With summer still more than two months away, recent smoke haze from urgent hazard reduction burning around Sydney has proved a sobering reminder to Ryde residents that it’s time to prepare for what is predicted to be a dangerously hot and dry season.
Along with the increased power of storms and regularity of flash flooding – UNSW Sydney research released in November 2022 found that rapid rain bursts in Sydney have become 40% more intense over the last two decades – we need to be especially alert for extreme weather emergencies during the October-March thunderstorm season.
These events can have devastating effects on our families, health, property, jobs, and finances.
During Emergency Ready Week from Monday 18 to Sunday 24 September 2023 City of Ryde is encouraging residents to prepare and stay safe in a disaster or a time of crisis by downloading and completing an emergency plan on the Get Prepared app. Research shows that the more people prepare for a disaster, the faster they recover.
As a participating Council in the Resilient Sydney program, City of Ryde is collaborating with the Councils of Sydney to create a metropolis that is connected, inclusive and resilient.
The Get Prepared app helps residents connect with key support people, accomplish simple tasks to make loved ones safer, and protect the things that matter most to them.
As well as downloading the app, residents are being advised to take the following steps to be fully prepared in the event of emergency:
1. Download RediPlan – a paper version of Get Prepared, RediPlan enables you to create a written emergency plan.
2. Work through your RediPlan and share it – establish your network of support with your key contacts. Share your plan with the people you know and can ask for help in an emergency.
3. Understand your risks and where to get information – locate your local emergency services contacts and know where to find information. Identify a safe meeting place and ways to manage your wellbeing.
4. Download and use the survival kit checklist – make a plan using simple checklists that help you complete the important actions that make you prepared for emergencies.
5. Use Council’s Climate Wise Communities Ready Check Tool – check your home for potential threats and take steps to rectify these issues.
6. Visit Council’s Resilient Ryde website – you’ll find a full list of what you can do to protect yourself and your property before, during and after storms, floods, heatwaves and bushfires.
As a member of the State Emergency Service (SES) since 2005 and a recipient of an SES long service award, City of Ryde Mayor Clr Sarkis Yedelian OAM knows from first-hand experience the devastating impact that extreme weather events can have.
“Being properly prepared for emergency can make the world of difference in preventing damage or injury and in the recovery process,” he said.
“I’d advise everyone in the community to download the Get Prepared app – there is often not much warning before an extreme weather event strikes and this is a vital first step in keeping yourself and your property as safe as possible.”
