WHAT is it with the human obsession to stockpile industrial quantities of toilet paper during an emergency?
This strange phenomenon rose to prominence during the early part of Covid and again last week with Cyclone Alfred. I don’t recall such behaviour during yearly cyclones in north Queensland in the 70s and 80s.
Seeing others stockpiling can create a herd mentality and trigger others to do the same. There are other products which are useful during an emergency such as bottled water, batteries and non-perishable food. It’s no surprise then that these items also disappear from shelves.
There’s also a widespread fascination with sandbags.
Last week I saw little evidence of sandbags being used correctly with tarps or plastic sheeting. To whack a few sandbags against a door without stacking correctly and with no waterproof sheeting will do little to stop water getting in.
A record number of sandbags were collected last week and the most useful they’ll be is for top dressing.
Much like the obsession with toilet paper, sandbags are little more than a feelgood when a flood is looming.
Any water depth over a few centimetres at your door and water will find other ways into your home or business.
They are not a magic solution to prevent flooding when heavy rain sets in.
Is it time for a rethink on their effectiveness?
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