Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Are you ready for the storm season? - Toowoomba Chronicle

A storm over the Darling Downs.A storm over the Darling Downs. Terry West



NEARLY 35 per cent of Toowoomba residents have done nothing to prepare for storm season.


The RACQ Storm Preparedness Index showed 34.3% of Toowoomba and Darling Downs residents have not done anything before summer arrives and only 9.3% have prepared an emergency plan.


The region is more prepared than much of south-east Queensland after RACQ found half of Brisbane and Gold Coast residents surveyed had not prepared at all.


The Bureau of Meteorology yesterday announced Queensland could expect four cyclones this season, with average rainfall.


However, after dry winters, the bureau's Queensland regional director Rob Webb said bushfires were a threat this summer.


"When it comes to bushfires, we've seen two back-to-back very dry years across much of Queensland, so a lot of the fuels, particularly forest fuels in the south-east, have been drying," he said.


"As the temperatures heat up in the next couple of months, we will see more bushfires occur, and this year we're told above-average conditions across the south-east are likely."


He said while widespread flooding was not likely this year, localised flooding was always a risk.


"It's less likely this year we'll see widespread flooding. Isolated floods can happen every year in Queensland and still be severe. Again keep an eye on the latest warning and latest forecasts," he said.


The RACQ index, released at the Get Ready Week launch, also showed only 29.5% of Toowoomba residents had checked their insurance to see if they were covered before the summer.


Community Recovery and Resilience Minister David Crisafulli said while the government was doing what it could before summer, people had to make sure they were prepared as well.


STORM SEASON


What has Toowoomba done to prepare for storm season?



  • I haven't done anything to prepare for storm season - 34.3%

  • Prepared an emergency plan - 9.3%

  • Clean gutters and downpipes - 48.1%

  • Prepared an emergency evacuation plan - 9.3%



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