Fifty years ago, Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin and changed Australia’s attitude towards disasters forever

Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin, leaving a trail of devastation. It remains one of the most destructive natural phenomena in Australian history.

Wind speeds reached over 200 km/h. The cyclone killed 71 people, injured nearly 650 people, and destroyed 70% of the city’s buildings.

If you are around 60 years of age or older, you probably remember that day, even if you were not directly affected by the cyclone.

The 50th anniversary of the disaster provides an important opportunity to reflect on how Cyclone Tracy not only reshaped Darwin, but also marked a turning point in Australia’s approach to disaster resilience. Masu.

nightmare before christmas

Cyclone Tracy was initially a relatively small, slow-moving system. But after three days meandering through the Arafura Sea, around Bathurst Island and on to Darwin, it became more ferocious as it approached the coast.

Some Darwin residents later reported that they were unaware of the approaching cyclone. That included Keith and Kristin Pattinson, whose daughter Courtney Zagel later told their story:

“They told me (…) the rain started falling from the side through the louvered windows. The power went out and everything went dark.

“Keith was standing leaning against the door trying to close it when suddenly there was a huge explosion. The roof of the house was blown off and the walls fell in. Christine was thrown back into the glass cabinet. Keith I was crushed under the door. The wall collapsed.

The couple spent the night at a neighbor’s house. Christine was then evacuated for emergency treatment.

Resident Andrea Mikfelder later wrote of the cyclone’s aftermath:

“Our house (…) was still standing. It was a brick house, but the roof was gone. The house next door looked like a dollhouse broken in half; The house was completely flattened.”

The Bureau of Meteorology later estimated the maximum gust speed to be between 217 and 240 kilometers per hour. A report published in 2010 adopted more advanced technology and proposed even faster speeds.

Tracy destroyed approximately 10,000 homes, leaving 40,000 people homeless out of the city’s population of 47,000. At that time, damages amounted to a total of A$800 million.

More than 30,000 residents were evacuated, and about 60% of them never returned. This airlift operation remains the largest in Australian history.

What has changed since then?

Fifty years after the tragedy, authorities can now predict tropical cyclones. It is now possible to give warnings several days in advance about the predicted path of a cyclone and the possibility of it reaching land.

Cyclone Tracy reshaped Australia’s approach to disaster response and preparedness. The Natural Disaster Authority, now known as the Australian Emergency Management Agency, had been established months before the cyclone to coordinate national disaster relief efforts.

However, its role and authority continued to evolve. Tracy served as a “reality check” for this young organization.

Cyclone Tracy exposed weaknesses in disaster response at all levels of government. The scale of the damage quickly exceeded local and state resources. The federal government was forced to step in to oversee the mass evacuation of more than 30,000 people and lead recovery efforts.

However, response efforts were complicated by the fact that at the time the Commonwealth had no clear powers to intervene in national emergencies. Since then, its power has increased.

Cyclone Tracy also provided impetus for disaster management legislation, including the Queensland Disaster Management Organization Act 1975. These reforms set the stage for a more structured and integrated approach to disaster response that is currently being implemented across Australia.

bounce back better

Darwin’s devastation led to stricter building standards across Australia.

Although Darwin is naturally susceptible to the effects of cyclones, there were few structures that could withstand them.

Regulations were then introduced requiring all reconstructions to comply with the latest cyclone-resistant building codes. For example, tin roofs must be secured with screws rather than nails, which means the building must be cladded to withstand airborne debris.

Similar regulations have been introduced for new construction in other cyclone-prone regions of Australia.

Darwin is now a much more resilient city. In 2018, it was hit by Cyclone Marcus, the most powerful storm since Tracy, with wind gusts of 130km/h. No lives were lost and relatively few buildings were damaged.

Coping with mental burden

Cyclone Tracy left deep psychological scars on survivors.

A survey of residents evacuated to Sydney after Tracy found that 58% showed signs of mental confusion in the days after the cyclone. Women and the elderly were particularly affected.

Decades later, survivors say they continue to suffer from anxiety and depression, often triggered by the sounds of wind and rain.

Today, the psychological impact of natural disasters on survivors, volunteers, and first responders is better understood.

Initiatives such as the National Disaster Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework reflect this progress. We recognize that mental health needs after extreme events are complex and require support at an individual and community level.

Volunteering is the key

Cyclone Tracy also demonstrated how important community efforts and volunteers are to disaster recovery.

In the aftermath of the cyclone, local emergency services were overwhelmed. Volunteers quickly became the mainstay of relief efforts, setting a precedent for future disaster responses.

Today, volunteers alongside established relief organizations continue to provide food, shelter, medical care, and other vital aid after disasters. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe under climate change, the need for community mobilization will increase.

A recent Senate Inquiry into Disaster Resilience in Australia recognized the continued need to strengthen volunteer participation and management in disaster scenarios.

A more resilient Australia

Climate change may reduce the frequency of tropical cyclones. This means Australia is expected to experience fewer tropical cyclones in the future.

However, a larger proportion of the direct hits are expected to be of higher intensity, with stronger winds and rain.

The tragedy of Cyclone Tracy means Australia is better prepared for disasters than expected. But building disaster-resilient states requires continued efforts to strengthen infrastructure, refine evacuation plans, and address community vulnerabilities.

Achieving this is a responsibility that should be shared between governments and communities alike.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.