Preparing children for wild weather

Wild weather is part of living on the Sunshine Coast. Every summer we undergo many types of natural disasters including bushfires, heatwaves, flooding and cyclones.

You may have grown up with thunderstorms and lightning rumbling and cracking across the evening sky, but for the younger members of your family, extreme weather events can be very frightening. 

For many it may be the first time they’ve experienced impacts like blackouts, flooding and emergency evacuations.

Babies and children have a limited understanding of what’s happening around them. But being prepared before a weather emergency can make a big difference to how they will respond and cope. 

And, if you’re calm and confident when the sky CRACKS, the kids are more likely to be, too. Instead of it being scary, wild weather can actually be an exciting experience!

Get Ready Queensland and Sunshine Coast Council recommend discussing disaster risk with your family. 

Let children help with preparation:

• Cleaning up the yard
• Completing your emergency plan
• Shopping for emergency kit items
• Packing your emergency and evacuation kits
• Practicing your evacuation plan
• Checking weather reports
• Looking after household pets.

Three steps to get ready

Step one: Understand your risk

Step two: Prepare a household emergency plan

Step three: Pack an emergency kit

Helpful resources

You’ll find some great activities designed by the Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, that can help you start the conversation with your kids (both young and older) about what weather we might face this summer, on the Get Ready Queensland website. There you’ll also find a Household Emergency and Evacuation Plan template.

Sunshine Coast Council Disaster Hub has up-to-date information and links to key emergency services in one location. disaster.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/#Dashboard

For current bushfire and weather warnings go to Queensland Fire & Emergency Services and the Bureau of Meteorology.

For more information about preparing your family for wild weather, head to getready.qld.gov.au.