This article by Freya Jones, published in Asia Pacific Fire Magazine, October 3, refers to research undertaken the CRC research team led by Katharine Haynes, Risk Frontiers.

Fatalities from floods are a major cause of natural hazard deaths around the globe. Here in Australia, floods are ranked second only to heatwaves in terms of the total number of natural hazard fatalities since 1900. Recent cases over the last two years, such as June 2016 in New South Wales and Tasmania, along with the aftermath of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie in northern NSW in April this year, highlight the significant dangers of floodwaters and as the research suggests, many of the flood deaths are avoidable.

To gain a greater understanding of human behaviour and why people choose to enter floodwaters, the CRC research project Analysis of human fatalities and building losses from natural disasters has measured the impacts of floods. The research looks at the toll on human life, injuries and building damage while analysing trends over time. Read more.