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Click here to find out moreLiving in the tropics carries with it the responsibility of always being prepared for disasters such as floods, tropical storms and cyclones.
Get Ready Queensland promote the importance of preparation and encourage residents to prepare for natural disasters and emergencies. Click here to visit the Get Ready Queensland website for more detailed information.
The first step in being prepared is to understand your risk. Natural disasters affect Queenslanders more than anyone else in Australia, and everyone's disaster risk is different.
To prepare your home or business, you need to know what disasters you are most likely to see, and what time of the year they might happen. Then, think about what impact the disaster could have on you, your family and your property.
Cyclones, storms and floods are a part of life in Hinchinbrook. But, we should remember that other potential disasters such as bushfire, storm surge, heatwave and earthquake could also impact our district.
The good thing is, there's plenty of information available to help you prepare for any of these potential disasters. After reading through the information available on Council's website and Get Ready Queensland's Understand your Risk page, sit down with everyone in your household to talk about what you have learned.
Because North Queenslanders help their mates, be sure to check in with new neighbours to make sure they know what to expect!
Here are some 3D disaster animations developed by Get Ready Queensland in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology. These hyper-realistic videos place viewers at the centre of Queensland’s (and Hinchinbrook's) most frequent natural disasters - flooding and tropical cyclones - highlighting the risks of extreme weather.
The second step in disaster preparedness is to have a household emergency and evacuation plan so that everyone in your household knows exactly what to do if the worst happens.
To print a copy or to complete your plan online, click here to visit 'Step 2: Prepare a household emergency plan' on the Get Ready Queensland website.
You don't have to use a special document to make your plan - if you prefer to write it on a big sheet of paper with colourful pictures, that's fine too!! The most important thing is that everyone in your household knows about it.
Preparing in advance saves time and reduces the number of things you have to do when a disaster is about to strike. Use the following checklists to help you make sure that everything is ready.
An essential part of preparing your home includes the following:
Visit Council's Waste Facilities page for opening hours and other details.
It's important to consider what will happen to our pets in the event of a natural disaster. In emergency situations, pets are often the most vulnerable member of the family. Make sure you plan for the following to keep your pets safe:
Maritime Safety Queensland recommends that mariners plan, prepare and follow advice when it comes to severe weather season. Click here to visit the Maritime Safety Queensland website.
Queensland is the most natural disaster impacted state in Australia, so it is important to be aware of the different weather conditions wherever you travel during your caravan holiday. Even while you're not travelling, your home on wheels may still be at risk during extreme weather. When a severe weather warning or bushfire alert is issued, take the following precautionary measures to help keep your caravan safe, or at least limit its damage.
The next step to Get Ready is to pack your emergency and evacuation kits. The Hinchinbrook Shire Council ‘Emergency Kit’ and 'Emergency Pantry List' provide important information and advice on how to ensure your household has an adequate supply of food, water and essential items to cope with a prolonged emergency situation. They are available to download by clicking on the links below each image.
It is important to note some changes to the essential items required due to the 'new normal' as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Preparing for emergencies ensures that you and your family can manage if affected by a cyclone or flood – it’s the smart thing to do!
The following fact sheets will assist you in preparing for a disaster or emergency event.
To view the information in languages other than English, click here to visit the Queensland Government Disasters and Emergencies website.