Plan now for potential wild weather ahead
IF last week’s storms weren’t a wake-up call about what to do in an emergency, then please read on.
What if you have only a few minutes to evacuate, what would you do? Do you have your essential documents on hand, who grabs the pets, what’s the best evacuation route and where are you going to go?
Having an Emergency Evacuation Plan in place gives you and your family peace-of-mind and means everyone in your household knows what to do during an extreme weather event.
It’s important to prepare now to allow you and your family the time to adequately discuss potential scenarios, have time to prioritise what needs to be taken with you and develop a clear idea of where you might go. This way you’re best placed to handle whatever disaster events may occur over the upcoming storm season.
Some storm season preparation suggestions include cleaning up the yard and house, completing your emergency plan and purchasing emergency kit items. Consider also having your emergency kit packed and ready, practising your evacuation plan and monitoring weather reports. During disasters some roads can be too dangerous, so plan ahead by knowing different routes in case of road closures. Also if you need to evacuate, you might not be able to get back home. Think about the other places you often find yourself and plan to evacuate from there too. Stay informed with Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster Hub at disaster.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au for up-to-date information and links to key emergency services in one location, including: weather warnings, road closures, evacuation centres, airport updates, traffic cameras and flood mapping. It’s also a great idea to sign up for weather notifications.
