Pacific Prepared Podcast

Disaster preparation experts are reminding families and communities that getting ready to take on extreme weather is a serious matter, but the actual process can be fun, uplifting and empowering.

Forecasters anticipate potentially damaging rainfall levels across the Polynesian islands. The number and severity of Tropical Cyclones remains to be seen but heavy rainfall is all but certain in Samoa.

Bushfires, landslides and tsunami can not only require a quick escape, they often block escape routes, leaving communities trapped or isolated.  But for at least one Pacific community that has been highly exposed to just such a danger, the investment in a new evacuation route has given fresh hope and relief.

The New Zealand MetService expects the south-west Pacific is to be hit by up to 12 named cyclones between November and April. They have assessed that at least three may be severe, reaching category 3 or higher.

While many parts of the world battle growing pandemic death tolls, Samoa has not lost a single life to the virus. But the Polynesian nation’s Red Cross boss says simply being prepared for the worst is delivering many valuable lessons.

Do you believe God wants you to be ready for disaster? The Christian Churches in Vanuatu firmly believe so. They are preaching disaster preparation is God’s will and have united to help congregations know what to do when they strike.

October 13 is International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction and across the Pacific, a range of initiatives are being organised, many focusing on the importance of preparing for the upcoming cyclone season. 

Fiji Minister for Defence, National Security and Policing, Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu has fronted the media to provide an update following a National Disaster Management Council meeting and ahead of the 2021-22 South Pacific Cyclone Season.

Samoa is one of several Pacific countries to have experienced the devastation of disaster in recent memory.  But the heartbreaking lessons learned during those times mean the Polynesian nation may be better prepared for the next big threat. 

New research maps how big tsunami in the Pacific could get and what areas are most in danger. It is hoped authorities will use the research to effectively target disaster prevention spending.

With tourism devastated by COVID, fishing has never been more important to Pacific economies, but it could also become a virus super-spreader and officials says – they are taking action to stay safe.

A tsunami as high as a coconut tree has the potential to devastate areas of Fiji – but where? Major research that set out to answer that and other questions has just been released.

World watches Micronesian nation

What you can do now to make sure you are ready for cyclone season. A rundown of the things you can do under blue skies before the dark skies of cyclone season.

Pacific weather authorities say they are increasingly turning to social media as a lifesaving communications tool for disseminating disaster information – but disasters also present the perfect opportunity for deadly disinformation to spread.

We take a look at the Pacific Resilience Meeting and its agenda focused on the theme “Our people, our journey: nurturing Pacific resilience from home - locally-led action and solutions to climate change and disasters from our region”. 

We review the items you need to build the ultimate disaster Go Bag. Grab a pencil and check off the list of everyday items that can help you survive a disaster and re-build afterwards. 

Shelterbox is a charity that builds the ultimate disaster survival and recovery kit. So, what can we learn from their experience? What have they discovered about disaster survival that we can apply the next time one strikes? 

Disaster response gets complicated when National Disaster Management Officers, Police, Firefighters and other Emergency Services are all expected to spring into action.