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Home > Primary Industries > Primary Industries (240 hours) > Compulsory units > Observe and report on weather > Observe and report on weather

Scenario 2 – Heavy rain and flooding

Multiple Choice

Read the scenario below carefully and select the most correct answer from the four choices given for each question.

The property where you live and work has low hills, a couple of creeks and river flats that are irrigated in dry weather. Steady rain has fallen over the past three days. You wake in the night to hear much heavier rain on the iron roof. In the morning sheets of water cover the paddocks, the creeks are running swiftly and the nearby river is rising rapidly with flood debris being swept along in the swirling currents.

The beef herd have been grazing the long paddock between the river and a creek. The lower parts of this paddock are already flooded including the gateway.

1. This is the third time heavy rain has fallen in the past two months. On each occasion the weather bureau has issued flood warnings for your river and local streams. When the latest rain began the best course of action would have been to:
   
   1. Take annual holidays and travel to sunny Queensland.
   2. Open all the paddock gates in case the herd became stranded.
   3. Move the herd to higher grazing areas of the farm.
   4. Not worry because each previous flood didn’t affect the herd.
      
      
2. Before checking the beef herd you notice that the rising floodwaters are getting close to the irrigation pump and motor. The irrigation plant is mounted on a slide, which is towed by the tractor. The best course of action is to:
   
   1. Immediately take the tractor and move the irrigation plant to higher ground.
   2. Check the beef herd and move them to safety first and then return to move the irrigation plant.
   3. Quickly take a rope and a large, heavy-duty plastic sheet down to cover the pump and motor.
   4. Start the pump to keep the floodwater from covering the farm.
      
      
3. You drive the farm 4WD ute down to the long paddock and find the gateway blocked by rising flood waters. The herd is standing on a small rise in the paddock. You should:
   
   1. Drive quickly through the flooded gateway to get to the herd.
   2. Send your two best dogs to swim across and round up the herd.
   3. Leave the ute above flood reach and assess the situation on foot.
   4. Go back to the homestead and get the camera to record the scene for the boss.
      
      
4. The herd is standing near a partly submerged barbed wire fence. Further up the paddock the fence goes over a low grassy ridge. The safest way to move the herd is to:
   
   1. Force the herd through the flooded gateway.
   2. Drive to the hay shed and bring back a ute-load of hay to leave a feed trail for the herd.
   3. Leave the herd to swim out over the fences when the flood gets high enough.
   4. Cut the fence wires on the ridge, fold the wires back carefully and quietly walk the herd to higher ground through the opening.
      
      
5. As you herd the last of the cattle out of the paddock you see a cow and a newborn calf standing on their own near the river bank. You should:
   
   1. Walk the cow and calf to the ute, tether the calf in the ute and slowly drive back to the homestead checking that the cow is following.
   2. Get the dogs to round up the cow and calf and drive them through the opened wires.
   3. Drive the ute into the flooding paddock to escort the cow and calf to safety.
   4. Leave the cow to spend more time bonding with the calf.

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