Preparation is key to cope with disaster season

Queensland’s disaster season has started and the key message, as always, is to get prepared with a plan.

Who better to spearhead that campaign than Get Ready Queensland Ambassador, Johnathan Thurston?

Gladstone Region Mayor Matt Burnett said community members should look out for the Rugby League legend in social media and on radio and television delivering important information
about how to prepare for natural disasters.

“As we know only too well in the Gladstone Region, when it comes to extreme weather events, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’,” Councillor Burnett said.

“Community members should understand there is a risk of experiencing a natural disaster, but the impact can be reduced.

“We have just had the launch of Get Ready Week across Queensland for 2019 so the message of being prepared and knowing how to put an emergency plan together for your family or business, can never be repeated enough.”

There are plenty of online resources available for people to visit and find information about disaster preparation and weather events.

For more details about how everyone can prepare their families, homes or businesses go to www.getready.qld.gov.au/

Don’t forget Council’s RegionWatch web page featuring a dashboard providing reliable, up-to-date information during emergencies and disasters – http://regionwatch.gladstone.qld.gov.au/

This one stop shop for disaster information includes road closures, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) updates, power outages, key messages and school closures.

The BOM, which has just released its Tropical Cyclone Outlook for 2019-20 with fewer than average events predicted, has also produced a severe weather outlook video