Queensland hit with wild weather as Brisbane marks 10 year anniversary of 2011 floods

La Nina conditions have yet again caused wild weather across Brisbane - just like they did during the 2011 Brisbane flood. How high did the waters get during this devastating flood?

The 2011 floods broke the banks of southeast Queensland's longest river, reaching a peak of 4.46m in Brisbane and as high as 26.18m in Mount Crosby. North Lakes, 14 January 2021, Source: Monash University.

Brisbane residents should take advantage of the sunshine on Thursday and Friday, as Saturday is forecast to hit 34 degrees and bring thunderstorms, with rain continuing into Sunday.

This La Nina summer has brought wet and wild weather to southeast Queensland, with widespread heavy rainfall, damaging winds, dangerous surf and flash flooding.

Brisbane is a decade on from the floods of January 2011, which occurred during strong La Nina conditions.

The State Government reported that rain and flooding in Queensland over the 2010-11 wet season was linked to 35 deaths and directly affected more than 200,000 people.

Because Brisbane's infrastructure is so close to the river, a river level over 3.5m is considered a major flood.

In Brisbane, the river remained over 3.5m for two days (January 12-13) and peaked at 4.46m on January 13.

In Ipswich, a flood is considered major when the river is over 12m - which was exceeded during the 2011 floods, peaking at 19.4m.

Mt Crosby saw the highest waters, peaking at 26.18m.

Voices from your community

After the horror of the 2011 floods, many Brisbane residents feel anxious about La Nina conditions.

Nundah resident Ashley said she was 'definitely concerned' about a La Nina year.

"With such extreme weather possible, we could have a repeat of the 2011 floods, it's always a consideration for the river city," she said.

Blaze Malone from Burpengary believed there was more rain occurring than usual.

"2011 was the biggest wet season [and] floods... 2021 is here and 10 years on the floods are coming back," he said.

Community voices like Ashley and Blaze's tell us how residents and business owners in Brisbane feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.

Fast fact

Climate change will increase the frequency of flooding, partly due to heavier rainfall and more extreme storms.

For every degree of global warming the atmosphere holds 7 per cent more moisture.

The extra moisture in the air translates into heavier rainfall, which can overwhelm drainage in urban areas, leading to flash flooding and damaged infrastructure.

Flooding will also increase due to rising sea levels and stronger storm surges.

Dr Christa Pudmenzky is a climate scientist at the University of Southern Queensland.

This column is part of a collaboration between Monash University and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.

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