Respond

Whitsunday Disaster Coordination Centre

The Whitsunday Disaster Coordination Centre will be opened and manned by Council staff and Emergency Agencies, to coordinate resources in response to a disaster event. The centre may not necessarily be opened prior to the impact of the event and may be activated following the event.The area for which the Whitsunday Disaster Coordination Centre is

responsible includes the major townships of Bowen, Collinsville, Proserpine, Airlie Beach and Cannonvale.  It includes all communities from Gumlu in the north, west to Mt Coolon, south to the O'Connell River and east to Shute Harbour and the Whitsunday islands.

Communication of advice to the public

Advice will be communicated to residents on local radio and on the Whitsunday Disaster and Emergency Information Facebook site to advise when the centre is operational.

Persons requiring assistance following an event should contact the centre and provide information as requested by the telephone operator.

For the latest advice tune into the following radio stations:

• ABC North Qld - (Bowen) 630AM
• ABC Tropical North - (Proserpine) FM 101.1 - (Airlie) FM 89.9
• 4TO Townsville - (Bowen) 774AM
• STAR FM - (Proserpine) FM101.9 - (Airlie) FM 90.7
• GEM FM - (Bowen) FM95.1
• HIT FM - (Proserpine) FM100.3 - (Airlie) FM94.7
• TRIPLE M - (Proserpine) FM98.7 - (Airlie) FM92.3

Normal radio/telephone/internet communications may be disrupted during a disaster, so have a working transistor radio with a fresh supply of batteries in your home and make sure all family members know where it is.

School Closures

For information regarding school closures relating to a disaster event, please visit the relevant school’s website or contact directly via phone. For public schools, contact the Department of Department of Education and Training.

Vulnerable Residents

Residents and visitors are responsible for their own evacuation. The best situation is always to plan to stay with friends and relatives out of affected areas. Residents who are frail, aged and/or have a disability may be able to register with the Council’s Special Needs Register by contacting Council on 1300 972 753.

Be advised that this register may be an information only service, so people are encouraged to plan for their own needs.

Check Your Neighbours

Get to know your neighbours. Think about people in your neighbourhood who may need your help including:

• Older people
• People with disabilities
• People with a chronic illness or with a mental illness
• Single parents with young children
• Large families
• People who are new to the region including tourists and immigrants

NBN (National Broadband Network)

NBN customers please note:- NBN services require a power source at both the exchange and customer end to operate. As such, unless you have a backup power supply within your premises (battery or generator) you may lose telephone and internet services during power outages. Please consult with your Preferred Retailer Supplier (e.g. Telstra, Optus, etc.) for advice on how to mitigate against loss of services during power loss.

We have developed Evacuation Maps (Storm Tide) for the coastal strip of the Whitsunday Region, which is at risk of storm tide inundation.

Evacuation Zone Maps

Evacuation Zones (Storm Tide) are mapped areas that indicate a level of risk to a property being affected either directly or indirectly by storm tide. A direct effect of storm tide means sea water inundation. An indirect effect of storm tide includes things such as evacuation routes potentially affected and property isolation.

Five (5) coloured Evacuation Zones have been created based on level of risk as follows:

RED - Extreme Risk

Evacuations of the Red Zone may occur with any cyclone depending on tide, intensity and location. Residents in the Red Zone have the highest risk of inundation or isolation from a cyclone storm tide. The Red Zone includes low-lying coastal areas and areas that may experience storm tide affects up to approximately 1.25 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide (King Tide).

ORANGE - Major Risk

There is a 0.1 per cent chance of this occurring in any year. Residents in the Orange Zone have a high risk of inundation or isolation from a cyclone storm tide. The Orange Zone includes low-lying coastal areas and areas that may experience storm tide affects up to approximately 2.25 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide (King Tide).

YELLOW - Moderate Risk

There is a 0.01 per cent chance of this occurring in any year.  Residents in the Yellow Zone have a medium risk of inundation or isolation from a cyclone storm tide. The Yellow Zone includes low-lying coastal areas and areas that may experience storm tide affects up to approximately 4.25 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide (King Tide).

BLUE - Minor Risk

There is a less than 0.01 per cent chance of this occurring in any year.  Residents in the Blue Zone have a low risk of inundation or isolation from a cyclone storm tide. The Blue Zone includes low-lying coastal areas and areas that may experience storm tide affects up to approximately 6.25 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide (King Tide).

WHITE - Extremely Minor Risk or No Risk

Residents in the White Zone have a very low risk or no risk of inundation or isolation from a cyclone storm tide. The White Zone includes areas that are at least approximately 6.25 metres above Highest Astronomical Tide (King Tide) and higher.

View our FAQs factsheet on evacuation

Options

The best option for most people during a tropical cyclone is to shelter in their homes (shelter in place). However, if your home is located in an evacuation zone or is an older building that is not in good condition or you have special needs, you need to plan and prepare so you can evacuate and seek shelter in a safer place.

Everybody living in a cyclone-prone area should have a Household Emergency Plan, which includes evacuation and shelter considerations. Residents should plan and prepare to shelter in a safe and secure structure either at home or with family and friends or relocate to outside the warning area.

It is critical that you and your family have thought through and planned for your family’s safety before the cyclone season. You need to develop your Household Emergency Plan, so you can make safe decisions and preparations at the beginning of the season, especially about where you and your family will shelter during a cyclone.

You will need to be prepared to look after yourself and your family. In the initial stages leading up to a tropical cyclone, emergency services will be engaged in essential disaster management tasks and assisting residents who may not be capable of evacuating themselves.

Shelter Locations

• Bowen Cyclone Shelter, Bowen State High School, Richmond Road, Bowen
• Proserpine Cyclone Shelter, Proserpine State School, Sterry Street, Proserpine

Further Information

Whitsunday Regional Council cyclone shelter information