Case study - Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a devastating cyclone that struck Darwin on Christmas morning 1974. Cyclone Tracy is known as one of Australia’s worst cyclone because it occurred on Christmas day.
Cyclone Tracy was first detected on the 20th December 1974 in the Arafura sea 370km north east of Darwin. It was first announced as a tropical cyclone on the 21st December, before then it was considered a tropical low. Although a warning was issued no one paid attention to it because they had had many false alarms before. As the cyclone occurred on Christmas day the resident were not prepared. A total of 35,000 people were evacuated and only 10,000 stayed.
Even though most of the houses were rebuilt before Tracy not many of them could withstand Cyclone Tracy. Cyclone Tracy was declared a category 4 storm but the damage caused suggests that it reached category 5.
Cyclone Tracy was a small cyclone with an eye measuring 12km and gale winds extending 40km from the centre The cyclone lasted two days and ended on the 26th of December. The total damages caused by the cyclone was $837 million (AUD 1974) and 71 lives were lost, 64 on land and 7 out at sea. More than 30,000 people were left without a home. All power lines, communications, water and sewage were also destroyed. 90% of all buildings were destroyed and had to be rebuilt.
Darwin was almost entirely rebuilt according to new cyclone codes to make the buildings stronger and safer in the event of a cyclone striking again. Many of the evacuated citizens never returned to Darwin and found homes elsewhere. Darwin’s population has slowly increased and now has increased to 127,532 people.
Cyclone Tracy was first detected on the 20th December 1974 in the Arafura sea 370km north east of Darwin. It was first announced as a tropical cyclone on the 21st December, before then it was considered a tropical low. Although a warning was issued no one paid attention to it because they had had many false alarms before. As the cyclone occurred on Christmas day the resident were not prepared. A total of 35,000 people were evacuated and only 10,000 stayed.
Even though most of the houses were rebuilt before Tracy not many of them could withstand Cyclone Tracy. Cyclone Tracy was declared a category 4 storm but the damage caused suggests that it reached category 5.
Cyclone Tracy was a small cyclone with an eye measuring 12km and gale winds extending 40km from the centre The cyclone lasted two days and ended on the 26th of December. The total damages caused by the cyclone was $837 million (AUD 1974) and 71 lives were lost, 64 on land and 7 out at sea. More than 30,000 people were left without a home. All power lines, communications, water and sewage were also destroyed. 90% of all buildings were destroyed and had to be rebuilt.
Darwin was almost entirely rebuilt according to new cyclone codes to make the buildings stronger and safer in the event of a cyclone striking again. Many of the evacuated citizens never returned to Darwin and found homes elsewhere. Darwin’s population has slowly increased and now has increased to 127,532 people.