Riverine flooding information for the South Esk River

Version 1 July 2024

Map 1 – Levee Protected Margaret Street area to a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) South Esk River flood event (Major flood event).
*AEP is a term used to the express the percentage of likelihood of a flood, of a given size or larger, occurring in a given year.

Map 2 – Margaret Street area 1% AEP flood inundation area if there is a failure of the levee system. A flood greater than 1% AEP will overtop the levee and increase the flood extent.

*AEP is a term used to the express the percentage of likelihood of a flood, of a given size or larger, occurring in a given year.

Introduction

Flooding often happens in Tasmania and can cause widespread and significant damage. In the past 200 years there have been 78 flood related deaths in Tasmania. This guide is to help you understand flood risk in the Launceston and the Margaret Street areas and provide you information on what you can do to prepare for, respond and recover from a major flood.
The maps at the start of this document are there to provide an understanding of the impact of a major flood should the flood levee fail or overtop.

Launceston’s Margaret Street area is subject to flooding from the:

• the South Esk River, and
• the kanamaluka / Tamar River Estuary.

Major flooding of the South Esk River is the greatest risk to Margaret Street area.
A levee system helps to protect properties around the Margaret Street area. However, there is no guarantee they can withstand a major flood. Experiences in other countries show that levee failures can be gradual or sudden. Low lying parts of the Margaret Street area may flood quickly. Flood waters may isolate other areas.

If the levee failed, people’s lives could be at risk in the Margaret Street area as evacuation would be difficult. Roads in and around the suburb will be closed due to the levee. Some other routes around Launceston may also be flooded. Isolated areas would probably not have services such as power, water and sewerage. These may take some time to restore after a major flood.

The State Emergency Service, Tasmania Police and the City of Launceston have worked to identify Critical Decision Points (‘Trigger Points’) for actions that will keep people safe in a major flood event. These are outline further in this document.

If the South Esk River is predicted to reach a certain flood height, a directed mandatory evacuation will commence. If you stay, you could put yourselves and others at risk.

If an evacuation is called, services such as electricity and water will be cut to reduce hazards and protect assets so services can be restored as so as possible when flood waters go down. It is much better if you follow all instructions and leave early.

If you have pets, you should take your animals with you if you can.

If you can, it is best to stay with family or friends in a safer place while your home is at risk of flooding. If you have nowhere to go, there is likely to be an evacuation centre opened at the Silverdome – 55 Oakden Road, Prospect Vale. Keep checking TasALERT or listen to ABC local radio during a flood event for important information.

SES, City of Launceston and/or Tasmania Police can also provide information on where to go and how you can get there.

In such flooding events, some areas may also be isolated due to flooding of the low lying areas, roads may have flood waters across them. It is dangerous to drive through flooded roads, particularly in isolated areas. It is recommended to find an alternative route.

If the levees fail or are overtopped, people who did not evacuate early when directed

• put their lives and the lives of others at risk due to the likely rapid flooding of some buildings and roads, the flooding of evacuation routes, and the isolation of other areas from help
• cannot expect to have access to emergency services such as ambulance, police, fire, or SES
• cannot expect to have services such as electricity, gas, water, sewerage or telecommunications
• may be exposed to waste water as the sewerage system will be overwhelmed with water and not function.

Check TasALERT.com for key information during a flood event.

Map 3: Evacuation routes to the Silverdome Evacuation Centre from the Margaret Street area.

• Yellow route – via Wellington Street, Westbury Road and to Oakden Road
• Red route – vis Wellington Street, Midland Highway (Southern Outlet), Bass Highway and to Oakden Road.

您有洪水风险吗？

A 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) flood event has a 1% chance of occurring any given year. You can expect to see a flood of this frequency at least once in your life.

Launceston has a long history of flooding.  Since European settlement:

• 1852, 1863 and 1893 were serious flood events recorded for Launceston.
• 1929 was the most severe flooding recorded in modern history. Over a thousand homes and buildings were damaged, with some swept from their foundations. The two suspension bridges over the Gorge area were damaged. Four thousand people were evacuated from Invermay, Inveresk and Margaret Street areas. It was not until 1940 that Launceston recovered from the flood. The 1929 floods provided incentive to build the levees.
• 2016 – Launceston prepared for a major flood event and closed some levees. Previous upgrades of the levee system helped avoid losses of about $216 million, had the previous ageing levees failed.
• 2022 – Launceston narrowly escaped a major flooding event.

我应该怎么做？

Check the map to see whether your home or business is likely to be at risk during a flood or in a levee protected area. The risks to your home or business may be potential inundation, or the loss of utility services and isolation.

• Prepare an Emergency Plan for your home and business. Consider what you need to do in the event of an evacuation and what you will need to take with you. See 做好应急准备 – 个人和家庭应急准备指南。. 
• Assess your home or business and prepare it to minimise possible flood damage in the event of a levee failure.
• If you have extra needs due to disability, illness or lack of mobility, it is a good idea to think about what your specific needs might be in a flood event before a flood event happens.
• Think about family, friends and neighbours who live close by who may need help, consider including them in your personal plan

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) Forecasts, Warnings, and Observations

The BoM issues a Flood Watch when predicted weather might cause floods for the South Esk River. A Flood Watch may:

• be for a specific area such as the South Esk River catchment, or
• be generalised such as for Central North river basins

The BoM issue Flood Warnings with specific flood heights for the South Esk River. Flood gauges along the rivers provide warnings of flood heights and the possible impacts in Launceston. Tides can also add to the flooding risk around the Margaret Street area.

Critical Decision Points

The South Esk River has pre-determined critical decision points at which an evacuation may be declared. Tasmania Police and SES will issue the evacuation notice.

Evacuation triggers – Flood height and water volume flowing at the South Esk River at Trevallyn Dam

• Mandatory Evacuation – BoM Major Flood Warning – 132.26 mAHD or 3500 cumecs (m³/s)

Keep up to date with warnings and other key information at tasalert.com or listen to ABC local radio. BOM warnings can be found on their website at Tasmania Weather and Warnings (bom.gov.au)

*What is a cumec of water? – One cumec equals one cubic meter of water flowing past a point in one second. One cubic meter of water equals one thousand litres and weighs one tonne.

理解警告和关键信息

	建议 (黄色): 事件已发生。无即时危险。请保持关注，以防情况发生变化。.
	观察并行动（橙色）： 威胁级别有所提高。情况正在变化，您需要立即开始采取行动来保护您和您的家人
	紧急警报（红色）： 紧急警报是最高级别的警报。您可能面临危险，需要立即采取行动。任何耽搁都可能危及您的生命。.
	社区更新（蓝色）： 关于特定事件或事件，受影响社区的具体信息和最新动态。.
	事件（白色）： an incident is the initial occurrence of an event before it becomes an emergency warning. As soon as an incident is reported, TasALERT published basic information including the type and location of incident.

No two floods are the same. Floods like the one shown in the map or worse will occur again.

If you live in a low-lying area you may be at risk of flooding if the levee system fails. Consider leaving   early. Even if your home is not flooded, access to the area will be restricted. There may not be utility services such as power and water for some time.

Never drive through or enter flood waters.

Knowing what to do can save your life and help protect your property. Preparing a Home Emergency Plan is one of the best ways to prepare.

Include the stages of evacuation and triggers for action in your Home Emergency Plan.

Flood levels at the Margaret Street area

While no two floods are the same, the following table shows what you can expect at different flood levels around the Margaret Street area. Even if your property is not flooded, you need to think about access routes.

Minor Flood Warning – South Esk River @ Trevallyn Dam – 128.20 mAHD

• No residences or properties at risk of inundation
• No Roads are affected by flooding.

Moderate Flood Warning – South Esk River @ Trevallyn Dam – 129.90 mAHD

• No residences or properties at risk of inundation
• No Roads are affected by flooding in the immediate area.
• There are other roads around Launceston that will be affected by flooding.

Major Flood Warning – South Esk River @ Trevallyn Dam – 130.90 mAHD Mandatory Evacuation – 3500 cumecs (m³/s)

• Mandatory evacuation of residences indicated as being at flood risk will commence if forecast flooding exceeds the trigger value.
• Areas at risk for evacuation:
  • Paterson Street
  • Brisbane Street
  • Margaret Street
  • York Street
  • Elizabeth Street and
  • the intersection at Frederick Street.
• Tasmania Police will direct an evacuation and secure the evacuated area.
• The northern end of Park Street will be flooded.
• There is the possibility for flooding to exceed the height of the levees, if this happens flood waters will enter Invermay and Inveresk.

了解风险，做好准备，尽可能降低风险，与他人联系，保持警惕，并安全行事。.

BEFORE

1.    Know your risk

Depending on your location, you may experience floods differently. However if you live in the flood prone areas of East Launceston and the city areas you may be impacted by flood waters and not have power, gas, water and sewerage services should there be a major flood and levees are breached or fail.

2.    Prepare your household

制定涵盖风暴和洪水的应急计划

考虑一下在风暴或洪水来临时你会怎么做，这意味着你会有更好的准备，每个人都会更安全。制定一个你的家庭成员都明白的应急计划。有一些清单可以帮助你完善你的计划——请看 做好应急准备 – 个人和家庭应急准备指南。. 

定期检查您的计划，并让家中的每一位成员都模拟可能影响您家庭的洪水场景进行演练。.

Share this plan with friends and family, and any others which may need to know, i.e. childcare, support services etc. Ensure they are aware of the roles they will take if you enact your plan.

准备一个应急包

定期测试收音机和手电筒里的电池。.

3.    Reduce your risk from flooding where you can

• 在购买、维护或开发房产时，请考虑风暴、洪水和其他危险。.
• 修剪或移除您家中、商铺上方或您物业附近电线上方的树木和树枝。.
• 保持雨水槽和排水沟畅通。.

4.    Connect with others

认识你的邻居并参与社区活动。一个联系紧密的社区在紧急情况下更安全、更有韧性，并且有助于每个人在事后更好地恢复。检查家人和邻居是否安全，是否了解正在发生的情况。.

DURING

5.    Stay alert

留意周围发生的事情。定期查看预报、观测和警报。.

• TasALERT.com
• 您当地的ABC广播电台 或
• 这 气象局 网站.

6.    Act safe

• 看管好孩子。.
• 为应对可能的电力、供水或网络中断做好准备。.
• 检查您的应急包是否已准备好。.
• 避开积水区域，如排水沟。. 永不 在洪水期间徒步、玩耍、骑车或驾车。您无法分辨水下有什么，也无法判断水深或水流速度。在仅 20 厘米的快速流动的水中，很容易被冲走并溺水。洪水可能很危险。.

当地面发生洪水时

• 将家用物品放在高处以最大程度地减少可能的损坏。.
• 如果安全的话，请关闭水电煤气。.
• 一种防止污水倒灌回家的好方法是将沙袋放入塑料袋中，然后用它们堵住马桶、覆盖排水管和水槽。.
• 趁还能安全离开就走。.

When you need to evacuate

• Mandatory Evacuation – You will be directed to leave the area by Tasmania Police.
• 遵循 SES / 塔斯马尼亚警方 的建议。. 
• 带上你的应急包。.
• Go to friends or family in a safer place or an evacuation centre if you have no other option
• 让别人知道你去了哪里。.

照顾好您的动物

You are responsible for your animals in an emergency. If you have pets and other animals it will take you longer to evacuate in a flood or other emergency.  For more information see RSPCA 应急动物准备指南 and RSPCA Tasmania Ready, Pet, Go!

Think about getting a PET PAL – a PET PAL is a friend or relative where you can take your pet(s) to during an emergency situation.  Talk to your PET PAL about your evacuation plans, further information can be found at the City of Launceston Emergency Management Hub

Avoid travelling during and after storms

• Do not go sightseeing. Sightseers delay emergency services, cause accidents and add additional vehicles to the traffic flow out of the Invermay area extending traffic movement delays.
• 注意诸如
  • 路面积水
  • 受损的电力线
  • 山体滑坡
  • 损坏的道路
  • 倒下的树木或屋面板。.
• 切勿冒险涉水。洪水中的大多数死亡和救援事件都与驾车涉水有关。.
• Drive slowly and turn your headlights on when travelling on roads not affected by flood waters.

AFTER

• 请继续收听 ABC 本地广播电台的最新消息、道路重新开放信息、社区会议等。.
• 如果您离开了家，在紧急事务管理署（SES）或塔斯马尼亚警方告知您可以安全返回之前，请勿回家。.
• 注意道路危险，例如路面上的泥土或碎屑、损坏的道路/桥梁以及正在进行清理和维修的工作人员。.

如果您的房屋遭到损坏

• Be careful of fallen trees, broken glass, loose roofing or other hazards.
• 穿结实的靴子、手套和防护服。.
• 在受洪水影响的建筑物内部，请使用手电筒，切勿使用火柴或蜡烛。.
• 饮用水必须煮沸，直到被告知自来水安全为止。.
• Do not turn on electricity or gas until it is tested by a licensed electrician or gas fitter for safety.
• 如果您的房屋受损，需要住到别处，请带上您的应急包和宠物。
• 如果安全，请拍摄任何损坏的照片并联系您的保险公司。.
• 看管好孩子。.
• 检查邻居是否安好。.

欲了解更多信息，请访问 www.ses.tas.gov.au 或 www.launceston.tas.gov.au/Emergency-Management-Hub.

保持知情和获取更多信息

Current warnings (TasALERT)            Tasalert.com

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM)           bom.gov.au/tas/warnings

Emergency Broadcasters                   ABC 91.7FM

TAS SES Social Media                       facebook.com/sestasmania

Preparing for Flood Emergencies        ses.tas.gov.au/plan-prepare/flood                     

City of Launceston Council   6323 3000 City of Launceston Emergency Management Hub

National Relay Service (NRS)             relayservice.gov.au

Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS National)    www.tisnational.gov.au/

免责声明

The maps show potential flooding risks from consistent levels of rainfall across catchments, such as a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP).  In flooding events, rainfall is likely to be more inconsistent across a catchment, so these flood maps should be considered indicative only.  The mapped areas of flood risk show higher probability of inundation. Other areas have lower probability of flooding, but in severe and rare events (rarer than 1%AEP), other lower areas may be also at risk of inundation.

The information in this guide is current at the date of publication. While every effort has been taken to ensure the validity and accuracy of the data presented, the State Emergency Service does not take responsibility for data error or omission. Please see the standard Tasmanian Government’s Copyright and Disclaimer Statement for more details.