$100 million (US$64.7 million).
Additionally, local infrastructure was severely damaged by the storm. During the flood emergency, the only road access between
Darwin and the rest of Australia was impassable for five days. Drainage and sewerage systems failed, leading to an outbreak of
gastroenteritis.
When the flood waters receded, priority was given to making critical facilities such as the hospital operational once again, with 300 additional
Australian Defence Force personnel arriving to assist with the clean-up.
Aftermath
Through the ''Appropriation (Flood Relief) Bill (1998)'' the
Northern Territory Government
The Government of the Northern Territory of Australia, also referred to as the Northern Territory Government, is the Australian territorial democratic administrative authority of the Northern Territory. The Government of Northern Territory wa ...
released $10 million of funds for immediate flood relief. It was estimated at this time that at least $30 million would be required for capital works reconstruction, and a similar amount to be allocated to supporting business and individuals. It was expected this amount would be met by the
Commonwealth Government
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
. The Northern Territory Government conducted studies in the area in the years following the disaster to learn how better to prepare for major flood events, and now makes flood maps and information brochures available to the public as well as other early warning systems such as flood sirens and live webcams monitoring the river.
On 30 January, Prime Minister of Australia
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
visited Katherine,
announcing measures including disaster relief payments of $1000 for each adult and $200 for each child affected by the flooding, the creation of a taskforce to investigate problems faced by those who were not insured for flooding as well as $5 million in funding for repairs and improvements to the
Stuart Highway
Stuart Highway is a major Australian highway. It runs from Darwin, in the Northern Territory, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta in South Australia; a distance of . Its northern and southern extremities are segments of Aus ...
.
The economic impact of the disaster on the town of Katherine was significant. Of the estimated $200 million damages, only $70 million was insured and many local businesses were forced to close. The pastoral industry, worth over $60 million
annually to the region was badly affected by the loss of whole herds of livestock to the rising waters.
A study conducted by the School for Social and Policy Research at
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University (CDU) is an Australian public university with a main campus in Darwin and eight satellite campuses in some metropolitan and regional areas. It was established in 2003 after the merger of Northern Territory University ...
in 2008 analysed trends in census data before and after the disaster and found that the population had not yet recovered to pre-flood levels ten years after the event, and the demographics in the town had shifted significantly.
In 2008, the Katherine Town Council submitted to
Infrastructure Australia
Infrastructure Australia is an independent statutory body providing independent research and advice to all levels of government and industry on projects and reforms relating to investment in Australian infrastructure. It advocates for reforms on ...
documents outlining the approximate costing and importance of relocating the town's hospital and ambulance station to a less flood-prone area following the total evacuation and inundation of both facilities during the 1998 and 2006 flood events.
See also
*
1997–98 Australian region cyclone season
The 1997–98 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It ran from 1 November 1997 to 30 April 1998. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a ''tropical cyclone year'' separately f ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Les (1998)
1997–98 Australian region cyclone season
Category 2 Australian region cyclones
Tropical cyclones in Australia
1998 disasters in Australia
Cyclone Les