![]() Satellite image of Cyclone Ada on 17 January | |
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | 3 January 1970 |
Dissipated | 19 January 1970 |
Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | |
10-minute sustained (BOM) | |
Highest winds | 150 km/h (90 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 962 hPa (mbar);28.41 inHg |
Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
Highest winds | 155 km/h (100 mph) |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 14 |
Damage | A$12 million |
Areas affected | Queensland |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1969–70 South Pacific and Australian region cyclone seasons |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ada was a small but intense tropical cyclone that severely impacted the Whitsunday Region of Queensland,Australia,in January 1970. It has been described as a defining event in the history of the Whitsunday Islands,and was the most damaging storm in the mainland town of Proserpine's history at the time. Forming over the far eastern Coral Sea in early January,the weather disturbance that would become Ada remained weak and disorganised for nearly two weeks as it slowly moved in a clockwise loop. Accelerating toward the southwest,the system was named Ada on 15 January. All observations of the fledgling cyclone were made remotely with weather satellite imagery until it passed over an automated weather station on 16 January. The extremely compact cyclone,with a gale radius of just 55 km (35 mi),intensified into a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone just before striking the Whitsunday Islands at 14:00 UTC on 17 January. At 18:30 UTC,Ada's eye crossed the coast at Shute Harbour. The cyclone made little inland progress before stalling northwest of Mackay and dissipating on 19 January.
Ada devastated several resort islands in the Whitsundays,in some cases destroying virtually all facilities and guest cabins. The biggest resort,located on Daydream Island,was obliterated,with similar destruction seen on South Molle,Hayman,and Long islands;since most boats docked on these islands were destroyed,hundreds of tourists in these resorts became stranded and required emergency rescue. Based on the severity of the damage,wind gusts were later estimated at 220 km/h (140 mph) . As Ada moved ashore,most homes were damaged or destroyed in communities near the storm's landfall point,including Cannonvale,Airlie Beach,and Shute Harbour. Extreme rainfall totals as high as 1,250 mm (49 in) caused massive river flooding in coastal waterways between Bowen and Mackay. The floodwaters washed out roads and left some locations isolated for days. Offshore,seven people were missing and presumed dead after their fishing trawler encountered the cyclone. Ada killed a total of 14 people,including 11 at sea,and caused A$12 million in damage. The cyclone revealed inadequacies in the warning broadcast system,and served as the impetus for enhanced cyclone awareness programs that have been credited with saving lives in subsequent cyclones. In January 2020,on the 50th anniversary of the disaster,a memorial to the storm victims was erected along the shoreline at Airlie Beach.
Cyclone Ada was first noted by weather satellite imagery as a disorganised area of disturbed weather over the eastern Coral Sea on 5 January. In the early stages of its life, the system was far from ships and only peripherally detected by weather stations. [1] More recent analyses have determined the tropical low originated on 3 January, just west of Vanuatu. [2] For about ten days between 5 and 15 January, observations of the low remained scarce, but infrequent satellite imagery revealed that it slowly completed a cyclonic loop nearing the Solomon Islands before curving back toward the southwest while remaining weak. On 15 January, the Bureau of Meteorology's (BoM) Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Brisbane named the storm Ada and issued the first warning to shipping interests. [1] Ada reached tropical cyclone status on the modern-day Australian cyclone scale the next day, while centered near 19°00′S153°18′E / 19.0°S 153.3°E . [2] The cyclone continued tracking west-southwest toward Queensland, and at 14:00 UTC on 16 January, it passed over an automated weather station on Marion Reef, about 480 km (300 mi) east of Bowen. The site recorded sustained winds of up to 93 km/h (58 mph). [3] [4]
With the first direct confirmation of the storm's growing strength, the BoM issued its initial public cyclone warning at 19:00 UTC. The cyclone's centre moved within range of the weather radar site in Mackay around 06:00 UTC on 17 January. Over the next several hours, radar revealed the system was moving slower and more erratically than expected, occasionally jogging to the east. [1] Ada was an exceptionally compact cyclone, with a 55 km (35 mi) radius of gale-force winds, compared to the 150 km (100 mi) radius generally considered "small" for tropical cyclones. [5] Between 11:00 and 17:00 UTC on 17 January, the cyclone's eye shrank from 28 km (17 mi) to just 18 km (11 mi) across, as measured by radar. [4] As a result of its small size, the storm's onslaught was much more sudden than normal, with little rain and steady barometric pressures in the hours before landfall. [1] At 12:00 UTC on 17 January, Ada reached its peak intensity, with 10-minute average maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (90 mph). This made it a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone. [2]
Beginning around 14:00 UTC, the core of Ada crossed the Whitsunday Islands. [1] As the eye passed overhead, pressure fell to 976 hPa (28.82 inHg ) on Hayman Island [4] —just under 30 km (20 mi) northeast of Shute Harbour on the mainland—and although peak winds were not measured, gusts on Hayman Island were estimated at over 160 km/h (100 mph); similar estimates were made by a ship in the Whitsunday Passage. [1] Dent Island recorded a pressure of 965 hPa (28.50 inHg) as the centre made its closest approach at 17:30 UTC. [4] At 18:30 UTC, the system made landfall at Shute Harbour on the Whitsunday Coast while still at peak intensity. [1] Air pressure at Airlie Beach, about 5 km (3 mi) away from the centre of circulation, fell to 962 hPa (28.41 inHg), suggesting that the storm's minimum central pressure was slightly lower. [4] Upon moving ashore, the system slowed and curved toward the south, and after reaching a point about 60 km (40 mi) northwest of Mackay on 18 January, it became nearly stationary. Around the same time, the cyclone's structure began to deteriorate, with multiple circulation centres appearing on radar imagery. Just after 06:00 UTC on 19 January, the BoM issued its final advisory on Ada, and the system dissipated shortly after. [1]
As Ada reached North Queensland, the BoM issued cyclone warnings on a three-hour cycle, with more frequent bulletins occasionally released as needed. Flood warnings were issued for watersheds of susceptible rivers like the Pioneer and Connors. The bureau's post-storm assessment of the disaster revealed that local broadcasts of advisories were sometimes delayed by several hours or not made at all, and public awareness was generally inadequate. In a misguided attempt to quell panic, one radio station appended the BoM's warning with an unapproved message that there was no cause for alarm because of the cyclone's small size. Due to the unusual nature of the storm, including its delayed arrival in some areas, many residents criticised or disregarded forecasts. Additionally, many tourists in the region were unfamiliar with the dangers of tropical cyclones. [1] Findings from studies of the public response to Ada were used as the basis for upgraded warning systems and the introduction of more cyclone education campaigns; these initiatives were credited with saving lives and property in later storms such as Cyclone Althea in December 1971. [6]
Offshore, the 16.7 m (55 ft) concrete fishing trawler Whakatane went missing while en route from Mackay to Townsville. The search for the vessel and her seven occupants was suspended on 26 January, around the same time that wreckage, believed to be from Whakatane, was identified near Long Island. [7] According to the BoM, maritime tragedies during Ada were likely caused by delayed or insufficient response to warnings. [1] Some boatowners remained aboard their vessels throughout the cyclone and others attempted to move their boats to different locations during the lull at the storm's eye. [1] [8] In one instance, five men were reported missing after they ventured into the storm to secure a boat anchored at Hayman Island. [9] Overall, storm damage was estimated at A$12 million, the equivalent of over $1 billion in 2012 values when accounting for growth and inflation. [10] Ada is believed to have killed 14 people, [4] 11 of them at sea. [1]
In the Whitsundays, Ada's impact was most severe on Hayman, Long, Daydream, South Molle, and Hook islands. [3] Peak winds in the storm's path were not recorded, but based on the severity of the damage, it is estimated that gusts may have exceeded 220 km/h (140 mph). Many trees were either blown over or debarked and stripped of their foliage, [4] with scraps of roofing material left hanging from their limbs. [11] Throughout the islands, Ada ravaged resorts and boats, forcing hundreds of holidaymakers to await emergency rescue. [12]
Most of the accommodation cabins were destroyed on South Molle Island, where a woman in one of the structures was killed and her partner severely injured. [4] Damage on South Molle amounted to $500,000. [11] On Hayman Island, the winds unroofed most cabins and other buildings, [4] accounting for an estimated $1 million in damage. [11] Long Island was subjected to Ada's left-front quadrant—the most intense part of the storm—and the Palm Bay Resort there was devastated, with only a few huts remaining. [4] However, another resort on the western side of the island escaped relatively unscathed. [11] The biggest resort in the Whitsundays at the time, on Daydream Island, was destroyed, [4] requiring $400,000 to rebuild. [11] About 150 tourists sought shelter in part of a recreation hall, which was the only major portion of a building left intact on Daydream. [13] Nearly every building on Hook Island was lost, and four men remained sheltered there for a week after the storm. Farther south, rough seas broke apart a 90 m (300 ft) stone jetty at Brampton Island in the Cumberland Group. [11]
Torrential rains extended along mostly rural areas of the coast from Bowen to Mackay, while the strongest winds were concentrated in the area from Cannonvale to Shute Harbor and extending inland to Proserpine. [1] [3] Nine hours of damaging winds unroofed or otherwise damaged around 40% of the houses in Proserpine in what was described as the worst storm in the town's history at the time. [4] [12] Trees were uprooted, crops were flattened, and residential outhouses were blown apart. [12] [14] Elsewhere, in Shute Harbour, a motel and the few houses there were demolished, along with 85% of the homes in Airlie Beach and nearly all of Cannonvale's 200 houses. [4] [12] According to Minister for Mines and Main Roads Ron Camm, the cyclone forced 750 people from their homes. Around 200 storm victims sought refuge in a school in Cannonvale that was converted into an emergency shelter. [14]
As the winds subsided, the weakening cyclone dropped as much as 1.25 m (49 in) of rain, resulting in massive river flooding near the coast. [12] Some locations received up to 860 mm (34 in) of precipitation in just 24 hours. The Pioneer River in Mackay and the Don River in Bowen both experienced severe flooding; [15] the latter overtopped a bridge by 3 m (10 ft), [16] while at one point the former was well above flood stage and rising by 1 m (3.3 ft) per hour. A shopping centre in Mackay was flooded to a depth of 1 meter. [15] Some waterways approached all-time record levels, with one creek north of Proserpine swelling to 11 km (7 mi) across. [16] Many farms were inundated by floodwaters, losing livestock, machinery, and crops. [15] [16] The torrents washed out bridges and roads and severed communications, [17] isolating communities such as Proserpine and Airlie Beach for several days. [12] [18] As a result of the widespread flooding, hundreds of motorists became stranded on a long stretch of the Bruce Highway. [16] Two people died in the flood-ravaged area, including one soldier who drowned near Proserpine. [1] [15] From Bowen north to Townsville, more modest rainfall associated with the upper-level remnants of Ada proved beneficial, helping to alleviate persistent drought conditions. [17]
Following the storm, looters traveled to Proserpine to pick through ruined homes and boats. The nine-officer police force were unable to manage the outbreak of crime, and a supplemental anti-looting squad soon arrived in the town. [19] Australian Army soldiers and Air Force planes dispatched to the Whitsunday Islands evacuated around 500 people from the devastated resort islands. [20] Meanwhile, Navy boats retrieved injured individuals requiring urgent medical treatment. [13] Residents of flood-stricken communities required vaccination against typhoid fever as a preventative measure. [21] Private citizens also rushed to the aid of stranded resort guests; in January 2014, a local boat captain was formally honoured by MP George Christensen and Premier Campbell Newman for his role in evacuating 180 people from Daydream Island. [22]
With Queensland's resources already strained by an ongoing severe drought, the Commonwealth Government of Australia agreed to evenly split the cost of restoring government assets damaged by Ada; this expenditure would normally fall to the state alone. [23] By August 1970, the state and federal governments had issued a combined $708,000 in grants for repairing flood damage in Bowen. [24] The name Ada was later retired from the Australian tropical cyclone naming list due to the cyclone's severe impact. [25]
In the islands, about 400 workers rushed to repair the resorts before peak tourism season; by mid-May, about 100 holiday cabins had been rebuilt and 20 boats restored to service. [11] Hayman and Daydream islands reopened to guests in June and August 1970, respectively. [7] South Molle Island changed ownership multiple times during the 1970s as it struggled to reattain its pre-Ada success, [26] and many of the other resort islands were also sold as their owners were unable to meet the cost of renovations. [27] The destruction of resorts in the Whitsundays triggered a sharp decline in Australian tourism revenue. [28] Decades later, Ada is still regarded as a "defining" event in the development of the Whitsunday region. [29] In 2016, Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan advocated for erecting a memorial to Ada's victims, [7] and community members formed a small committee exploring this possibility in early 2017. [30] In April 2019, Whitsunday Regional Council voted unanimously to approve $15,000 in funding for a memorial at Airlie Beach to be completed in time for the 50th anniversary of the disaster. [31] Finally, on 18 January 2020, a stone monument, 1.7 m (5.6 ft) tall and inscribed with the names of the 14 cyclone victims, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by 200 people. [32] [33]
Airlie Beach is a coastal locality and resort town in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Airlie Beach had a population of 1,312 people.
The Whitsunday Islands are 74 continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, 900 kilometres north of Brisbane. The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of Bowen, while the southernmost islands are off the coast by Proserpine. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the commercial centre is Hamilton Island. The traditional owners of the area are the Ngaro people and the Gia people, whose Juru people has the only legally recognised native title in the Whitsunday Region.
Shute Harbour is a coastal locality and harbour in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland, Australia. It has port facilities and transport options for people seeking to access the Whitsunday Islands and holiday destinations.
Proserpine is a rural town and locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Proserpine had a population of 3,614 people.
The Regions of Queensland refer to the geographic areas of the Australian state of Queensland. Due to its large size and decentralised population, the state is often divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region varies somewhat in terms of its economy, population, climate, geography, flora and fauna. Cultural and official perceptions and definitions of the various regions differ somewhat depending on the government agency or popular group by which they are being applied.
Daydream Island is one of seven islands of the Molle Group, a sub-group of the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia. The island is small, measuring 1 km in length and 400 m at its widest point. The highest point on the island is 51 metres above sea level.
South Molle Island, part of the Whitsunday Islands, is a resort island in the Whitsunday section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Queensland, Australia. The hilly island has numerous bays and inlets accessible by 16 km of walking and cycling tracks, with most protected in the Molle Islands National Park.
Hayman Island is the most northerly of the Whitsunday Islands, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The island is 294 hectares. It is a private island open to the public, most famous for its luxury resort which was built in the 1950s by Ansett Transport Industries. The island is a significant for tourism in Queensland. The resort is managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to the Great Barrier Reef and coastal Queensland, Australia, in March 2009. The eighth named storm of the 2008–09 Australian region cyclone season, Hamish developed out of an area of low pressure on 4 March near the Cape York Peninsula. The storm rapidly developed into a Category 1 cyclone on the Australian intensity scale the next day. On 6 March, an eye developed, and Hamish strengthened into a Category 3 cyclone. Deep convection developed around the eye, fueling further intensification, which allowed the storm to become a Category 5 tropical cyclone late on 7 March. Hamish made its closest approach to land on 8 March, but continued moving southeastward. Eventually, the cyclone weakened and turned back towards the northwest, weakening into a remnant low on 11 March, before finally dissipating on 14 March.
The 1969–70 Australian region cyclone season was an above-average tropical cyclone season. It ran from 1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season", with the "tropical cyclone year" for this season lasting from 1 July 1969 to 30 June 1970.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului was one of the fastest intensifying tropical cyclones on record, strengthening from a tropical storm to a Category 5 equivalent cyclone within a 30-hour span in March 2010. Throughout Queensland, Australia, infrastructural damage from the storm amounted to A$20 million (US$18 million) and agricultural losses reached A$60 million (US$54 million).
The 1978–79 Australian region cyclone season was the only season in which a reconnaissance aircraft flew into a tropical cyclone. Operationally, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) tracked eleven tropical cyclones, while two additional systems were later added to the United States's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) best track. Prior to 1985, the Australian region basin was defined as in the southern hemisphere between 80°E and 160°E, with the modern day season boundaries ranging from 1 November to 30 April of the following year. The first storm, an unnamed system, developed on 19 November 1978. The final cyclone, Kevin, dissipated by 12 May 1979. Tropical cyclones in this area were monitored by three Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs): the BOM in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Aivu was a powerful late-season tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage across parts of Queensland, Australia in April 1989.
The 2013–14 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below-average tropical cyclone season, with 10 tropical cyclones occurring within the Australian region. It officially started on 1 November 2013, and ended on 30 April 2014. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan defines a "tropical cyclone year" separately from a "tropical cyclone season"; the "tropical cyclone year" began on 1 July 2013 and ended on 30 June 2014.
The 2016–17 Australian region cyclone season, despite a very high number of tropical lows, was a slightly below-average season in terms of activity, with nine tropical cyclones, three of which intensified further into severe tropical cyclones; though it was much more active than the previous season. The season was the first to have a severe tropical cyclone since the 2014–15 season. It was the period of the year when most tropical cyclones form in the Southern Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans between 90°E and 160°E. The season officially ran from 1 November 2016 to 30 April 2017, however, a tropical cyclone could form at any time between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017 and would count towards the season total. The first named storm, Yvette, developed during 21 December, and the final named storm, Greg, left the region on 3 May as a remnant low. This season was also the second-costliest tropical cyclone season on record in the Australian region basin, behind only the 2010–11 season, with a total of AUD$3.7 billion in damages incurred by the various storms, mostly from Cyclone Debbie.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Joy struck Australia in late 1990, causing the third highest floods on record in Rockhampton, Queensland. This cyclone began as a weak tropical low near the Solomon Islands, and initially moved westward. On 18 December, it was named Joy, becoming the 2nd named storm of the 1990–91 Australian region cyclone season. After turning southwest, Joy developed a well-defined eye and strengthened to maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h (103 mph) while approaching Cairns in Far North Queensland. Brushing the city with strong winds, the cyclone soon weakened and turned southeast. Joy later curved back southwest, making landfall near Townsville, Queensland on 26 December. It dissipated the next day; remnant moisture continued as torrential rainfall over Queensland for two weeks.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Althea was a powerful tropical cyclone that devastated parts of North Queensland just before Christmas 1971. One of the strongest storms ever to affect the Townsville area, Althea was the fourth system and second severe tropical cyclone of the 1971–72 Australian region cyclone season. After forming near the Solomon Islands on 19 December and heading southwest across the Coral Sea, the storm reached its peak intensity with 10-minute average maximum sustained winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) – Category 3 on the Australian cyclone scale. At 09:00 AEST on Christmas Eve, Althea struck the coast of Queensland near Rollingstone, about 50 km (30 mi) north of Townsville. Although early weather satellites provided only occasional glimpses into the cyclone's formative stages, its landfall was monitored closely by land-based radar that depicted an ongoing eyewall replacement cycle. Althea produced copious rainfall over central and western Queensland as it turned toward the southeast, and on 26 December the cyclone emerged over open waters. After briefly re-intensifying, the system dissipated on 29 December.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2017 was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Queensland since Marcia in 2015, and was the costliest tropical cyclone in Australia since Yasi in 2011. Forming as a tropical low on 23 March, the low gradually intensified into a named tropical cyclone on 25 March. After steadily strengthening offshore to a Category 4 system, Debbie eventually made landfall near Airlie Beach, at 12:40 AEST on 28 March. Afterwards, Debbie rapidly weakened into a tropical low by late 28 March, but continued to travel south, causing significant damage and flooding in the populous areas of South East Queensland and Northern Rivers. In total, the storm caused A$3.5 billion (US$2.67 billion) in damage and fourteen deaths across Australia, primarily as a result of extreme flooding. This makes Debbie the deadliest cyclone to hit Australia since Fifi in 1991.
Whitsundays is an island group locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. It mostly consists of the Whitsunday Group of islands off the Queensland east coast in the Coral Sea, a mix of inhabited and uninhabited islands. In the 2016 census, Whitsundays had a population of 2,269 people.
Proserpine–Shute Harbour Road is a continuous 34.3 kilometres (21.3 mi) road route in the Whitsunday local government area of Queensland, Australia. The route is designated as State Route 59. It is a state-controlled regional road.
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