Global Climate Change is not something that will happen on some vague future date, it is occurring right now and is being experienced by regions and populations around the world.
Globally the Earth has warmed by at least an average 1.1° Celsius (1.9° Fahrenheit) since 1880 according to U.S. NASA analysis (2022) - with the majority of the warming occurring since 1975, at a rate of roughly 0.15 to 0.20°C per decade. Australia has warmed on average by 1.44 ± 0.24 °C since national records began in 1910 according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2020) – with the majority of this warming occurring since the 1960s. In NSW, the average temperature is about 1.4°C higher than in 1910, with 2018 and 2019 being the warmest years on record according to NSW EPA (2022).
The complex interactions such warming is causing affects atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns, seasons of the year and regional/local weather patterns. Which means that ongoing change can no longer be reliably separated out into incidents caused by “climate change” and incidents caused by ordinary “weather”.
One of the ways changing climate is being experienced is by an increase in frequency and/or intensity of what are often described as either “adverse weather” events or “natural disasters”.
This post looks at natural disaster declarations in New South Wales over the last five years as an indication of the level at which our communities are becoming trapped in harm’s way by our geography.
Disaster declarations are a during or after event acknowledgement of significant damage to natural and built environments, industry and businesses within one or more of the state’s 128 local government areas.
A Disaster Declaration is a frequently updated list of Local Government Areas (LGA) that have been impacted by a natural disaster. With a disaster declaration for their area, affected communities and individuals can access a range of special assistance measures.
Disaster declarations are issued by the NSW Government and incorporate an Australian Government reference number (AGRN).
NSW DISASTER DECLARATIONS 1 JULY 2018 to 14 SEPTEMBER 2022
1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019
Shoalhaven bushfires: 11 August 2018 onwards
Richmond Valley, Lismore and Kyogle bushfires: 12 August 2018 onwards
Clarence Valley and Glen Innes Severn bushfires: 14 August 2018 onwards
Cessnock and Port Stephens bushfires: 15 August 2018 onwards
Bega Valley and Eurobodalla bushfires: 15 August 2018 onwards
Tamworth (Rockview) Bushfire: 30 October 2018 onwards
Port Stephens and Cessnock Bushfires: 22 November 2018 onwards
Armidale (Melrose) Bushfire: 1 December 2018 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 13 December 2018 onwards – including Clarence Valley LGA
NSW Storms and Floods: 20 December 2018 [extending the declaration] – including Ballina & Clarence Valley LGAs
Glen Innes Severn (Highland Creek) Bushfire: 25 December 2018 onwards
Tamworth (Halls Creek Road) Bushfire: 3 January 2019 onwards
Newcastle (Kooragang Island) Bushfires: 5 January 2019 onwards
Parkes and Cabonne (Curembenya) Bushfire: 5 January 2019 onwards
Inland New South Wales Storms and Floods: 11 January 2019 onwards
Snowy Valleys Bushfires: 17 January 2019 onwards
Parkes and Greater Hume Storms: 22 and 23 January 2019 onwards
Hilltops and Cootamundra-Gundagai Storms and Floods: 5 February 2019 onwards
Eastern NSW Storms: 8 February 2019 onwards
Singleton and Muswellbrook Bushfires: 11 February 2019 onwards
Tamworth Regional and Upper Hunter Bushfires: 11 February 2019 onwards
Northern NSW Bushfires: 11 February 2019 onwards – including Kyogle LGA
Tenterfield Bushfires: 9 March 2019 onwards
Central West and Orana Storms and Floods: 29 March 2019 onwards
NSW – Carrathool Floods: 22 April 2019 onwards
Berrigan Shire Storms – 29 June 2019 onwards
1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020
NSW North Coast Bushfires: Commencing 18 July 2019 onwards – including Clarence Valley, Kyogle & Richmond Valley
NSW Bushfires: 31 August 2019 onwards – including Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley & Tweed LGAs
Sydney and Southern Highlands Storms: 5 September 2019 onwards
NSW Storms: 26 November 2019 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 15 January 2020 onwards – including Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley & Tweed LGAs
Western NSW Floods: 26 February 2020 onwards
Cabonne Shire Storms and Floods: 25 March 2020 onwards
Western NSW Storms and Floods: 3 to 4 April 2020
Western NSW Storms and Floods: 10 to 12 April 2020
1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021
NSW Storms and Floods: 25 July 2020 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 5 August 2020 onwards
Central NSW Storms: 18 August 2020
NSW storms and floods: 20 October 2020 onwards
NSW Storms: 28 November 2020 onwards
NSW Storms: 2 December 2020 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 10 December 2020 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 2 January 2021 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods: 19 February 2021 onwards
Eurobodalla Storms from 26 December 2020 onwards
NSW Storms and Floods 10 March 2021 onwards – including Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley & Tweed LGAs
Snowy Valleys Storms from 3 February 2021 onwards
Southern NSW Storms and Floods from 5 May 2021 onwards
NSW Storms from 10 June 2021 onwards
1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022
NSW storms and floods from 16 July 2021 onwards
Armidale storm from October 14 2021 onwards
North East NSW severe weather from 20 October onwards
NSW storms and floods from 22 August onwards
Severe weather event across NSW from 23 October onwards
NSW severe weather and flooding 9 November 2021 onwards – including Kyogle, Lismore & Richmond Valley
Narrabri storm and tornado of 30 September 2021
NSW storms and floods from 30 July 2021 onwards
Northern Beaches severe storm as of 19 December 2021
Lithgow severe storm and flash flooding as of 11 January
Southern NSW storms and floods from 5 January 2022 onwards
NSW Severe Weather and Flooding from 22 February 2022 onwards – including Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley & Tweed LGAs
Broken Hill Severe Thunderstorm 15 March 2022
Wingecarribee Severe Storm - 19 April 2022
1 July 2022 to 4 August 2022 (financial year 2022-23)
NSW Severe Weather and Flooding from 27 June 2022 onwards
NSW Severe Weather and Flooding from 4 August 2022 onwards
NSW Severe Weather and Flooding from 14 September 2022 onwards
Note:
The Clarence Valley Local Government Area (LGA) has been part of a NSW Natural Disaster Declaration 8 times in 4 consecutive financial years - declarations occurring between August 2018 to February-March 2022.
Kyogle Shire LGA has also been part of a NSW Natural Disaster Declaration 8 times, Richmond Valley 7 times, Lismore City LGA 6 times, Ballina Shire 5 times, Byron Shire LGA 4 times and Tweed Shire 4 times, between August 2018 to February-March 2022.
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