Tropical Cyclone Owen arriving this weekend

Published on 13 December 2018

The Local Disaster Management Group has been placed on alert and sand will be provided free of charge to residents, as the Bureau of Meteorology has advised Tropical Cyclone Owen is set to impact the Rockhampton Region this weekend.

BOM’s current forecasts indicate that TC Owen will bring damaging winds and heavy rain, with the potential for flash flooding, and will reach our region on Sunday or Monday.

Chair of the LDMG, Cr Tony Williams, said Council would be providing sand and that it was vital that residents prepared for the approaching cyclone.

“The latest modelling indicates that TC Owen will be heading down the east coast as a low and will impact our region towards the end of the week. The BOM have indicated that TC Owen appears similar to 2013’s TC Oswald, but that it is a smaller system and is likely to move more quickly.

“Council will be providing sand for residents to fill their own bags with at four locations from 4pm today – Bridge Street near Stapleton Park, Dean Street opposite Mason Street, the Exhibition Road entrance of the Showgrounds, and the in the car park at Gracemere Swimming Pool.

“We will continue to monitor the levels throughout the coming days, ensuring more sand is provided if needed.

“It really is vital that our community is prepared for the winds and rain heading our way. In your Emergency Kit make sure there are things like a radio, a torch, charged power banks, a first aid kit, and enough food and water for three days.

“Getting rid of any debris in advance can make a huge difference. Trim any branches over your roof, clean out yards, and remember you can take any green waste or recycling to our landfill sites for free.

“We have a huge number of resources on our website to help you prepare, and you can use the emergency dashboard and our facebook page to see the latest warnings and updates.”

There is a 5 day cyclone forecast available from the BOM here.

The Emergency Dashboard, which also gives advice on getting prepared, is here.