Communication during Brisbane floods

This report analyzes the communication strategy adopted by the government during the Brisbane floods of 2011, the barriers to effective communication, and recommendations for similar situations in the future. The report highlights the role of social media in risk communication and recommends the development of a fully equipped and robust communication strategy by the City Council for the future. The report also recommends the implementation of training programs, measures to improve the quality of phone service during crises, and the establishment of a two-way communication system.

Running head: COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
Communication during Brisbane floods
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1COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
Table of Contents
Introduction:................................................................................................................................. 2
An overview of the situation.....................................................................................................2
Discussion................................................................................................................................... 2
Analysis of methods of communication used and problems faced...........................................2
Conclusion:.................................................................................................................................. 4
Recommendations for future implications:...............................................................................4
References:................................................................................................................................. 6

2COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
Introduction:
The main purpose of this report is to examine the tactics of communication used in
emergency situations like floods. In 2011, Brisbane was struck by one of the most dangerous
and devastating floods in recent times (ABC News 2018). In such situations, it is the onus of the
local governing body to communicate the necessary information to the concerned citizens and
local communities. The following report presents an analysis of the communication strategy
adopted by the government, the barriers to effective communication and the recommendations
for similar situations in the future.
An overview of the situation
In January of 2011, a majority of the Queensland region was hit by a disastrous flood
which was believed to have affected more than 40,000 homes and locations in the Brisbane
area. The Bureau of Meteorology, on receiving information about the impending threat,
conveyed the message to the City Council. It was then the responsibility of the City Council to
send out a warning to the other members of the local community. However, there were
numerous barriers in communication, like power outages and faulty lines of communication,
which stood in the way of effective dissemination of information (Public relations Sydney 2018).
The external stakeholders in this case would be the local citizens or the surrounding
communities who would suffer the consequences. Since a majority of the population was
unaware of the flood, the proportion of devastation and destruction was much higher than it
ideally should have been.
Discussion
Analysis of methods of communication used and problems faced
As mentioned in the section earlier, the City Council of Brisbane was responsible for
warning the members of the local community about the threat of floods. According to reports, a
communication plan or campaign had been devised by the Marketing and Communication
Branch of Brisbane’s City Council, which was accordingly implemented by the council. In more
than 30 suburbs, hundreds of people were compelled to evacuate and seek shelter on higher
ground to escape the floods. Trust and faith plays a key role in risk communication (Mayhorn
and McLaughlin 2014). However, the City Council failed to warn the local communities in time
about the intensity of the disaster that was about to affect them. Faulty channels of

3COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
communication, dearth of adequate resources required and frequent power outages were some
of the major issues that hindered the smooth flow of communication before and during the flood
(Van den Honert and McAneney 2011). As a direct consequence of the flood, most of the
mobile service providers like Vodafone failed to provide reception (ABC News 2018).
Congestion in the mobile lines made it nearly impossible for locals to communicate with each
other or with concerned authorities.
The stakeholders identified in the previous section were the local citizens, who
suffered the most due to inefficient communication (Alderman, Turner and Tong 2013). A
large number of people were taken by complete surprise when the flood hit, and were unable to
warn those around them. The main role of the government in such a situation is to ensure that
citizens are informed and accordingly able to take requisite measures to minimize damage. The
Berlo model of communication may be used to analyze the situation in Brisbane and the role
of the City Council (Rogers and Valente 2017). According to the theory introduced by David
Berlo, communication comprises of a sender, a message, a channel of communication and a
recipient. He also emphasized that there are a number of factors like awareness level, attitude,
communication system and social systems, which could affect the quality of communication. In
case of the Brisbane floods, a more optimistic attitude on part of the Council and their ability to
act out of a sense of urgency or immediacy would have enhanced the risk management system
during the floods.
As such, the City Council attempted to use social media platforms like Facebook and
Twitter to spread awareness about the flood (Bruns et al. 2013). In risk communication, social
media is considered to be one of the most effective means of conveying information. Most
citizens in Brisbane are equipped with phones and they would be able to stay up to date on the
latest news and developments and also coordinate with their families and acquaintances.
However, ineffectual management of social media communication strategies on part of the City
Council initially led to widespread panic and chaos. This was mainly due to the circulation of
rumors and false news. Nevertheless, the Brisbane police department soon took hold of the
situation and implemented new and improved strategies to manage and control the quality of
content facilitated on social media.

4COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it can be said that efficient communication is imperative during instances
of disasters like floods. In the Brisbane flood of 2011, if the City Council had devised effective
methods of communication, the degree of destruction and devastation may have been reduced
to a minimum. The above analysis also highlights the role of social media in risk communication.
The advent of the internet has made it possible for people to communicate easily even in
stressful situations like that of Brisbane. Suffice to say, the failure of risk communication tactics
was largely responsible for the mayhem and confusion that arose during the 2011 floods.
Recommendations for future implications:
 Since social media proved to be effective during the 2011 floods, a fully equipped and
robust communication strategy may be developed by the City Council for the future. The
police department and the media will have to be taken into consideration while devising
the strategy.
 Training programs should be implemented by the City Council. Proper drills and
awareness programs would prepare the members of the City Council and other such
authorities for similar situations.
 Measures need to be taken to improve the quality of phone service during crises. It can
be safe to assume that people would communicate with others using phones and
internet during emergencies. The phone service providers should be prepared for such
situations so that they can provide undisrupted services to customers.
 A two way communication system should be established. It must be remembered that
communication is not a linear system, as Berlo argued. The recipient of the information
should also be allowed to provide feedback and contact the authorities for assistance.

5COMMUNICATION DURING BRISBANE FLOODS
References:
ABC News. 2018. Havoc as flood peak hits Brisbane. [online] Available at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-01-12/havoc-as-flood-peak-hits-brisbane/1903000
ABC News. 2018. Raging floods bear down on Brisbane. [online] Available at:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-01-11/raging-floods-bear-down-on-brisbane/1901406
Alderman, K., Turner, L.R. and Tong, S., 2013. Assessment of the health impacts of the 2011
summer floods in Brisbane. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 7(4), pp.380-
386.
Bruns, A., Burgess, J.E., Crawford, K. and Shaw, F., 2012. # qldfloods and@ QPSMedia: Crisis
communication on Twitter in the 2011 south east Queensland floods.
Mayhorn, C.B. and McLaughlin, A.C., 2014. Warning the world of extreme events: A global
perspective on risk communication for natural and technological disaster. Safety science, 61,
pp.43-50.
Public Relations Sydney., 2018. Social media and the Queensland floods. [online] Available at:
https://publicrelationssydney.com.au/social-media-and-the-queensland-floods/
Rogers, E.M. and Valente, T.W., 2017. A history of information theory in communication
research. In Between Communication and Information (pp. 35-56). Routledge.
Van den Honert, R. and McAneney, J. 2011. The 2011 Brisbane Floods: Causes, Impacts and
Implications. Water, 3(4), pp.1149-1173.