Flood deaths in Australia: how do they happen and what should we do?

Floods would appear even more deadly than they were in the nineteenth century, before the days of flood mitigation, flood warning and the removal of dwellings from the most hazardous parts of floodplains. In those days flooding killed more Australians than any other agents of natural disaster apart from heatwaves and epidemics. They were much more deadly than bush fires.

Of course, people's behaviour would be different if floods were more frequent and severe than they are. The dangers would be 'advertised' more clearly, respect for flooding would be higher and behaviour would be more defensive.

What should be done to reduce the toll? First, we should ram home the dangers of entering or being caught in floodwaters. The 'If it's flooded, forget it' radio, television, billboard and website campaign against driving through floods is a start, though its images have been tame by comparison with other public safety 'advertisements' like those about smoking and speeding. They have certainly not matched the Grim Reaper ads of the late 1980s which sought to frighten people into adopting safe sex practices.

But we should go further than such exhortations, anyway. Perhaps we should routinely charge people for the costs of their rescue from floods if their behaviour can be said to have been reckless, as has been done in some states of the USA. Equally we could prosecute those who remove flood barriers, in effect 'opening' roads and encouraging others to drive into floodwater.

In 2012 a Queensland man was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for driving into a flood. His action had caused a passenger's death. Three other Queenslanders were charged with public nuisance offences for behaving recklessly in floods during the summer of 2010-11, and there have been further such cases since.

These cases attracted little public attention, and they have not featured in educational initiatives related to flooding. Neither was much made of the prominent federal coalition politician who reportedly drove his government-issued 4WD into floodwaters in northern NSW in 2011 - and wrote it off. Amazingly, he was quoted in the media complaining that there were no flood signs to warn him!

Insurance companies could play their part by voiding the insurance on vehicles damaged or written off in floods when reckless behaviour can be demonstrated.

As for big floods which have the power to kill many, the best approach is evacuation to high ground before the water arrives. Sadly, many refuse to go when advised by the emergency services or, as in the Lockyer Valley in 2011, there is no real comprehension that a potentially deadly flood is coming.

There is much complacency about the risks which floods impose. The dangers are greater than most people believe. Floods are not seen as risky - which makes them all the more so.