THE EFFECT OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS ON KIDS
After two years being exposed to the confusing and stressful COVID-19 pandemic, many children are now seeing and hearing the news of the major flood emergency, or have friends or family members impacted by the severe weather event.
- Early childhood health expert Dr Alice Brown says upsetting experiences can challenge a child’s ability to cope. She can discuss the impact of trauma, early adversity and toxic stress on children’s brain development, health and learning, as well as signs of childhood traumatic stress parents should look out for. Media contact: Griffith Thomas 0423 234 822 and Sarah Green 0417 799 331
RESPONSE TO QUEENSLAND & NORTHERN NSW FLOODS
As our communities rally against the ‘once in a century' weather event, it’s all too familiar for the southeast just 11 years on from the last floods. So how has the response faired in comparison to 2011, and what needs to be done now in order to move into recovery?
- Dr Barbara Ryan is a disaster and emergency communications and community engagement researcher and can speak on the response to the current floods. Media contact: Nicholas Britnell 0477 007 443 and Sarah Green 0417 799 380
These experts from the University of Southern Queensland’s climate science team are also available for comment:
- Professor Scott Power, Director of the University’s Centre for Applied Climate Science, has studied historical flooding events on Australia’s Eastern Seaboard. In 2014, he produced a paper that focused on the frequency of these major floods and the weather systems which were associated between 1860 and 2012. Professor Power and his colleague found that all of the 253 major floods during this time were linked to East Coast Lows or a Tropical Interaction.
- Dr Chelsea Jarvis at the Centre for Applied Climate Sciences can speak on the La Niña system, which is present but continuing to weaken. She says warm water near Australia is increasing the likelihood of rainfall, with the autumn forecast suggesting a greater than 50 per cent chance of receiving at least median rainfall for most of Queensland through June.
