Don’t think it can’t happen to you. Emergencies can happen to anyone.

By Australian Red Cross National Resilience Director Nichola Krey.

It was the extreme weather event that most people didn’t see coming. Six months on from Cyclone Alfred, and the community is still feeling the very real and lasting impacts of recovery.

Extreme rainfall, flooding, destructive winds and massive power outages across northeastern NSW and southeastern Queensland, had the nation on edge. Cyclone Alfred caught many in its pathway, completely off guard.

Many of the communities affected were simply not prepared for the full force of what Cyclone Alfred delivered and are experiencing a lengthy and challenging recovery. Homes, businesses and community infrastructure are still being re-built.

As Australian Red Cross volunteers will tell you, physical structures can be restored but it’s the emotional impact that has long lasting effects. These are invisible scars that can manifest in any number of psychological, relational and emotional ways, long after the event has passed.

Cyclone Alfred is a case study for the fact that disasters and emergencies can happen to anyone, anytime, regardless of where you live. Just as governments and industry are investing in infrastructure and built environment adaptation, Australian Red Cross are investing in people and communities to adapt and build the social and emotional resilience needed to live with a changing climate and more frequent extreme weather.

Unfortunately, this message is not getting through. Australian Red Cross commissioned research to coincide with EmergencyRedi Week (15-21 September) which shows that despite most Australians (90%) having experienced a disaster or emergency in their lifetime, only one in three (35%) were prepared for it. Asked why, most said it’s because ‘it won’t happen to me’ and ‘it’s not on my radar’.

In Australia, we simply cannot afford to be complacent. Australian Red Cross’ experience of supporting communities in the hardest of times teaches us that preparation matters. When a disaster strikes, our volunteers are on hand to support people’s wellbeing and provide the psychological first aid to help them to cope mentally. That support continues long after the clean up as people attempt to reclaim their lives and endure the emotional toll that comes with it.

Being prepared ahead of a disaster can make a big difference to the recovery journey and the ability to cope in the aftermath. Our research shows those who are physically and emotionally prepared experience a far better recovery with reduced emotional impact post event. And this is particularly true for children.

Being prepared and informed helps to give children confidence and direction during an emergency. It reduces anxiety and enables them to feel more in control. This is what Australian Red Cross Pillowcase workshops are designed to do. Over the past ten years, more than 100,000 children around the country have learnt what to pack in an emergency into their personalised pillowcases and have discovered how to regulate their thoughts and feelings when faced with an emergency.

The ‘no worries, she’ll be right’ mentality has long been a part of Australian culture. But it is the exact opposite of where we want people’s headspace to be when it comes to emergency preparedness. The The impact and severity of weather events is a very real concern. The Federal Government will soon release Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment. It will contain difficult and confronting information about the scale of risks we face. But it is also vital information to help communities, businesses and households know what to prepare for.

This EmergencyRedi Week we urge all Australians to take action and get prepared for extreme weather events and emergencies before it happens. We can’t control the environment or weather, but we can control how prepared we are ahead of time.

Download the Get Prepared App, complete a RediPlan online and attend an EmergencyRedi workshop. If you’re a parent or carer, talk to your children about the importance of being prepared. To get started, visit redcross.org.au/prepare