It’s never too soon to prepare for natural disasters
Richard Dinnen - Queensland Editor |
Four months ago, the Sunshine Coast was hit by disastrous floods. Today, local agencies were preparing for next time.
Ahead of storm season, the Sunshine Coast Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) ran a disaster management preparedness exercise today at the Disaster Coordination Centre in Nambour.
The LDMG includes representatives from Council, local emergency services, non-government departments, local education institutes, energy and water service providers, and tourism organisations.
Sunshine Coast Mayor, Mark Jamieson, said today’s event helped ensure swift and effective responses to future disasters.
“The exercise included a fast-forming weather event, more than 100mm of rain, flash flooding, hail and storm surge, severe storms, super cells and tornadoes.
“So it tested the disaster management skills of all agencies.
“The last few years have taught us that such an event is not beyond the realms of possibility. It was a perfect training scenario for such a catastrophic event
“Disasters are a critical time for our community so it’s vital that the skills of the LDMG are well maintained so we can best support and protect the Sunshine Coast.”
Mayor Jamieson said local residents and businesses should prepare now for the south-east Queensland storm season, by making emergency plans, evacuation kits, and updating insurance coverage.
