Flooding is one of the most severe and recurrent natural disasters affecting communities across Australia. In recent years, extreme weather events have increased in both frequency and intensity, leading to catastrophic flooding events that cause significant economic, environmental, and social impacts. One of the key challenges in mitigating the effects of these disasters is the early and accurate distribution of flood-related warnings. Many residents in flood-prone areas do not receive early warnings or sufficient information to prepare adequately, resulting in delayed evacuations, property damage, and loss of life.

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The Australian National University (ANU) Community Flood Intelligence project seeks to address this issue by improving early flood detection and prediction through a decentralised network of rain gauges and water level monitoring systems. Our project aims to enhance community resilience by ensuring that flood-prone areas receive accurate and timely information, even in situations where traditional communication networks fail.

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The focus area for our project is the Terrania Creek subcatchment in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Flooding in this area impacts the town of The Channon and the city of Lismore. These areas have historically suffered from inadequate early warning systems, thus the community has implemented a network of "rain sentinels", taking manual observations and communicating via CB (UHF) and 27MHz radio networks (Terania Keerong Flood Safety Project). Whilst these grassroots efforts are invaluable, they have significant limitations including the availability of sentinels, the reliability of communication channels, and the difficulty of obtaining data manually during severe weather events.

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After previous major floods, affected communities have expressed a strong interest in developing improved flood monitoring and early detection systems. Local emergency response groups and residents have highlighted the need for a system that is both independent of cellular networks and capable of operating off-grid. The ability to maintain communication and data collection during network outages is critical for ensuring that flood-related information remains accessible during natural disasters.

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Proposed Solution

 

To address these challenges, we propose the development of a decentralised flood monitoring network consisting of automated rain gauges and water level sensors. These sensors will be designed to function independently of existing cellular infrastructure, relying instead on low-power, long-range communication technologies such as LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) to transmit data. The system will be entirely off-grid, powered by renewable energy sources such as solar panels and battery storage, ensuring continuous operation even during extreme weather conditions.

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The data collected by these sensors will be integrated into an open-access platform that provides real-time updates to local residents, emergency services, and community organisations. This will enable faster response times, improve situational awareness, and ultimately save lives by providing communities with accurate flood intelligence when they need it most.

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