Storm Season Explained: Behavioural economist Phil Slade
As Queensland faces the prospect of another summer of severe weather, RACQ has teamed up with Decida’s behavioural economist Phil Slade to spotlight storm season complacency and how to avoid it.
“It’s such a Queensland thing to think ‘she’ll be right’ or ‘it’ll all be OK’, and we tend to look at natural disasters with that same relaxed attitude,” Mr Slade said.
“Even though severe weather is synonymous with living in Queensland, many of us don’t think we will ever be affected, despite living in a high-risk area.
“Storms are largely uncontrollable. We don’t know how intense they’re going to be and thinking about their potential impact can be overwhelming for many of us.
“In storm season it’s crucial to focus more on what we can control, rather than what we can’t and realising the smallest act, like cleaning your gutters, can make a huge difference when a storm hits.”
Mr Slade said many people tended to be motivated by what would deliver the best outcome for others.
“People tend to act, for example preparing their home for storm season, if they think it will help someone around them – a friend, family member, neighbour.
“And if one person acts, it tends to motivate others around them to do the same. It’s like when people mow their lawns on a Saturday morning – as soon as one mower starts up, it’s quickly followed by others in the neighbourhood.
“The same goes for storm preparations – by making our own homes more resilient, we’re encouraging others around us to do the same, ultimately reducing the impact on our broader community.”
Mr Slade said there were several tips to help kick-start our mission to being more resilient.
“A good trick is to bring the timeframe forward by asking yourself, what if a storm hit tomorrow, or this afternoon, am I ready for it?
“It’s also beneficial to ask yourself, if there was something you didn’t do and it had an impact on someone else, how would it make you feel? Equally, if your neighbour’s lack of preparation impacted you, how would it make you feel?
“Make a simple list of things you can do to be ready for storm season, including cleaning your gutters, trimming trees, carrying out maintenance works, particularly to your roof, and making an emergency plan and kit.
“Finally, start the conversation with others to get their views, because when we share ideas, it helps to motivate each other”.
Behavioural economist Phil Slade is one of several leading experts featured in RACQ’s Storm Season Explained series. This series provides a deep dive into a range of key issues to help inform and educate Queenslanders ahead of, and during, storm season.
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