Today is Part 4 of the Lismore App series 'Flood Readiness - Are We Better Prepared?'. We cover key organisations that play a vital role in pre-flood warnings and in the rescue & recovery after a major flood. We are asking those organisations to let us know how the 2022 floods and Flood Inquiry have changed their procedures and processes so people will experience better outcomes.

So we know what to expect when the unexpected happens next.

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I recall sitting in a bad storm a few years ago, looking out the windows, a little fearfully at what the tempest had brought to bear. It gives one great comfort to know how long you have to wait for a storm of that magnitude to wear itself out, or how bad it was yet to become. 

We have become accustomed to knowing the most efficient route to get from A to B at the flick of a phone screen. There is no need for a chainsaw to chop down a fallen tree that has fallen across a road, and awareness of flooded or damaged roads is second nature to our technology.

There is no going back, so we ask what Live Traffic and the Bureau of Meteorology (The Bureau) has to say about the future of flood readiness and have a look at the Hazards Near Me App.

Live Traffic understands the importance of the information they provide - in disaster, the most direct route can mean getting people urgent care and provide road users with the best access to safe routes.  

A Transport for NSW spokesperson has told us, “Following the flooding events of 2022 and the recommendations made in the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry, Transport for NSW (Transport) has made some important changes to the way information reaches a community during a time of emergency or disaster. This includes providing all local councils across NSW the access and support required to publish information to Live Traffic NSW.  

“Transport has on boarded 124 of the 128 councils across the state, including Lismore City Council, and has a team dedicated to providing ongoing training and support. During on-site sessions, councils can ask questions and provide feedback, as well as complete surveys about their experience publishing to Live Traffic NSW. 

 “Additionally, almost 100 signs have been installed across the road network displaying local ABC radio frequencies so people know where they can tune in for emergency information during a natural disaster. 

 “Transport works in partnership with emergency response agencies and other government departments, in state- and local-level disaster planning and preparedness, through responding to emergencies and to immediate relief and long-term recovery for impacted communities.”

NSW Transport are advocates of improving the road system, “A focus for Transport is on greater investment in preparedness and ‘building back better’, to increase the resilience of the network and enable communities to better mitigate the risks, and recover more quickly from any future natural disasters. 

 “Lead emergency response agencies for natural disasters in NSW are the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) and NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), and Transport works closely with them on coordinated planning, response and recovery operations.  

Safety and precautions are key in a disaster where obstacles on the road, and distractions in the car can lead to dire consequences, “The public is advised to follow the guidance of emergency response agencies during a disaster and stay up to date with local information, including warnings and road closures, by using the ‘Hazards Near Me’ and ‘Live Traffic NSW’ apps and websites, and via ABC Radio emergency broadcasts. 

 “Live Traffic adopts Australian Warning System icons when displaying information from the ‘Fires Near Me’ data feed and information provided by the RFS.”

Some helpful resources to access the latest traffic information include the NSW Transport website and App. You can also go to the live traffic website and live TrafficNSW app. A tip - for the latest information about local council roads, make sure the "Council Supplied Information" filter on www.livetraffic.com or the app is selected. You can also check with local council supplied information.

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The Bureau of Meteorology has become something most of us consult on a daily basis, regardless of imminent disaster. We ask them more about how their role works in emergencies.

Warnings: The Bureau issues certain warnings, and emergency services issues others. What is the difference, and how is the balance between consultancy and warning advocacy struck?

The Bureau of Meteorology (The Bureau) is responsible for riverine flood forecasts and warnings. These are issued directly to the Australian Community.

The Bureau also provides riverine flood observations, forecasts and warnings to other organisations, such as state and territory governments, water and emergency management agencies, catchment authorities and local councils, who are accountable for interpreting the impacts of responses to that information.

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is the designated Agency for controlling flood operations in NSW. This role includes:

• interpreting Bureau flood warnings and predictions into impacts (inundated areas) at the local level in accordance with local flood intelligence
• preparing and disseminating local flood bulletins to those at risk 24/7

These accountabilities, and the processes that support them, are long-standing and appear in legislation (e.g. the Meteorology Act 1955), agreements (the Intergovernmental Agreement on the provision of Bureau of Meteorology Hazard Services to the states and territories), plans (NSW State Flood Sub Plan), which together support the national Total Flood Warning System.

State and local governments are responsible for flash flood warnings, in accordance with established national practice.

Does The Bureau approach an organisation/council with information about a severe warning event, or does the locality reach out to The Bureau when they realise they are under threat?

The Bureau pro-actively briefs relevant authorities and organisations when severe weather conditions are likely to endanger life or property, as outlined above. In NSW, the Bureau has staff embedded in the SES to provide and interpret that information.

How is consultancy during a weather event managed?

The Bureau provides observations, forecasts and warnings to relevant authorities (via direct data feeds) immediately as they are created. The Bureau also regularly briefs emergency management partners and provides updated alerts for heavy rainfall and flooding during high-risk events. This focuses on clearly conveying forecast uncertainties and offering possible alternative scenarios to assist emergency services in their planning and response efforts. The Bureau supplements this advice through decision-support meteorologists embedded with emergency management agencies.

Updates came through every 4 to 6 hours in 2022 - if a flood is moderate or major in level, will the frequency of flood data updates increase/change?

River level observations are updated on the Bureau website as often as every 10 minutes.

Flood forecasts and warnings are generally updated every 4 to 6 hours, but if conditions are likely to change from those forecasts, updates are made as soon as possible.

Recently, a media report stated the federal government is investing money in enhanced warning of severe weather. How is The Bureau involved, and what will this funding change?

The Bureau is undertaking this piece of work to design and test more impactful warning products for the Australian Community. The Bureau will work with communities, emergency management agencies and local government to co-design warnings, so that they more fully meet community expectations for intelligibility and consistency.

How many rain gauges are there in the Richmond Catchment? Are there plans for more? What is the maintenance strategy for these gauges?

In the Richmond Basin, The Bureau uses data from up to 55 stations; 36 rainfall and 19 water level gauges. 13 stations are either owned by The Bureau or have Bureau equipment co-located.

The Bureau has not installed any gauges in the Richmond Basin in the past 2 years, and as the Richmond Basin primarily consists of assets owned by local councils and State Government, the Bureau is working in close collaboration with these stakeholders to identify areas that need improvement.

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The Fires Near Me app was developed to keep people aware of situations developing. After the Lismore floods, the Hazards Near Me app was an important development. An RFS spokesperson reports, “The Lismore floods in 2022 and subsequent Inquiry were the catalyst to ensure an app similar to Fires Near Me NSW was developed to show flooding incidents across NSW.

 “The decision was made to integrate flood information into Hazards Near Me as a ‘one-stop shop’ for hazards with significant community impact.”

You can find current information about local emergencies on the Hazards Near Me App. Information provided from emergency services includes: 

• bush fires
• floods
• tsunamis
• advice on what to do to stay safe.

The app also provides other warnings and activities in your area: 

• fire danger ratings 
• total fire bans 
• hazard reduction activities. 

The app can also send push notifications when there are new incidents or when information changes.

There have been some negative online reviews regarding the app, but a lot of positive verbal feedback to the producers. They do, however, report, “Additional improvements and features are planned for the app, including future updates that will specifically target concerns related to notifications regarding fire incidents.”

Other stories in this series includes:

Essential Energy 

Communications - Telstra and Optus

Communications - TPG Telecom and nbn

Police and Fire + Rescue

Still to come, Animals, the NSW SES and Lismore City Council.