The Climate Council’s latest State of Queensland report revealed long-term predictions of more hot days, more extreme bushfires and fewer, but more severe cyclones.

Natural Hazards Research Australia Science and Innovation Director Professor Cheryl Desha said weather patterns are evolving, and therefore ‘when’ we prepare must also change.

“Trying to plan a few days or hours before a storm can be stressful, so we really need to prepare for these events when there are blue skies, not when the storm is approaching,” Professor Desha said.

Thinking about the different ways weather can impact us should also influence how we prepare.

“The threat is not only the increasing intensity of these natural hazards but the varying and differing patterns of weather which we haven’t seen in parts of Queensland before,” Professor Desha said.

“Normally wind impacts from a sideways direction and rain falls from above, but with more intense cyclones predicted, we will start seeing wind vacuums and rainfall impacting homes from different directions, like the mini tornadoes we saw on the Gold Coast in December.

“Research tells us cyclones are moving south and while the northern parts of the state may know what to expect, some of our inland south-east regions may not.

“We may also start to see these events impacting us outside of the typical spring and summer months, which means being prepared has never been more crucial.”

Professor Desha said it is beneficial for Queenslanders to think about practical ways we can protect ourselves both at an individual and community level.

“At a personal level, there are retrofits people can make to their homes to prevent damage from water and wind, like securing garage doors with steel, adding drop-bolts to doors and raising the level of power points around the home,” she said.

“There is also opportunity at a community level for local school halls to double as evacuation centres and by doing so, they can apply to receive government funding to improve their facilities.

“This is mutually beneficial and can also provide peace of mind for local families knowing community hubs are close by and have adequate facilities if they do need to evacuate.”

Building more resilient communities also means thinking beyond infrastructure, Professor Desha explained.

“We need to prioritise innovation by nature and thinking about how we can learn from nature,” Professor Desha said.

“If you take trees for example, they can be a hazard during a storm, but they can also be extremely beneficial in providing shade from heat.

“It’s about adapting our mindset to be nature positive, which could mean instead of removing a tree from your backyard to prevent damage from a storm, you trim only a few branches instead. It could mean landscaping further away from the house on larger properties and choosing trees that are wind tolerant.

“In Queensland we also have the opportunity to think about our parks and drains and put extra effort into creek rehabilitation and developing water catchment systems.”

In May last year RACQ Foundation volunteers travelled to Gympie to help with the revegetation of The Sands along the River to Rail Trail, where 3,000 specially selected trees and shrubs were planted on the riverbank to improve flood resilience and protect against future erosion.

It’s this blue sky thinking at both a personal and community level that will ultimately help mitigate the damage caused by this significant weather set to impact our State.

Prepare your home this severe weather season.