Flood Forecasting (continued)

This reassurance from their experiences in CHM and their discussions with the US practitioners gave them confidence in dealing with the problems in creating the Macleay Valley flood forecasting system.

Their task was to design a flood forecasting system, install a network of rainfall and river height observing stations, arrange a system for the rapid collection of observations from these stations with immediate transmission to the Sydney Divisional Office of the Bureau and provide for the prompt dissemination of warnings to all interested people.

They encountered difficulties from many directions in their attempts to develop an effective flood forecasting system. Not the least was that of securing the cooperation of water authorities and the NSW Civil Defence Organisation (CDO) most of whom resented the initiative of the Bureau in moving into what they regarded as their field of responsibility.

Major General Ivan Dougherty had been a NSW school inspector and GOC 2nd Division CMF before being appointed Director of the CDO. Initially the CDO had been established soon after World War II to prepare plans for protection of the civilian population from attack by nuclear weapons. As the threat of atomic attack receded and after the disastrous 1955 floods the CDO's responsibility shifted to planning of flood mitigation, issue of warnings and rescue and relief of those affected by flooding.

I had many discussions with Ivan during the Dwyer years and thereafter. He was a formidable opponent but gradually was persuaded that in the interest of timeliness of receipt of Bureau warnings by those likely to be affected by flooding they should be disseminated by radio stations in the areas likely to be affected and at the same time transmitted to Ivan's office and his nominated CDO officers in the threatened areas. Ivan accepted this compromise only after long and sometimes acrimonious discussions. The Macleay Valley had a relatively short river system so that the lower reaches of the valley flooded soon after heavy rain. This was in sharp contrast to many of the inland rivers of NSW where the flood wave took many weeks to travel their long expanses.

Bureau of Meteorology