2. Our Local Hazards

Learning intentions:

  • Identify which hazards are most likely to occur in the local area.
  • Interpret risk maps to determine which locations could be impacted by a hazard event.

Activity 1: Brainstorming hazards ( 10 minutes)

Storms, floods and bushfires can be dangerous and pose a risk to people and property. Recognising local hazards is the first step to becoming disaster resilient.

  1. In groups, list as many natural hazards as you can.

Student lists will be likely to include flood, storm, bushfire, tsunami, earthquake, cyclone, tornado, heatwave, drought, snow/ice storm, volcano and disease.

  1. Circle the hazards that could occur in your own local area.

Teacher note: The most common natural hazards in Victoria are floods, storms and bushfires.

Activity 2: Hazard investigation (15 minutes)

  1. Watch the video ‘FloodSafe: Be Prepared.’
  2. List some of the impacts flood can have on people and property.

  1. Watch the video of the Christmas Day Storms in 2011′.
  2. List some of impacts severe storms can have on people and property.

  1. Watch the video ‘Lessons from the past: Three major Victorian bushfires.’
  2. List some of the impacts bushfires can have on people and property.

Activity 3: Your local hazards (15 minutes)

One of the first steps in becoming disaster resilient is to identify the hazards in the environment where we live, work or travel. Storms, floods and bushfires all present different dangers that we must be aware of.

In pairs or small groups:

  1. Go to emergency.vic.gov.au
  2. Click on ‘Prepare and Get Ready’.
  3. Type your school or home address into the search bar
  4. Click on Filter. In the drop down menu, select ‘Bushfire History -50 years’.

Small group discussion

  1. What do the red areas mean?
  2. Has there been a bushfire in your area in the past 50 years? How close did it come to your school or house?
  3. Could there be a bushfire in your area in the future?

In pairs or small groups

  1. Go to emergency.vic.gov.au
  2. Click on ‘Prepare and Get Ready’.
  3. Type your school or home address into the search bar
  4. Click on Filter. In the drop down menu, select ‘Flood likelihood – 100 years’.

Small group discussion

  1. What do the blue areas mean?
  2. Could other parts of your community be flooded?
  3. Could your house or school be flooded in the next 100 years?

Extension activity ( 5 minutes)

Lead the class in a reflective discussion about the lesson. You could ask:

  • How did this activity change your understanding of your local hazards?
  • After your investigations which hazards are of most concern to you? Why?