THE MOTTO is to be prepared, and with the summer storm and bushfire season fast approaching, both Sunshine Coast and Noosa Councils are working together and urging residents to act now, get ready and to protect their families, homes and businesses.

Both councils joined emergency service agencies at the Kawana Surf Life Saving Club on Wednesday, October 8, to launch Get Ready Queensland Week (October 6-12); however, awareness about preparing for extreme weather events and natural disasters is an everyday event, especially in the summer months.

The message this year is clear: be ready for anything.

Noosa Mayor Frank Wilkie said while the weather doesn’t plan, residents can.

“From bushfires to flash floods, the Noosa Shire and Sunshine Coast region have faced it all in recent years,” Mayor Wilkie said.

“This season, we’re expecting a wetter-than-usual start, which can bring flooding and storm damage, but the bushfire threat hasn’t gone away.

“We’ve seen how quickly conditions can change – in March this year, we avoided the full force of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Then in the first few weeks of Autumn, around 500mm of rain caused flooding and damage to nearly 70 local roads.”

Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the Bureau of Meteorology has briefed the Noosa and Sunshine Coast Local Disaster and Emergency Groups that we should prepare for a wetter-than-usual summer, with above-average rainfall.

“Understanding which natural disasters or severe weather events are likely to occur in your area will help you prepare for events that are most likely to impact your family and home,” Mayor Natoli said.

“With Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred threatening and impacting Sunshine Coast residents earlier this year, we are all too aware of how a disaster can happen anytime and anywhere.”

Sunshine Coast and Noosa residents are urged to take the following simple steps to boost resilience and safeguard themselves, their families, homes and businesses:

Step one: Understand your risk.
Step two: Prepare a household emergency plan.
Step three: Pack an emergency kit.

For a full list, head to getready.qld.gov.au. For the latest updates, practical resources and what to do before, during and after a disaster strikes, visit disasterhub.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au (Sunshine Coast region) and disaster.noosa.qld.gov.au (Noosa Shire).