It’s time to Get Ready for the storm season

Don’t let the blue skies fool you - now is the right time to get yourself ready for potentially dangerous Sunshine Coast weather.

As part of RACQ Get Ready Week, which runs until Saturday, Local Disaster Management Chair, Mayor Mark Jamieson, today hosted a sausage sizzle in Nambour which gave residents the chance to access the latest information available to be prepared for the storm season.

“Although we’re currently experiencing beautiful spring conditions on the Sunshine Coast, we can’t afford to be complacent because recent summers have shown that the weather can change very quickly,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“We’ve already experienced a couple of storms and no doubt more will be on the way as the weather warms up and there’s always the potential for other events such as flooding and bushfires.

“Even a small amount of preparation now can potentially save lives, time and money in the event of a natural disaster.

“We are heading into our second summer with council’s Disaster Hub, which provides all the helpful information you need to be prepared for and informed during a disaster event.

“We know many of our residents have already seen its benefits. In April this year Disaster Hub received more than 64,000 hits across two days of extreme weather.”

The Disaster Hub includes information on road closures, current warnings, flood maps, evacuation centres, links to traffic cameras, and Sunshine Coast Airport updates.

Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) Coordinator Andrew Ryan said that the RACQ Get Ready Week was a timely reminder for residents to be prepared for disaster events

“The LDMG is here to help when disaster hits, but resources are often stretched so it’s important for residents to prepare their homes in advance of the summer storm season, to have an emergency plan in place, to organise an emergency kit and prepare an evacuation plan,” Mr Ryan said.

“They also need to prepare their home by cleaning out gutters and securing loose items and have a plan in place for their pets.

“And if disaster does occur, they need to put their plans into action, tune into warnings and check their neighbours.”

Council’s Disaster Hub web site contains a range of useful information to help people to be prepared for the worst.

As part of Get Ready Week, Council will attend the Halcyon Landing community meeting in Bli Bli on Friday to help launch the Halycon Landing Local Emergency Plan.

For more information on how you can protect your home against storms, floods and fires, visit www.getready.qld.gov.au or contact your local RACQ branch.

Pic caption: Mayor Mark Jamieson with SES area controller Andrew Wyatt, Queensland Fire and Rescue’s Russell Thompson and Queensland Police Senior Sargeant Gary Brayley at today’s Get Ready Week event in Nambour