In December 2010, a series of floods hit Australia, primarily in the state of Queensland and its capital city, Brisbane.  The floods forced the evacuation of over 200,000 people from 31 towns and cities. Three-quarters of the state of Queensland, the size of France and Germany combined, were declared a disaster zone.

The floods claimed 35 lives in Queensland and 22 in Grantham where the small population of 370 was devastated by the disaster.

Public Health experts warned the Queensland population of the dangers of water-borne illnesses, such as gastroenteritis and diarrhoea diseases after E. coli was found in supplies in the aftermath of the disaster. Similarly, wound infection and skin diseases, related to injuries sustained by survivors in an attempt to escape the floods, and the risk of respiratory infections from people crowding together in evacuation centres, presented other serious health risks.

A recovery task force was created to start the clean-up and rebuilding. The recovery effort was anticipated to take years although some of the less affected Brisbane residents moved back into their houses after 1–2 weeks.