Respond

Check in with:

• Older neighbours
• People living with disability
• Families with young children
• Anyone new to the area

Even a simple offer of help could make a big difference in a time of need.

Stay Connected to your schools Facebook page and have their contact details saved to find out what your school has decided in the event of severe weather or a natural disaster.

Pets:

Make a plan for your animals early. Public cyclone shelters do not accept pets, so arrange to stay with friends, family, or pet-friendly accommodation.

Don’t forget to pack pet food, a leash, carrier or crate, and fresh water in your emergency kit.

Australia now uses a nationally consistent warning system for natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, bushfires and more.

While how you receive warnings hasn’t changed, the language, colours and icons may look different to what you’re used to.

Understanding these three warning levels can help you act quickly and safely:

Advice (Yellow)

An incident has started, but there is no immediate danger.

Stay informed in case the situation changes.

Watch and Act (Orange)

There is a heightened risk and conditions are changing.

 Act now to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Emergency Warning (Red)

This is the highest level of warning.

 You may be in danger—take action immediately. Delays could be life-threatening.

Learn more about the Australian Warning System:

http://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/aws

If you live in a low lying area or storm tide zone, you might need to leave your home during a cyclone.

The best option is to stay with family or friends in a safer location or book accommodation outside the warning area. Public cyclone shelters should only be used as a last resort.

On the Cassowary Coast, we have two purpose-built cyclone shelters:

• Innisfail Cyclone Shelter – 11 Flying Fish Point Road, Innisfail
• Tully Cyclone Shelter (need to address is the grandstand?)

These shelters are designed for short stays (around 18 hours) and have very limited space and basic amenities. Think of it like being on a crowded plane—hot, noisy and cramped.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You’ll get about 1 square metre of space per person.
• You must bring your own food, water, medicine and essentials in a small bag that fits under your seat.
• No pets, alcohol, cigarettes, cooking, or hot food are allowed.
• There’s a strict code of conduct to keep everyone safe.

Because of the limited space, don’t rely on a cyclone shelter as your first option. Make your evacuation plan now—so you’re not caught off guard.