Lam

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Lam originated from the monsoon trough over the Coral Sea on 12 February 2015, moving westward across Cape York Peninsula and into the Gulf of Carpentaria before gradually organising. The Bureau of Meteorology named it Lam on 16 February when it reached Category 1 intensity. It developed a well-defined eye and intensified rapidly, reaching Category 4 with peak 10-minute sustained winds of 185 km/h by 19 February. At approximately 2:00 a.m. local time that day, Lam made landfall between Milingimbi Island and Elcho Island in the Northern Territory at peak intensity, making it the strongest cyclone to strike the Territory since Monica in 2006. The storm weakened rapidly over land, degrading to a tropical low within about 12 hours.

Lam's approach prompted the evacuation of entire communities by air, including all 426 residents of Warruwi. Wind gusts were estimated as high as 230 km/h, destroying trees, power lines, and structures across Arnhem Land. On Elcho Island, around two-thirds of homes in Galiwinku were affected, with damage across the Northern Territory exceeding A$100 million. Heavy rainfall also caused flooding inland. Despite the storm's intensity, there were no fatalities, with damage mitigated partly by the cyclone making landfall at low tide. The Northern Territory government subsequently declared a state of emergency for the most severely affected areas.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia