In any given year, there’s a 1% chance of a ‘once in a century’ flood. But that doesn’t mean they can’t happen more than once in quick succession.
- Associate Professor, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, Adelaide University
Analysis of flood gauge data suggest that floods are becoming less frequent in many parts of the world. Despite that, more people and property are at risk, particularly in developing countries.
Droughts are much bigger and slower than other natural disasters that hit Australia - meaning that despite their huge impacts, we still haven’t figured out how best to protect ourselves.
Floods are a costly part of Australian life, which means we need to get better at predicting exactly when - and how severely - they are likely to strike in the future.
Extreme rainfall in Sydney is increasing - but only in summer, potentially leading to more flash floods in the city.
Imagine a future where the yearly flow into one of the largest water reservoirs of a major Australian city could halve within 70 years. This is a scenario that Adelaide could face if the world continues…
Rainfall extremes are increasing around the world, and the increase is linked to the warming of the atmosphere which has taken place since pre-industrial times. This is the conclusion of a recent study…
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