February 2012 – Harden Up eNews

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February 2012

Another summer deluge

It's been a wet month here in Queensland. We experienced flash flooding in the South East, and inland South went through their biggest flooding in a while. In fact, the Bureau of Meteorology recently announced 2010/11 the wettest two-year period in Australian history.

Our first instinct in events like these is to check that family and friends are OK - it's important that we are there for each other in times of need. With these extreme weather events happening so often, the most practical helpful action we can take is to encourage our friends to create their own readiness plan.

People's stories from these events remind us how suddenly it can all happen. The best strategy is to prepare early and be ready.

Got a handy tip?

Were you affected by any of the recent flooding, or last summer's extreme weather? What did you find most helpful? What do you wish you had done in advance? And what advice would you give to others? Share your tip on our website.

Rising waters

In coastal Queensland, storm surges from cyclones cause great damage. Rising sea levels give storm surges a higher starting point, and the potential to do more damage. Green Cross Australia's recent project Witness King Tides enabled Queenslanders to collate a photographic database of this summer's king tide, to see what future everyday sea levels will look like. Check out the photos on the map.

Emergency information for the hearing impaired

To help everyone be prepared for cyclone season, Cairns Regional Council has released a cyclone preparedness sign language video. You can also access sign language videos on emergency readiness, and resources for the family and carers of those with a disability from Emergency Management Queensland website.

Make sure you have a copy of all your identification documents and some cash money in a water tight envelope or container. If there is an impact on the electricity you may not be able to use the ATMs or access the cloud you have saved your documents on.