Cyclone Oswald

Tropical Cyclone Oswald

Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Oswald on 21 January as it made landfall in Queensland
Meteorological history
Formed	17 January 2013
Dissipated	28 January 2013
Category 1 tropical cyclone
10-minute sustained (BOM)
Highest winds	65 km/h (40 mph)
Lowest pressure	991 hPa (mbar); 29.26 inHg
Tropical storm
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds	85 km/h (50 mph)
Lowest pressure	989 hPa (mbar); 29.21 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	6 total
Missing	1
Damage	$2.52 billion (2013 USD) (Third-costliest tropical cyclone in the Australian region)
Areas affected	Queensland, New South Wales
IBTrACS
Part of the 2012–13 Australian region cyclone season

Tropical Cyclone Oswald in 2013 was a tropical cyclone that passed over parts of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia over a number of days, causing widespread impact including severe storms, flooding, and water spouts. Coastal regions of Queensland were the most impacted with Mundubbera, Eidsvold, Gayndah and Bundaberg in the Wide Bay–Burnett hit severely.^[1] In many places the rainfall total for January set new records. Across the affected region, damage from severe weather and flooding amounted to at least A$2.4 billion.^[2]

7,500 residents of Bundaberg and patients at the Bundaberg Hospital were evacuated. Houses were completely washed away and parts of Bundaberg's sewage network were destroyed. Cuts to transport links including damage to numerous bridges, communication interruptions, electrical blackouts and water supply problems were experienced across wide areas. Several swiftwater rescues had to be undertaken.