How To Prepare Your Home And Kids For A Storm

Lightning strikes during a storm over a residential house in Australia.

Queensland’s storm season

Queensland’s storm season typically lasts November to April each year. When the storms do arrive, they are often unpredictable and can cause major damage to property, as well as serious injury and even loss of life.

In recent years we have seen a number of tropical cyclones pose a serious threat to Queensland communities, including the likes of Cyclone Yasi, Tropical Cyclone Larry and Cyclone Marcia, which saw thousands of people homeless and caused millions of dollars worth of damage to infrastructure.

Storm approaching over rural road, dark clouds and heavy rain in the distance.
Via abc.net.au

Often the most significant impact caused from tropical cyclones is flooding, which can sweep through streets and low-lying areas faster than the storm front itself. It is this inundation of water that causes the most devastation to communities, often leaving residents homeless and in need of support.

That’s where Queenslanders shine, always willing to give their neighbour a helping hand in a crisis. You see volunteers come together to prepare homes, streets and businesses, building infrastructure and shovelling sand into bags to help sustain homes and prevent loss of life.�Each year we see towns rebuilt and communities rallying together to see�residents settled back into everyday life following a storm,�brushing off the year’s events with fresh hope.

Queensland Storm History

Arguably Australia’s greatest flood event in the last 50 years occurred in January 1974, when tropical cyclone Wanda caused heavy rains across southeast Queensland, including�history-making floods in Brisbane.

Child running on a windy, stormy day with trees bending and waves crashing in the background.
Cyclone Yasi (via news.com.au)

Another storm front Queenslanders have stamped in their history books was Cyclone Yasi, which crossed the northern�Queensland coast in 2011 “� a massive 1,450km in diameter storm,�with wind gusts up to 285km/h.�Thousands of people were evacuated from Cairns after fears the city could take a direct hit, but Yasi changed path and instead flattened sugar cane and banana crops, trees and houses at Mission Beach, near Cardwell.�According to the Bureau of Meteorology, it’s estimated Cyclone Yasi caused�$3.6 billion worth of�damage “� the most costly cyclone in Australia history.

Another tropical cyclone many Queenslanders remember well was Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry, which crossed the tropical north Queensland coast near Innisfail during the morning of 20 March, 2006. The tropical cyclone hit record wind gusts of 293.7km/h, damaging about 10,000 houses around Innisfail.

Then we have Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia, which�made landfall at its peak strength�near Shoalwater Bay in�February, 2014.�The cyclone spun through various areas including Yeppoon and Rockhampton, causing a damage bill of $750 million.

 

We hope this helps, for more information jump on to�qld.gov.au/getready.

 

author avatar
Kate Davies
Senior Journalist & Features Editor. As the modern-day media hunter-gatherer, Journalist Kate Davies is harnessing 10 years in the media to write engaging and empowering articles for Stay At Home Mum. Her years of experience working in the media both locally and nationally have given her a unique viewpoint and understanding of this dynamic industry. Hailing from a small town in Tasmania and spending many years travelling the world, Kate now calls the Sunshine Coast home alongside her husband and one-year-old son.

Discover more from Stay at Home Mum

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email

Recent comments

Discover more from Stay at Home Mum

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading