The Total Flood Warning System: what have we learnt since 1990 and where are the gaps
April 1990 was a month of severe flooding in eastern Australia. Two months later, a national workshop was held in which a large number of flood management specialists sought to capture the lessons of the floods while they were still fresh. Many aspects of the management of the events were examined, with flood warning highlighted as a key function. A second meeting the following year resolved to produce a best-practice manual to help guide practitioners in the development of flood warning services.
The term ‘Total Flood Warning System’ (TFWS) was adopted to describe the need to integrate the many elements of effective warning. The need to help those in the path of a flood to understand the warnings they received and take effective action was recognised as central. The manual was published in 1995 and revised and updated in 1999 and 2009. This paper asks what has changed and improved in the flood warning field since 1990 and what is needed in TFWS terms to further help communities and individuals manage their flood risk.
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