Queensland 1918, a devastating couplet

The year 1918 was noteworthy in northern Queensland for two of the worst cyclones in the country’s history. Both systems were very intense; both inflicted heavy damage on significant population centres.
The first, which struck in January 1918, became known as the “Mackay cyclone”, because of the heavy damage in Mackay and surrounding areas. The unfortunate town suffered a “double whammy” of severe wind damage and spectacular flooding. In all, 30 people lost their lives, mainly in Mackay and Rockhampton.

The cyclone announced itself in Mackay late on the 20th with rapidly strengthening winds and heavy rain squalls. As conditions worsened, terrified residents had to contend with buildings disintegrating, gas and water supplies failing, and roofing iron scything though the air. Barometric pressure plunged to 933 hPa, one of the lowest values ever recorded in Australia.

To make matters worse, a storm surge inundated the town around 5am. One witness reported seeing large waves - up to 2.7 metres - breaking in the centre of Mackay! Of 19 cyclone-related deaths in Mackay, most drowned in the storm surge. More died when the schooner “Orete” was wrecked at sea; the sole survivor was found 19 days later.

The cyclone generated phenomenal rainfall: 1411mm in three days at Mackay Post Office. A huge flood was generated on the Pioneer River - the highest since European settlement. Further south, the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton peaked at 9.3 metres on 23 January - a record broken only a few days later when further heavy rain pushed the still-swollen river past 10 metres. Some 1400 Rockhampton homes were affected by the flood, and six people drowned.

In Mackay, communication links were completely destroyed, and it was not until the 25th - five days after the cyclone passed over the town - that news of the disaster reached the outside world (the silence until then had led to rumours that Mackay had been totally destroyed!). Even then, floodwaters receded painfully slowly, until 17 February, when they began to fall rapidly.

On 10 March, an even stronger cyclone passed over Innisfail. Only 12 houses in the town of 3500 residents survived being blown flat or unroofed, and damage was also widespread in Cairns, Babinda, and on the Atherton Tableland. Coastal areas were swept by a phenomenal storm surge: at Mission Beach water 3.6 metres deep swept hundreds of metres inland. This occurrence was quite remarkable, because the steeply sloping ocean floor along the coast near Innisfail generally precludes severe storm surges. Some 37 people died in Innisfail, and an estimated 40 to 60 more (mostly aborigines) died in outlying areas. The lowest barometric pressure recorded was 926hPa at Mourilyan sugar mill - outside the core of the cyclone - but estimates based on the height of the storm surge put the central pressure in the low 900s, well into the “super typhoon” range.