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Severe Tropical Cyclone Joy struck Australia in late 1990, causing the third highest floods on record in Rockhampton, Queensland. This cyclone began as a weak tropical low near the Solomon Islands, and initially moved westward. On 18 December, it was named Joy, becoming the 2nd named storm of the 1990–91 Australian region cyclone season. After turning southwest, Joy developed a well-defined eye and strengthened to maximum sustained winds of while approaching Cairns in Far North Queensland. Brushing the city with strong winds, the cyclone soon weakened and turned southeast. Joy later curved back southwest, making landfall near Townsville, Queensland on 26 December. It dissipated the next day; remnant moisture continued as torrential rainfall over Queensland for two weeks.
While drifting offshore northeastern Australia, the cyclone produced wind gusts as high as in Cairns, strong enough to cause power outages. In Mackay, a tornado spawned by Joy damaged 40 homes, while torrential rainfall just south of the city peaked at over . 110 inches of rain was recorded in the Upper Pioneer Valley for the duration of the event. Most storm-associated damage was wrought by severe flooding, which persisted for weeks in hardest-hit locations. Rains significantly increased water levels on 10 rivers, among them the Fitzroy River, which discharged about of freshwater into Keppel Bay over 25 days. In turn, the Great Barrier Reef suffered biological damage from coral bleaching and decreased salinity. The Fitzroy River rose to a peak at Rockhampton, forcing thousands to evacuate homes; some stranded individuals could only obtain food by helicopter. Elsewhere in Australia, storm moisture alleviated drought conditions and diminished fires near Sydney. Overall, Joy killed six people and caused 300 million in damage ($234 million USD). Afterwards, the Queensland government issued a disaster declaration for about 30% of the state, and the name Joy was retired from the list of tropical cyclone names.
While in its origins, Joy was experiencing upper-level wind shear, but as it approached the jet stream while turning to the southwest, conditions became more favourable for intensification. The storm quickly intensified, reaching the equivalent of a minimal hurricane on 21 December. At 00:00 UTC on 23 December, the Bureau estimated Joy reached peak 10-minute sustained winds of , which made the system a category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale. Around the same time, the JTWC also estimated the same peak winds, but sustained over one minute. Joy developed an eye about in diameter with concentric eyewalls. The storm began moving slowly off the northeast coast of Australia, passing within of Cairns, and the motion shifted to a southeast drift. A building high pressure area to the south caused the change in movement, and there were initial concerns the storm would loop to the west and affect Cairns again. Drier air caused Joy to weaken gradually from its peak to the equivalent of a strong tropical storm. At 06:00 UTC on 26 December, after turning back to the southwest, the storm made landfall near Townsville, Queensland, with winds estimated at . That day, the JTWC discontinued advisories, and on 27 December, Joy dissipated inland over Queensland. A remnant system persisted into early January, producing continued rainfall across Queensland.
The storm and its remnants dropped heavy rainfall throughout Queensland for about two weeks, totaling over south of Mackay and over between Bowen and St. Lawrence. The highest daily total was about west of Sarina. Three day rainfall totals around when Joy made landfall included in Blue Mountain and in Waitara. Rainfall continued through the region through March 1991, resulting in the third largest flood in the region in over 100 years.
Overall, Cyclone Joy killed six people, including five in river flooding, and caused about 300 million in damage ($234 million USD). While stalling off the northeast Australia coast, Joy produced widespread gale force winds, with gusts to recorded at Cairns. After the winds knocked over trees, causing power and phone outages, storm damage cut the water supply and briefly isolated Cairns due to debris blocking roads. An outer rainband struck Mackay as the storm moved ashore, spawning a tornado that damaged 40 houses, destroyed two others, and damaged a RV park. The windstorm was unexpected there, and damage in Mackay was estimated at 10 million. Flooding from rainfall affected about 90% of the city, which restricted train travel, causing three trains to be canceled and stranding hundreds of travelers. In Port Douglas, Joy produced an inconsequential storm surge of . In Innisfail, the cyclone ruined 90% of the town's crops, and over 20 houses sustained wind damage. Banana farmers in the Cairns region lost a combined total of 1.2 million bunches of the fruit. Collectively, crop damage totalled over 70 million, mostly to sugar cane and banana. About 30,000 head of livestock were killed in the region.
Rain from Cyclone Joy caused rampant flooding across the region, significantly raising water levels along 10 rivers. The Fitzroy River alone swelled to inundate about of terrain. Heightened discharge caused extensive erosion along river channels that removed about of soil and vegetation. In late December, the Pioneer River at Mackay peaked at , safely within the confines of its levee system. The town of Giru endured flooding of streets and houses, which would reoccur several times through February. High water levels along the Tully River flooded a portion of the Bruce Highway. In the second week of January, the Herbert River peaked at , causing residential flooding in Ingham. Elsewhere in Australia, moisture from the storm eased ongoing bushfires near Sydney.
At Rockhampton, the Fitzroy River rose to an initial peak of , temporarily dropped, and rose to a final peak of in early January 1991, the third highest since records began in 1860, after floods in 1918 and 1954. Inflow from several tributaries ensured the Fitzroy River near Rockhampton remained over for 13 days. The river entered 350 houses in what was the city's most damaging flood since 1954. The town was isolated for about three weeks after flooding covered roads, railways, and the airport. Before the worst of the flooding, Acting Premier Tom Burns declared a state of disaster for Rockhampton, giving local police the authority to force individuals living in flood zones to leave their homes. Ultimately, over 1,000 people sought higher ground, staying mainly at the houses of friends or relatives, or at nearby schools. In an attempt to mitigate damage, 150 volunteers filled 43,000 sandbags to protect properties. Nearby, residents rescued about 100 dogs from an affected kennel.
Storm-related flooding damaged portions of the Great Barrier Reef through coral bleaching. Over 25 days, the Fitzroy River discharged about of water into Keppel Bay, reaching the Great Barrier Reef in early January and causing a drop in salinity levels. On Great Keppel Island, about 85% of shallow-water reefs died. Reef damage also occurred in the Whitsunday Islands. The discharge from the Fitzroy River affected various islands and coral groups, depending on the offshore wind direction and ocean current. The water flow washed a group of freshwater turtles from the mainland to North West Island, though they were later returned to their native habitat. The influx of freshwater reduced commercial fishing productivity by 30%.
Officials declared about a third of the state of Queensland as a disaster area following Cyclone Joy, directing state funds toward recovery efforts. The Queensland government provided monetary assistance to eligible families in the disaster zone and offered special loans to farmers affected by the storm. The federal government agreed to contribute 75% of overall relief costs. Following the cyclone's impacts in Australia, the name Joy was later retired by the World Meteorological Organization.
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