Tsunami, fire, landslide, earthquake

Despite the presence of the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns region can still be affected by a tsunami. Although the reef may reduce the impact of a tsunami, the scale of impact depends on what caused the tsunami, how far away the event is and where it is in relation to Cairns.

The effects of tsunamis originating in locations from Chile to Tonga have been recorded in Queensland since 1868 -  the Cairns disaster management unit regularly receives information about undersea earthquakes and tsunamis around the world.

Although we do not live in a high risk area, a tsunami could also be triggered on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. We may have only a few hours’ warning.

Even a relatively small tsunami can move with force and cause dangerous rips and currents.

• Read or download the tsunami evacuation guide

What is a tsunami?

Tsunamis are a series of long ocean waves or surges, caused by a major disturbance to the sea floor such as an undersea earthquake, landslide or volcanic eruption. They are different to the storm tide surge which can occur with cyclones and from large waves which can accompany storms.

Tsunamis achieve speeds comparable to those of airliners and may travel for hundreds of kilometres, hitting distant communities hours after they are generated. They slow down but grow in size as they come ashore. Rather than one huge wave, a tsunami may look like a rapidly rising or falling tide and occur as a series of waves with periods of time in between.

What will happen?

Tsunamis can happen any time of year. Warning information will be issued by local emergency authorities on the advice of the Bureau of Meteorology.

• If a tsunami threat is likely, information will be broadcast on all available public media such as radio, TV, web sites and social media.
• It  may also be provided by emergency services in areas likely to be affected, e.g. through loud hailers or door knocking.
• You may receive emergency alerts through mobile and landline phones and hear the SEWS (Standard Emergency Warning Signal).
• If you’re at the beach or can see the ocean, you may notice changes such as the water withdrawing, or suddenly becoming shallow, or unusual or unexpected waves approaching.
• A tsunami may not be one large wave approaching the coast. It can occur as a series of seemingly quite low but very powerful waves. The force of the water  may be so strong it can carry vehicles, boats, bridges and buildings with it.

What should I do?

• Move quickly from low lying areas to higher ground - in many situations this is just a few streets away and it will be easiest to walk.
• If you are at home and need to drive to leave, take your household emergency kit. Otherwise put emergency supplies such as a battery operated radio and torch, medications, water, snacks and cash in a bag you can walk with.
• Don’t stay to watch the tsunami!
• Head for your nearest area of higher ground (e.g. Smithfield, Mt Sheridan). You can use the Cairns region storm tide surge maps for guidance on reaching higher ground (see evacuation routes on our Storm Surge page). Do not go to Copperlode Falls Dam or the Tablelands.
• Get out of the water and away from the coast.
• Follow local instructions and take immediate action, no matter how small the tsunami may sound.
• Stay where you are if your location is on high ground.

View your evacuation route:

Cairns CBD from Barron River to Trinity Inlet

Northern Beaches, from Machans Beach to Ellis Beach

Trinity Inlet to Bramston Beach

After a tsunami

• Keep listening and be alert for instructions from local emergency authorities.
• Stay in your high ground location until advised it is safe to leave. More waves are likely to follow the first and it may take time for this to happen.
• Keep out of flooded areas even if you know them well, as hazards below the water may not be apparent. Floodwaters may also be contaminated by sewage and other pollutants.
• Follow the advice provided by local emergency authorities. Call for help if you need it.

Landslides can injure people and animals and damage property, as well as interfere with supplies and isolate communities.

The largest recorded event in the Cairns region is the 1951 Ellis Beach debris flow, which buried 10km of the Captain Cook Highway.

Many smaller landslides have occurred around the region since records began in the late 1870s.

What causes landslides?

Landslides can be caused by earthquakes or volcanic activity, but in Queensland, they’re generally caused by heavy rain.

The rain saturates the soil on a hillside, often where there has been human activity (e.g. construction where trees and plants have been removed), past the point where any remaining vegetation can support the soil’s weight against the force of gravity. The top saturated layer of soil then slips down the hill taking whatever is on the land with it.

Movement of landslide material can vary from abrupt collapses to slow, gradual slides and at rates ranging from almost undetectable to extremely rapid.

Sudden, rapid events are the most dangerous because of lack of warning and the speed at which material can travel as well, as the force of its impact.

What will happen?

You may notice changes in the yard or house such as:

• Leaning trees, slumping earth, movement in fences or trees, cracks in paths
• Outside walls start to pull away from the building, new cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick or foundations, doors or windows stick for the first time.
• You may hear a rumbling sound that increase as the landslip nears. A trickle of falling mud or debris may precede a larger slip.

Emergency services may have little or no warning of a landslide.

What should I do?

• Be aware of the area you live in. Is it close to a hillslope, cliffs or steep rocky area? Is there a history of landslides?
• If it is safe to do so, leave the area and go quickly to your agreed safer place. Advise neighbours and emergency services of the slip threat.
• If you cannot leave, move to a second storey if there is one. Otherwise curl into a tight ball and protect your head.
• Follow any instructions from emergency services.

After a landslide

• Be alert for emergency information or instructions
• Stay away from the slip area - there may be danger of additional slips.
• Watch for flooding, which may occur after a landslide, or debris flow.
• Check for injured and trapped people near the slip, without entering the slip area.
• Look for and report broken utility lines, damaged roads etc.
• Seek help from emergency authorities if needed.

Although we live in the Wet Tropics with humid conditions and we’re bounded by rainforest, wildfires can happen here. They may be started through arson (deliberately lit), carelessness (eg discarded cigarettes, sparks from machinery, unattended fires), as the result of an accident or very rarely, as the result of a controlled/prescribed burn.

If you light a fire, on purpose or accidentally, you are responsible for controlling it.

If there is a long spell of hot, dry weather and it’s windy, the fire risk increases. Generally the fire season in Far North Queensland is through the winter (dry season) and spring months. Information about fire risk and fire danger periods will be issued by fire authorities as required.

You don’t have to live in the bush to be threatened by bushfire, just close enough to be affected by burning material, embers and smoke. For residents of Cairns suburbs near areas of forest or reserves, it is important to include wildfire in your household emergency plan and consider completing a wildfire survival plan as part  of your household preparations.

What will happen?

• If a prescribed burn is going to happen near your area, you’ll be told directly ahead of time (eg via letter, property visit).
• If fire danger levels are rising in your area, information will be broadcast on all usual media and websites such as the Bureau of Meteorology, Rural Fire Service Queensland, Cairns Disaster Dashboard and Cairns Disaster Centre facebook page .
• Fires can move extremely fast – faster than you can run. They can also be unpredictable, for instance changing direction. You may find yourself suddenly in danger. Heat, wind, smoke and burning material blowing around may make it difficult to see, hear or breathe.
• If lives or property are threatened, you’ll receive Advice, Watch and Act or Emergency warning messages.  
  • An advice message tells you a fire has started and provide general information to keep you updated.
  • A watch and act message represents a higher level of threat such as conditions are changing, a fire is approaching, lives may be threatened.
  • An emergency warning is the highest level message advising of impending danger and you may hear the 'whoop, whoop, whoop' of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) first.  With any fire warning,  follow the instructions immediately.

What should I do?

• Keep an eye on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website when hot, dry conditions exist.
• Keep grass cut and vegetation clear of the property.
• Don’t dump garden rubbish in neighbouring reserves or bush areas.
• Move flammable items away from the house, eg woodpiles, boxes, hanging baskets and garden furniture
• Keep access ways to the property clear for fire trucks.
• When warnings are given, act immediately on the  instructions provided. Don’t wait. Leave when advised, even if it feels safe where you are at the time. Take your household emergency kit with you. Go in the direction advised for your location.

After the fire front has passed

• Wait until the all-clear has been given by local emergency services before leaving your safe area and returning home.
• Consider using a face mask or similar.
• Check around the property for live electricity, leaking gas, sewage leaks, hot embers, overhanging trees or branches or structural damage.
• If unsure about the safety of the property, seek advice from local emergency services. Don’t take any risks.
• If you are stranded, hurt or need other help, contact emergency services.

Although we do not have records of Cairns being severely affected by earthquakes, they are still a significant potential hazard for the Cairns region with many occurring around the area since records began. The neighbouring Tablelands and Undara areas have a long volcanic history.

The impact of an earthquake depends on its depth as well as rating or magnitude from 1-10 (1 may not be noticeable to 10 causing significant damage) and proximity to inhabited areas.

We may receive little if any warning of an impending earthquake – it’s possible you may feel it before emergency services know it’s going to happen. Earthquakes can occur at any time of day and any time of year.

What is an earthquake?

An earthquake is shaking and vibration at the surface of the Earth caused by energy being released along a fault plane, at the edge of a tectonic plate or by volcanic activity.

Earthquakes are caused by movement of Earth’s outer layer. The outside layer is split into tectonic plates which move slightly due to the movement of magma in the layer below. This causes plates to squeeze together, move apart and slide alongside each other.

What will happen?

• Sometimes preceded by stillness, dogs barking, birds flying in flocks
• Sometimes sounds such as rolling or rumbling may be heard
• Movement of the earth - this could be a jolt or series of jolts of varying intensities  and/or a rolling sensation
• Inside a building items may fall from the ceiling,  walls or out of cupboards, the water in toilets may slosh around, walls may crack if the shock is severe.

What should I do?

If you are indoors:

• Take cover -  get under a sturdy table, bed or other piece of furniture or doorway. Hold on until the shaking stops. Otherwise, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner.
• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall.
• Stay inside until the shaking stops. There may be aftershocks.
• Don’t use lifts.
• The electricity may go out, or sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.
• Follow any instructions from emergency services.

If you are outside:

• Stay there.
• Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
• Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls.
• Follow any instructions from emergency services.

If you are in a moving vehicle

• Stop as quickly as safety allows and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires.
• Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged.
• Follow any instructions from emergency services.

If you are trapped

• Do not light a match or use a lighter
• Keep as still as possible
• Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing
• Tap on a pipe or wall or call out so rescuers can locate you
• Call 000 if your mobile phone is with you and working