How to prepare for the upcoming Australian storm season

With the 2023/2024 storm season upon us, it’s imperative that households across the country have an emergency kit for the worst-case scenario, should you be impacted from a severe weather event this season. Here’s a few tips on how to prepare.

Severe thunderstorm damages property

Have an emergency plan for yourself and any pets, emergency contact numbers, evacuations points, areas of the house to take shelter (underground, an inner room or bathroom is best).

An emergency kit should contain the following items.

• Water for three (3) days, or up to 10 litres per person
• Non-perishable food for three (3) days
• Portable radio
• Torch and spare batteries
• Cooking equipment
• Can opener, cutlery, plates
• Phone charger
• First aid kit
• Any medication and prescriptions
• Gloves
• Toiletries (toilet paper, sanitiser, face masks, toothpaste, soap)
• Emergency contact numbers
• Passport or identification
• Cash
• Any important documentation such as birth certificates, insurance papers etc
• Keepsake items
• Warm protective clothing and shoes
• Don't forget to store important documents in sealed plastic bags or have copies available on USB/secure online storage

Home emergency kit. Image via ACT Emergency Services Agency

When preparing your house, clean out gutters for any debris, tie down loose objects that may become flying missiles during severe weather events e.g.: trampolines, garden furniture and toys, cut down large or over hanging trees and branches that may be able to come down onto your roof during a severe weather event, disconnect electrical appliances, store cars under cover where possible (not under trees), pay attention and heed all warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology and take shelter in the strongest parts of the house, usually a bathroom or interior room and stay away from windows.

Severe thunderstorm damages property

Many businesses across Australia are also impacted each year by severe thunderstorms. Receiving Early Warnings and alerts provide not just the luxury of prior warning for businesses, but the vital margin for action. Whether it's rerouting logistics, safeguarding assets, or evacuating personnel, every minute counts. Our severe weather forecasting and alert services help businesses and organisations prepare their operations for potentially damaging events and hazards, saving people from injury and preventing downtime. Our team will work with you to create tailored solutions which work seamlessly for your business.

Some additional tips to help prevent your business for a worse-case scenario from Business Queensland include

• identifying key events and risks most likely to impact your business
• planning how to respond to key risks and incidents (e.g. changes to goods or services delivery)
• identifying staff roles and responsibilities in an emergency and share team contact details
• identifying and record customer, supplier, insurer and emergency contacts
• identifying and record local emergency alerts, warnings and contacts,  and update channels
• identifying information available on your local council's disaster dashboard
• writing an emergency evacuation plan and procedures (e.g. identify assembly points, assign roles, shutting down operations procedure)
• conducting regular emergency drills with staff/visitors and documenting in your emergency plan
• creating an event log to record information, decisions, actions, and 'before and after' damage photos for insurance purposes
• creating a recovery plan to document steps after an incident.

These may seem like extreme measures, however as the climate changes and severe weather is becoming more frequent, the need for extreme measures is becoming more commonplace.