Adaptation and resilience in two flood-prone Queensland communities

[Extract] Floods are the world's second most costly natural hazard, averaging more than US$17 billion a year over the last decade, even though the death toll in most floods has not been as severe as their economic impact (CRED, 2009). Floods in Australia have cost, on average, AU$377 million per annum over recent decades (BITRE, 2008). In the summer and wet season of 2010 to 2011 in Queensland alone, floods were estimated to have resulted in AU$1.5 billion in insurance claims and an overall loss to the Australian economy reported to be at least AU$10 billion (ABC, 2011). During the 2011, floods thirty-five people died (Queensland Police, 2011) and 200,000 people were affected (BBC, 2010), including many thousands of people who may have evacuated in Queensland during the period of the floods and cyclones from late November to early February. Disastrous floods often prompt communities and governments to understand existing vulnerabilities and develop new policies and strategies to reduce vulnerabilities and prevent future disasters. The experience may offer insights to other communities as they experience future change