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Operation Baird
On the evening of Wed, 13 Dec 23, Tropical Cyclone (TC) Jasper made landfall in vicinity of Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire as a Category 2 TC with windspeeds up to 140 km/h. Overnight the TC weakened and was downgraded to a Tropical Low (TL) as it continued to track West towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The initial impact of TC Jasper was relatively low with minor to moderate flood damage to < 30 properties primarily in vicinity of the Mossman River, however the most significant impacts were delayed and as a result of follow on flooding from the trough and delayed crossing of Ex-TC Jasper towards the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Over the weekend of 16 – 17 Dec 23, Ex-TC Jasper slowed as it tracked to the North towards the Gulf of Carpentaria, resulting in significant and prolonged rain amongst catchments with up to 1.5-2 meters recorded in some areas. This has resulted in major flooding which has occurred from areas spread across Cooktown to Innisfail.
On the 08 Jan 24, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) requested DRA assistance to support the recovery of the affected communities.
Tropical Cyclone Jasper Recovery Operation
Area of Operations
Douglas Shire Council and surrounding local government areas.
Recovery Taskings for Operation Baird
As part of Operation Baird, Disaster Relief Australia is providing the following capabilities:
- Damage and impact assessments
- Route clearance and property access
- Debris removal.
The story behind the name
This operation has been named Op BAIRD based on the service and sacrifice of brothers Charles and Norman Baird.
Get involved
Planning for upcoming operational deployments is now underway. If you are keen to participate or find out more, express your interest today.