Tropical Cyclone Awareness and Education Issues for Far North
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Tropical cyclone awareness and education issues for far north Queensland school students Storm Watchers — a cyclone awareness education package for upper primary school children airns is a rapidly growing far north Primary school Year 5 students and Secon- Queensland coastal city of about by Linda Berry and David King (Director), dary school Year 9 students. Knowledge 120,000 with a booming tourist James Cook University Centre for Disaster and, more importantly, understanding of Studies, Cairns C industry. Community and Tourism cyclones was examined along with where, infrastructure are concentrated on a low, and from whom, children have acquired narrow and relatively flat coastal plain that support of extended families and com- their knowledge. An effort was made to is skirted by tropical rainforest covered munities were shown to be mobile and determine whether the students have been mountains and the Great Barrier Reef. fragmented. Demonstrated household influenced by biases that exist throughout Annually, between the months of Novem- preparedness and stated willingness to the adult community. Areas where in- ber and April the north Queensland coastal appropriately respond to cyclone warnings formed hazard awareness education is region is likely to be threatened with the was shown to be limited and would very lacking were to be identified. It was apprec- impact of tropical cyclones and associated likely be inadequate in the event of a severe iated that some 10–11 year olds (the Year 5 storm surges. In 1996 the resident popu- cyclone impacting on the area. Additionally students) may have difficulty comm- lation of Cairns, specifically the Northern it was noted that there exists within this unicating their understanding in writing so Beaches communities, was surveyed in an population a perception that the surr- this group was given the opportunity to attempt to get a clear picture of the com- ounding mountains and reef physically express their awareness with a drawing of munity’s perception of the cyclone risk and protect the area from the destructive forces a ‘cyclone scene’. to gain an understanding of the vulner- of cyclones and storm surges. Against this Two hundred and seventy-seven Year 5 ability of this community. Areas where background additional studies were car- students participated in the survey, att- specific action could be undertaken to ried out to evaluate the awareness of, and empting (and in most cases successfully reduce community vulnerability were to be general attitudes towards the cyclone completing) the questionnaires. The maj- identified so that the effectiveness of hazard within the school age section of the ority of these children also produced a emergency management strategies in the Cairns community. In October 1996 ques- drawing of a ‘cyclone scene’. Two hundred event of cyclones could be enhanced. The tionnaire based surveys were administered and thirty-four Year 9 students participated residents attitudes towards cyclones, to a randomly selected group of the area’s in the survey, attempting (and in most together with their awareness and general knowledge and understanding of the 90 80 hazard were examined. Household and 80 individual preparedness and likely res- 70 70 ponse to cyclones and storm surges was 60 60 determined. Additionally the perceived risk 50 associated with this hazard and the prev- 50 40 ious cyclone experience of individuals and 40 30 households were evaluated. Also consid- 30 ered were the particular demographic and 20 20 Percentage of responses Percentage societal features of these communities. In of responses Percentage all, six hundred of the communities house- 10 10 holds participated in the study, completing 0 0 Correct Partially Incorrect Don't Correct Partially Incorrect Don't lengthy survey questionnaires. correct know correct know Results were disturbing in that it was What makes a cyclone form over the sea? What is a cyclone? clearly demonstrated that the communities Can cyclones form over land? What makes a cyclone form over the sea? household residents have, on the whole, When is the cyclone season? Which is the more destructive cyclone, Cat. 1 or 5? Which way does the wind circulate in an Which categories indicate a severe cyclone? very limited experience of the cyclone Australian cyclone? When is the cyclone season? hazard and that the individual perception Which is more destructive, Cat.1 or Cat.5? of the risk associated with such an event is Which categories indicate a severe cyclone? often biased and based on false premises. Figure 1: General knowledge of cyclones Figure 2: general knowledge of cyclones Households are often isolated from the — community households — Year 9 students Spring 1998 25 80 60 70 70 60 50 60 50 50 40 40 40 30 30 30 20 20 20 Percentage of responses Percentage Percentage of responses Percentage Percentage of responses Percentage 10 10 10 0 0 0 Correct Partially Incorrect Don't correct know Good Some Don’t Good Don’t know know Partially correct Incorrect Incorrect What is a storm surge? awareness What causes a storm surge? understanding understanding When does storm surge occur? What is a storm surge? What is a cyclone? Any conditions that cause surge to be greater? What causes a storm surge during a cyclone? Figure 3: General knowledge and understanding of Figure 4: General knowledge of storm surge Figure 5: General knowledge of storm surge cyclones—Year 5 Students. —community households. —Year 9 students cases sensibly completing) the question- All students were asked how much they dependent on how this information is inter- naires. ‘… think they know about cyclones’, where nalised, that is, how it is accepted and they got their information and how much Knowledge and understanding believed by the individual. they had learned at school. Overall re- of cyclones and storm surge Throughout the literature it is generally sponses indicate that students think they accepted that cyclone experience profound- The majority of students, in both groups know a little, but not much, about cyclones ly affects the individuals perception of the were able to correctly or partially correctly with the majority getting their information risk associated with these events. (Miletti answer general knowledge questions and primarily from television and their fam- & Sorrensen 1987; Smith 1996) Most demonstrate at least some awareness, ilies, having learned little or nothing at powerful is direct personal experience, although usually not a good understand- school. This is despite the fact that some followed closely by the experience of family ing, of cyclone processes Storm surge is hazard and cyclone awareness material is members and then that of neighbours and universally less well understood. This included in the curriculum in all the close friends. Perceived risk is a powerful result is broadly consistent with findings regional schools surveyed! decider of what precautionary behaviour from the 1996 community household study. individuals will undertake when faced with Year 5 students were simply asked ‘what Previous cyclone experience the threat of cyclone impact and how they is a cyclone?’ If they described a storm and A sound general knowledge and under- will respond to warnings. Community a consequence it was considered a good standing of hazards, in combination with household residents in Cairns Northern understanding had been demonstrated previous personal experience, are the key Beaches communities and both groups of (e.g. ‘a big wind that can blow the roof off’), determinants that contribute to the form- Cairns school students were asked if they while a response such as ‘lots of wind and ation and shaping of an accurate percep- had experienced a cyclone (‘have you ever rain’ demonstrated some awareness. tion of the risk associated with any hazard been in a cyclone?’) and if so to identify the To demonstrate some awareness of event (Miletti & Sorrensen 1987; Smith storm by name or by place and approxi- storm surge this younger group of students 1996), However adequate general know- mate date. In excess of fifty percent of each were required to include flooding with sea ledge does not necessarily translate into a group reported previous experience. Great water in their response. sound understanding, which is very much care must be taken however when inter- preting this result as the quality of the 70 experience cannot be assumed. Many 70 60 60 households identified cyclone Joy, which 60 did not make landfall in the region and 50 50 50 several students identified experiences that 40 40 they could not possibly have had, for 40 example Cyclone Tracy, Darwin 1975. The 30 30 30 meaning of this result is still being inves- 20 tigated, however it appears likely that some 20 20 Percentage of responses Percentage children are actually constructing an Percentage of responses Percentage 10 10 10 experience, or a false memory, from what 0 0 0 they have internalised from the experiences Yes No YesNo Don’t know of those close to them. Good Some Don’t know Experience of regional cyclones can also Incorrect Community School students awareness ??Electricity be considered in terms of length of res- Year 9 understanding idence. The longer a resident has lived in Year 5 What is a storm surge? the area the more likely it is that they have Figure 6: awareness and understanding of storm been exposed to the threat of regional surge — Year 5 students. Figure 7: Previous experience of cyclones. cyclones. Longer-term residents have also 26 Australian Journal of Emergency Management had more opportunity to build strong fauna may not be adequately contained in area is naturally protected from cyclone neighbourhood and community networks the event of a severe cyclone crossing the impact is widespread. Forty percent of and have developed friendships with other coast near Cairns’ more than fifty percent respondent household residents stated that residents that have had direct personal of both the community households and they believed the area to be protected, most experience of cyclones impacting the Year 9 students responded in the negative.