Prepare for an emergency
Learn how to prepare for a flood, storm and bushfire. Use our resources to make an emergency plan for your home or business.
Living in Brisbane means you need to be ready for unexpected weather and possible emergencies.
Intense storms can strike quickly during storm season and cause flooding. Dry conditions can make vegetation prone to bushfires.
Being prepared for an emergency helps you to act swiftly if the weather turns bad or a natural disaster happens. Careful preparation keeps you, your home and your business safe.
How to prepare for an emergency
Follow the steps to prepare for an emergency so you know what to do before a flood, storm or bushfire strikes.
Everyone’s level of risk is different. Understand the likelihood of flooding, storms or a bushfire affecting your property and ensure you know where to find the latest alerts and information.
Use our tools to help you check your risk and register for Brisbane Severe Weather Alert.
Include enough supplies for everyone in your home or business. Don’t forget your pet’s needs and supplies.
Outline how your household or business will respond to an emergency. This helps everyone understand what they need to do in a disaster. Make sure to rehearse your emergency plan regularly.
Pack your emergency kit
An emergency kit has the essential supplies you need when a flood, bushfire or storm forces you to:
- evacuate in a hurry
- manage with no electricity or water
- stay indoors when it’s unsafe to leave the property.
Everyone’s emergency kit will look different, so think about your situation and pack what's right for you.
Items to pack include:
- a portable, battery-operated radio (with spare batteries)
- waterproof torch
- first aid kit
- essential medications and prescription details
- toiletry and sanitary supplies
- drinking water in sealed containers
- canned or dried food with can opener and utensils
- copies of important documents (insurances, driver licence, passport)
- cash
- household emergency plan with contact numbers of family and friends
- mobile phone and charger
- sealable waterproof bags
- tools such as pliers, utility knife and scissors
- waterproof gloves
- spare clothes and bedding in the event you need to evacuate.
Make an emergency plan
An emergency plan helps everyone know what to do in a disaster.
Review and rehearse your plan regularly. Practising ensures everyone understands their role in an emergency. It can also identify potential issues, such as obstacles in an evacuation route.
Your plan should include:
- household or business contact details
- contact information for family and friends
- evacuation routes that consider potential hazards such as flash flooding
- instructions for how to turn off utilities such as power and water
- meeting places in case you need to evacuate
- personal medical information
- your household roles during each potential emergency.
Help with preparing an emergency plan
Visit Get Ready Queensland to make your emergency plan today.
To create a bushfire survival plan, visit the Queensland Fire Department website.
Disaster preparedness and response for people with disability
Personal emergency preparedness and planning is key to knowing what you will do to protect yourself, your family and your animals in a natural disaster such as a flood or bushfire. This is particularly important if you or someone you live with or care for is living with a disability, as you may need more time, additional resources, and support.
A range of tools and resources have been developed in partnership with the Queenslanders with Disability Network, Queensland Government, the University of Sydney and the Community Services Industry Australia. These tools are for people with a disability, service providers working with people with a disability and emergency service organisations for use in developing a personal emergency preparedness plan.
It is important for people with a disability, or people who live with or care for a person with a disability to:
- identify your strengths and support needs in everyday life
- know your level of emergency preparedness and learn about your disaster risk
- plan for how you will manage your support needs in an emergency
- communicate your plan to the people in your support network and address gaps through collaboration.
If you want to discuss a Person-Centred Emergency Plan (P-CEP) with a person with a disability who is developing their own emergency plan, view How to be a person-centred conversation partner at every step of the P-CEP.
Further emergency plan resources for people with disability and seniors are also available from Queenslanders with Disability Network and Australian Red Cross.
How to prepare your home
Preparing your home can reduce the impact of a storm, bushfire or flood.
Be prepared for storm season
- Regularly trim trees, branches and mow your grass.
- Check and maintain your roof, gutters and downpipes.
- Identify where and how to turn off your gas, electricity, solar power and water supply.
- Repair any broken seals or gaps around windows and door frames.
- If renting, inform your landlord or property manager of any maintenance issues that require attention.
Be prepared for bushfire
- Clear space around buildings.
- Clear and remove undergrowth near buildings.
- Fill in any gaps around windows, door frames and eaves.
- Protect larger under-deck areas with non-flammable screens.
- Keep your yard tidy by cleaning up bark, leaves and twigs.
- Make sure your property has clear access for fire trucks.
The Queensland Fire Department has more information on making sure your property is prepared for bushfire.
You can also learn how to protect yourself and your family from the impacts of smoke.
- Secure or remove any loose objects from your yard, deck or balcony.
- Keep all rubbish, leaf litter, fuel containers and fuel away from the house.
- If flooding is likely, ensure valuables are stored up high.
- Make sure you know what your property is protected for.
- Check that your policies are up to date.
Severe weather events can be unsettling for animals.
Pack an emergency kit with your pet in mind to look after them during an emergency.
Include the following essentials in the kit.
There are more ways you can be prepared and plan ahead for your pets.
- Check your fences are intact so they can’t escape.
- Make sure they have a safe area with enough shelter and bedding.
- Make plans with a friend, family member or neighbour who they could go to if needed.
Find more tips and checklists to protect your pet at Get Ready Queensland.
Download the guide for more information on how to prepare your home for flooding.
Video: Prepare for storm season
Watch our video to learn how to prepare your home for storm season.
>>Brisbane is a subtropical city and is prone to storms and floods, so it's important to prepare your family, pets, and property.
This video will cover how to prepare your property ahead of storm season, what to do before, during, and after a storm, and where you can seek information to be prepared for this weather.
We recommend preparing your home in August to September ahead of the summer storm season, which generally occurs from October until the end of March, but these storms can happen at any time of the year.
The first step is to check and clean your roof, gutters, and downpipes. You also need to trim any tree branches, and it's recommended that you arrange an arborist to check the health of any big trees hanging over your home.
You also need to identify loose objects like outdoor furniture or toys that will need to be secured or removed if a storm approaches.
During heavy rainfall, your roof could leak, and you'll need protection, so now is a good time to buy plastic sheeting to use in the event of an emergency. If your home is prone to flooding, you can move items to higher ground and collect sandbags to have on hand to use during heavy rainfall.
There are many ways you can stay alert to severe weather approaching your area. You can sign up to receive alerts through the Brisbane Severe Weather Alert Service.
Council's emergency dashboard will display current road closures, power outages, and warnings relevant to the storm event.
Now that you've prepared your property for storm season, let's go through what to do when a storm is forecast.
Before a storm or when it is approaching, you can charge your mobile phone, check reliable social media accounts for information, and tune in to local radio stations for weather updates. Cover or shelter your vehicles and secure your pets.
During the storm, you should stay inside, ideally in the strongest part of your home. This is the place with the least number of windows, often a bathroom or hallway.
You also need to tune in to local radio stations for weather updates. If you're not at home, find shelter in nearby buildings or your vehicle and stay away from trees.
After the storm passes, you can check for damage and do any emergency repairs or waterproofing. Make sure you avoid fallen power lines and check in on your neighbours to see if they need any help.
One key way to be prepared is to go to the Council's website and sign up for Brisbane Severe Weather Alerts. You can opt to receive alerts via SMS, email, or recorded phone calls. While you're there, be sure to make your household emergency plan.
Stay safe this storm season and be prepared.
How to use sandbags
Sandbags can reduce the impact of flooding on your property when used correctly.
Learn how to collect, store and use sandbags, before including them in your emergency plans.
Where to collect sandbags
Pre-filled sandbags are available all year round during severe weather events.
Collect your sandbags from:
- Darra - South Depot, 38 Shamrock Road
- Lota Depot, 58 Herbert Street, Lota
- Morningside - Balmoral Depot, 9 Redfern Street
- Newmarket - SES Depot, 66 Wilston Road
- Zillmere - North Depot, 33 Jennings Street.
Check your vehicle’s weight restrictions before loading. One sandbag weighs approximately 18–20 kilograms.
How to store sandbags
Store sandbags in a cool area out of direct sunlight and protected from the elements.
When stored correctly, sandbags can last up to 12 months before use.
Tips for using sandbags
Place sandbags in front of doorways, roller doors and drainage holes.
- Put plastic sheeting down, then lay sandbags on top.
- Lay sandbags against a structure to stop them moving.
- Lay sandbags with the long edges facing the flow of water.
- Stagger the rows of sandbags so the joins don’t line up.
- Dispose of used sandbags at resource recovery centres.
Watch our video to learn how to use and dispose of sandbags in a severe weather event.
Video: Working with sandbags
>>I'm Ash Pringle from Brisbane City SES. During storm season, one of the ways we protect homes from flood and stormwater is with these: sandbags. When used properly, sandbags can dramatically reduce and minimise flood and stormwater damage to homes.
But today, I'm going to show you how you can use sandbags at your place if summer storms or floods threaten your home.
Here in Brisbane during the storm season, Brisbane City Council makes available stockpiles of pre-filled sandbags available 24/7, free of charge from these Council locations.
We can use sandbags in a few different situations. Sandbags probably do their best work when they're used to divert stormwater away from entering your home, but sandbags can also be used when we are expecting flood waters to rise from a local creek, a storm surge, or an especially high tide. But before we start, it is important to understand a few things about sandbags.
First, they are not actually waterproof themselves. To keep water out, they need to be used together with plastic sheeting or a tub of some kind.
Second, sandbags are very heavy, especially when they are wet. If you're going to be placing more than a few, you're probably going to need a few people helping you. Today I've got my team of SES volunteers working with me.
Now, our aim is to stop flood and stormwater entering through a doorway or entry to your home, so we need to look at the area we're going to place our sandbags first.
Ideally, we want that area to be as flat as possible. If we place sandbags over garden edging or on uneven ground, it is going to limit how well they work. You should also consider how you're going to get in and out of your house with the sandbags in place.
The next step is to secure our plastic in place. The first row of sandbags will hold that plastic down and stop it from moving. Sandbags should only ever be half filled because we need to be able to mould them into shape.
The easiest way is with your boot. It flattens out the sandbag and closes the gap between them. Notice, too, how on the first row, the top of the bag is tucked under itself. One row of sandbags usually stands about half a foot or 10 centimetres tall. This may be all you need but, if not, another layer can be added.
It's just like laying bricks. By offsetting the bags like a brick wall, we build a stronger barrier. If you need to build a longer wall, you should build it in a crescent shape, arcing out towards the water. A wall this shape will be stronger than a straight wall, and if you need to build your sandbag wall higher, you need to build your walls so the base is 3 times as thick as the top.
Building a sandbag levee is long, hot and hard work, so while my team is busy, let's see where else in your house sandbags can help you when flooding is expected.
Sinks, showers and toilets all have drains that can backflow during flooding. Placing sandbags over them can be helpful to plug them up and keep the mess outside.
This is the finished product. It took over 60 sandbags and a team of well-trained SES volunteers around 30 minutes to build, but at best sandbags are only a temporary solution. Even when laid properly, they're only meant to last a few hours.
The sandbags will start to fall apart after about 6 weeks. Because of this, and because used sandbags often contain contaminants from flood and stormwater, they can't be reused or returned to the Council depot.
Instead, you need to dispose of them at a Brisbane City Council transfer station, and this is best done before they start falling apart.
Working near flood or stormwater can be dangerous, and hygiene is really important. Stormwater almost always carries contaminants and all sorts of nasty stuff. Cuts need to be treated with antiseptic, and gloves and boots should be worn at all times, and don't underestimate the power of running water. Nothing is more important than the safety of you and your family.
For more information on how to prepare for severe weather this summer, visit Brisbane City Council's website or call Council on 07 3403 8888.
Prepare your business
Plan ahead to reduce the impact of a flood, storm of bushfire on your business.
Follow these tips and adapt them to suit your business.
- Identify potential risks, including bushfire or flooding.
- Pack an emergency kit.
- Make an emergency plan so everyone knows what to do in an emergency.
- Create a business continuity plan and update it regularly.
- Assign tasks for staff to carry out before, during and after an emergency or natural disaster.
- Develop an evacuation plan and rehearse it regularly.
- Circulate a list of emergency contact numbers, including staff contacts.
- Organise training in evacuation and first aid procedures for your staff.
- Keep enough stock on hand to supply your business and customers after an emergency or natural disaster.
- Identify any vehicles and equipment that may need relocation or protection during an emergency.
- Ensure you have spare parts on site to keep equipment operational after an emergency or natural disaster.
- Obtain a generator and fuel, if needed, to maintain your business during a power outage.
- Establish reciprocal help arrangements with similar businesses to provide support during and after an emergency.
A business continuity plan details what your business will do before, during and after an emergency.
A continuity plan helps you:
- identify, prevent and reduce risks
- prepare for risks you can’t control
- respond and recover in a crisis.
Use our business continuity plan template to:
- identify what documents are critical to your business
- develop an incident response plan for your workplace
- review and improve your data security and backup arrangements.
- Make sure that your insurance covers your business in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
- Check with your insurance company whether there are any specific preparations you need to make for extreme weather.
- Regularly review and update your insurance, especially when your business grows or changes.
- Trim overhanging branches.
- Secure or remove loose items outside your property.
- Check and maintain your roof, gutters and downpipes.
- If applicable, create a wide firebreak around your building(s).
Get more information on natural disaster support for your business.
Download the guide for more information on how to prepare your business for flooding.
Planning for animals in a disaster
There are specific guidelines for the commercial animal industry. Use these to develop or update your disaster management plans.
Download the animal disaster management guidelines for advice on:
- when and where you should evacuate your animals
- what to consider if you have to temporarily close your business.
Frequently asked questions
Before a storm hits:
- trim tree branches well clear of your property
- check and clean your roof, gutters and downpipes
- remove or secure any loose objects in your yard or on your deck or balcony.
As a storm approaches:
- make sure you have your mobile phone close by and fully charged
- park your vehicle undercover or cover it with tarpaulins or blankets
- disconnect electrical devices
- listen to local radio stations for information
- shelter and secure your pets and animals, but do not tie up pets outside.
We have a range of tools and resources to help you check your risk of a flood, bushfire or severe weather.
Use our Flood Awareness Map and learn about bushfire to check your risk.
You can use our free tips and resources to prepare your business for a flood, bushfire or severe storm.
Business Queensland also has resources available for: