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The Tropical Cyclone Coastal Impacts Program (TCCIP) in the early 1990's showed that there was a need for an age appropriate tropical cyclone awareness educational package to assist children in their understanding of the risks associated with tropical cyclones. In response to the research from the TCCIP the Centre for Disaster Studies in conjunction with the Bureau of Meteorology developed 'Stormwatchers' an interactive cyclone awareness game for children. The game was first developed as an interactive CD ROM package that was distributed throughout Queensland schools and was later modified for Western Australia. Throughout the late 90's the game was seen as an important educational tool for cyclone awareness and preparedness across Queensland.
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In 2006 severe category 4 Tropical Cyclone Larry crossed the North Queensland coast, severely devastating the small rural communities of Innisfail, Babinda and surrounding areas. The effect of Tropical Cyclone Larry on these small communities was devastating. Children were severely effected with 13% of primary school children and 5% of high school children experienced 'severe' or 'very severe' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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Stormwatchers was once again seen as a relevant education awareness tool for children and a partnership between Queensland Mental Health, James Cook University's Centre for Disaster Studies, Emergency Management Queensland, Queensland Education and the Bureau of Meteorology was established with funding from Emergency Management Australia to upgrade and expand the Stormwatchers game to be relevant and accessible to children across Northern Australia.
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The new version of Stormwatchers is a 3D interactive web based game. It has been expanded from the original to include the psychological effects of tropical cyclones to children and tools that allow children to create an emergency action plan for their house. There are links in the game to all state agencies responsible for emergency management across tropical Australia to ensure children and their families have access to the most up to-date information available.
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The game is designed to be practical and appropriate for children across tropical Australia. The game allows children to choose the state in which they live to create their own cyclone experience by working through one of 5 'true-to-life' cyclone scenarios with one of the game's characters. The game provides children with the skills to enable them to be better prepared in a real cyclone situation.
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Along the way they learn how to help prepare their home for a tropical cyclone, interpret cyclone warning systems while they track and plot the approach of a tropical cyclone in their region. They will ascertain and purchase emergency kit supplies, prepare a family emergency plan and identify a safe place to shelter with information provided that is specific to each states emergency procedures. The game is aimed at children in the 7 to 13-year-old bracket but there is information presented in the quiz and fact book that will be informative for the whole family.
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Instructions:
- Download the Stormwatchers game to your desktop.
- Double click the Stormwatchers game and click on "install". (It will create a folder called "Storm Watchers" on the desktop which contains the game.
- Double click the new Stormwatchers folder to go into it.
- Double click the new Stormwatchers.exe (with the cyclone icon) to run the game.
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To download the Stormwatchers game, click here (161MB)
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