http://hardenup.org/umbraco/customContent/media/620_GoldCoast_Cyclone_1954.pdfAnd this one
http://cosmoquest.org/forum/showthread.php/44382-Northern-Rivers-cyclone-1954Northern Rivers cyclone 1954
Many of Australia's most famous tropical cyclones are instantly recognised by the names they were given, such as Tracey and Larry. But some of our most intense cyclones were never name at all.
The reason for this is tied up in the history of the naming of cyclones in Australia, which is an interesting story itself. Clement Wragge, the rather eccentric QLD Government Meteorologist from 1887 to 1902, is thought to have been the first person in the world to name tropical cyclones. He used letters from Greek alphabet, figures from Greek and Roman mythology, female names and also the names of some of the politicians of the day, including Drake, Barton and Deakin, as names for cyclones.
It was one of these nameless storms that caused tremendous damage and loss of life across SE QLD and NE NSW during February 1954. Whereas most east coast cyclones only affect tropical coast areas of QLD, this one travelled much further south than usual, devastating the Northern Rivers district of NSW as well as the Gold Coast area of QLD and Brisbane.
This cyclone was very dangerous, large swells, flooding rains and destructive wind gusts. Lismore local government area got scored over 250mm of rain in one day and alerted the town that the waters is rising from Wilson's River. A couple died from that area, and a same thing that happened at the Gold Coast. Lismore had been under water for 2 days. Coastal areas between Coolangatta to Evans Head had winds over 100knots and large swell around 15meters. Towns between Rockhampton and Coffs Harbour had been affected by rain and gales. Severe winds and flooding rain extended inland as far Tenterfield. The after mass of this cyclone was credible, everything drowned flown away and rip apart. Byron Bay and Ballina got the worst affected. Seagulls was killed by high winds flown from the beach to inland.
My conclusion is; i shocked about this kind of natural disaster history in Northern Rivers. I think the climate on that year was incredible, violently changed as a wettest year for Australia including Brisbane floods 1974, Lismore floods 1974 and Cyclone Tracey. Another wettest year was back in 2001 and last year had took an extreme of climatic change. I hopefully what caused that un-named cyclone was headed further south then it unexpected.
Matt
In March 1974 there was Cyclone Zoe Major flooding occurred in N NSW and 200 people were evacuated in Murwillumbah and 500 families were evacuated at Lismore. Landslides cut the main railway line in 4 places between Casino and Coffs Harbour.
