With today's rain people's minds invariably begin to turn to the start of the 2012-13 wet season which is drawing ever nearer.

Residents of the region are invited to tour the Disaster Coordination Centre and learn about preparing for a natural disaster such as flood or a cyclone.

An open day at the Windarra Street, Woree, centre is being held tomorrow from 1pm to 6pm.

“This open day is a chance to have a look at the centre, which will be the centre of operations in the event of a natural disaster,” Mayor Bob Manning said.

“We are fortunate to have such a fantastic facility and it’s helpful for residents to know the work that goes on there.”

Visitors will be able to learn about the incident management system, how to track cyclones and follow weather forecasts, packing household emergency kits and developing household emergency plans. Footage of previous cyclones will be shown.

“In the lead-up to the wet season, we are encouraging residents to learn as much as they can about how to prepare for cyclones and floods,” Cr Manning said.

“We will have information available on storm tide risk, evacuation procedures, what to pack in your emergency kits and how to prepare your home and your family for a natural disaster.

“Cyclone preparation guides will be available in a range of languages and staff will be present to answer any questions about disaster preparation,” he said.