Are you in the red, orange or yellow zone?
Ahead of the annual cyclone season, Council has launched a new campaign to encourage residents to learn about their storm surge zone.
The campaign is in response to feedback following Tropical Cyclone Jasper and flooding in December, which indicated that many people needed to know which zone they were located.
The first is storm surge.
A storm surge is a rise above the normal water level along a shore as a result of pressure from a cyclone forcing seawater onto land.
In a cyclone, Cairns evacuation advice is given based on storm surge, not wind.
Council has mapped the danger with colour coded storm surge zones – the red zone is the highest risk area, closest to the coast, progressing to orange and yellow.
A white zone is considered to be outside the storm surge area.
Areas near tidal rivers may be included in storm surge zones, even if they are a 'long way' from the coast.
Residents need to be aware which coloured zone they live in and the zone of the house they plan to self-evacuate to.
The easiest method is entering their address in the 'storm surge search' feature on the Council website, or viewing the storm surge maps on the Cairns Disaster Dashboard, www.disaster.cairns.qld.gov.au.
This means they can also check friends' and families' addresses and work out their evacuation plan well before it is needed.
Residents in areas that could be inundated by storm surge will be advised to self-evacuate and seek temporary accommodation with family and friends in safer, 'higher' locations, outside threatened zones.
Evacuation advice considerations
When issuing storm surge evacuation advice, the Local Disaster Management Group's priority is 'preservation of life'.
It is based on the 'worst case' scenario, using the latest advice from emergency services and the Bureau of Meteorology.
This approach delivers the safest outcomes for the community but may lead to inconvenience for people if conditions change.
Things we consider:
- Predicted intensity of a cyclone when approaching land
- Time the cyclone will cross the coast
- Predicted storm surge height (tide height + storm tide height)
- Time a storm surge may occur – evacuation is best during daylight
- Predicted rainfall totals which could lead to flooding cutting access roads to the beaches.
Public storm tide cyclone shelters
Public storm tide cyclone shelters will only be activated for those residents within low lying areas who have no alternative accommodation.
Council will advise the location of evacuation facilities once they are opened, by local media, ABC radio, the Cairns Disaster Dashboard, and Cairns Disaster Centre Facebook page.
Shelters are designed to save lives by accommodating as many people as possible. They are not comfortable.
Residents may be locked in for up to 18 hours; they will have a seat and all possessions must fit underneath; there are no showers or cooking facilities; there is no smoking or consumption of alcohol; residents must provide their own food and snacks, water is provided; and pets (except assistance animals) are not allowed.
