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BAMOS April 2025
Charts of the Past with Blair Trewin 21 February, 1954
One of the most significant higher-latitude tropical cyclones on record in eastern Australia occurred in February 1954. The cyclone— unnamed in that era— formed in the Coral Sea west of New Caledonia on 18 February and moved relatively quickly south-southwest, reaching minimum central pressures below 970 hPa and making landfall near Coolangatta late on 20 February, with a central pressure of 973 hPa.
This made it, in modern terms, probably a Category 2 or Category 3 system, making it the most intense known landfall south of Brisbane. After landfall, the remnant low tracked south inland from the New South Wales coast, emerging over the Tasman Sea on the 22nd and eventually weakening east of Tasmania.
Extreme rainfall accompanied the system, especially on its southern side, with 2-day totals exceeding 200 mm over most coastal areas from the southern edge of Brisbane south to Port Stephens. The highest totals occurred in topographically favoured areas exposed to the east. Dorrigo received a daily total of 809.2 mm on the 21st, which remains a state record for New South Wales, and 998.7 mm over the two days 20-21 February. Over the same period Springbrook, in the Gold Coast hinterland, received 1047.5 mm with 360.7 mm and 686.6 mm on the two individual days, while on lower ground, 480.4 mm fell over two days at Lismore.
Brisbane itself missed the heaviest of the rain, with 151.9 mm in two days. As the system moved south, there were also heavy falls further south in New South Wales, with several sites around and south of Wollongong exceeding 200 mm on the 22nd, peaking at 314.2 mm at Maidens Creek.
The extreme rainfall resulted in major flooding in many rivers, particularly in northern New South Wales. Lismore experienced what was to be its highest pre-2022 flood on record, and other rivers, including the Clarence, Macleay and Hunter, also saw significant flooding( the Hunter was to see an even higher flood the following year).
In total, the flooding resulted in 26 deaths— ten of them in flash flooding in the Kyogle area and another five when a vehicle was washed into floodwaters near Grafton. Storm surge and coastal erosion also had major impacts. At Byron Bay, areas five blocks back from the beach were inundated. Most boats in the town ' s fishing fleet( 23 of the 24) were lost when the jetty was washed away. At the time, fishing made up an estimated 20 % of the town ' s employment. At Kirra, high seas washed cars from the coastal road. Many jetties were also lost on what is now the Gold Coast, and storm surge and erosion damage extended north to Bribie Island. There were also substantial agricultural losses, both from flooding and through wind damage to fruit crops in northern New South Wales and in the Queensland Granite Belt.
The region, particularly the modern Gold Coast, is much more developed now than it was in 1954, and the losses in the 1954 event, although significant, were limited by the relatively sparse population compared to today. A study in 2013 found that a repeat of the 1954 event would be expected to lead to insured losses of at least $ 3.5 billion( in 2011 dollars).
This event was one of numerous major flood events in eastern Australia over a few years as a multi-year La Niña developed from late 1954. These included the 1955 Hunter and Central New South Wales floods and the most significant Murray- Darling Basin floods of the last century in 1956.
Synoptic chart for 1500 AEST, 21 February 1954