Respond to an emergency
Know what to do in an emergency. Learn who to contact, where to find updates and how Council and the SES can help.
What to do in a natural disaster or emergency
In an emergency or natural disaster, keeping everyone safe is our priority.
Brisbane’s climate and unique landscape mean it experiences floods, bushfires and severe storms. Sometimes they happen with little warning, so you need to know your risk.
During a severe weather event, activate your emergency response plan and:
- stay informed by looking out for alerts and instructions from local authorities and emergency services
- evacuate if necessary and safe
- ask for help if you need it.
Check local alerts and service outages
Knowing what’s going on helps you take the right action to protect your family, pets and property.
Storms, floods and bushfires can all bring down power lines, force road closures and impact essential services.
Our emergency dashboard has the latest warnings and alerts about outages impacting Brisbane.
Check the dashboard for information on:
- road hazards and incidents, such as flooded roads and fallen trees
- weather warnings
- power outages
- evacuation centres
- flooding.
You can also listen to ABC Radio Brisbane and check Council's Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to stay informed.
Other alerts or warnings to look out for in an emergency
These are SMS text messages, pop-up alerts or recorded messages sent to subscribers. They include severe weather warnings, creek flooding and high tide alerts.
The Emergency Alert Service is a Queensland Government service that sends SMS or recorded messages from the number 0444 444 444. They include warnings about bushfires and extreme weather events near you.
Check the Bureau of Meteorology website or app for warnings on extreme weather, flooding and sea levels.
Emergency services use these for urgent announcements. They may also door-knock affected areas to pass on warnings.
Look out for Council’s Automated Flooded Road Warning Systems (AFRWS). These highly visible LED road signs warn motorists of flooded road conditions in flood-prone locations.
AFRWS are automatically activated when floodwater levels become unsuitable for safe passage. The solar powered LED signs display “ROAD CLOSED AHEAD” and/or “ROAD CLOSED – NO ENTRY”, ensuring they’re visible both night and day.
For more information about the AFRWS initiative:
-
write to:
Automated Flooded Road Warning Systems
Transport Planning and Operations
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001
The Australian Warning System is a national approach to information and warnings during emergencies such as bushfire, flood, storm, extreme heat and other severe weather.
Ensure you are familiar with the meaning behind each of the 3 warning levels. Find out more about the Australian Warning System.
Evacuate if necessary
Staying in your home during a flood, severe storm or bushfire might put you at risk. Evacuate to avoid immediate dangers like falling debris, rising water levels or hazardous substances.
If you plan to evacuate, do so early. Roads or other exit routes may flood or become congested. Tell friends, family or neighbours that you’re evacuating and where you intend to go.
Evacuation centres
Evacuation centres offer temporary shelter, food and water. They stay open until it’s safe to return to your home or alternate accommodation.
Use our emergency dashboard to find:
- evacuation centres currently open in the Brisbane local government area
- links to neighbouring councils’ emergency dashboards with details of other evacuation centres.
Where possible:
- turn off electricity, water, gas or solar power
- raise furniture, clothing and valuables onto beds and tables or into roof space (electrical items should be raised the highest)
- empty freezers and refrigerators, leaving doors open (to minimise damage or loss if they float)
- put sandbags in the toilet bowl and over all laundry and bathroom drain holes to prevent sewage backflow
- lock your home and take the recommended evacuation route for your area.
Follow your emergency plan
Your emergency plan should cover:
- your central contact point in case you get separated
- phone numbers for everyone in your household and any emergency contacts
- how you’ll look after your pets.
Take your emergency kit
Your emergency kit should include:
- essential items including clothing, medication, your mobile phone and charger
- supplies for your pet
- a copy of your emergency plan
- any important insurance and other business documents.
Let people know you're safe
When you’ve evacuated to a safe location, let your friends and family know where you are.
You can register your location on Register.Find.Reunite. It’s a national service by the Red Cross that matches registrations to enquiries made by loved ones.
If you remain in your home, or when you return:
Do not:
Get emergency assistance
The State Emergency Service (SES) is a volunteer organisation that provides support to the community in times of emergency and disaster.
SES members are highly skilled, unpaid volunteers who receive ongoing training to help vulnerable members of the community during or after emergencies.
Any Queensland resident over 16 years of age can become an SES volunteer. For more information about SES membership, visit the SES website.
The SES can assist in times of flood, including emergency sandbagging (for the elderly, infirm, or members of the public with a disability or medical condition that prevents them from helping themselves), and other emergencies as required.
Severe weather can cause damage to roofs and structures and bring down trees.
The SES can help with providing temporary, emergency storm damage repairs to habitable areas of private residences.
Other major functions of the Brisbane SES include:
- helping Queensland Police Service (QPS) with missing person and forensic searches
- assisting QPS with public safety during large public events
- providing community education to help the community to be more resilient.
Call the Brisbane City State Emergency Service (SES) on 132 500 or log your request online.
Council's role in an emergency
In the event of an emergency, Council's role is to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
We coordinate other government, non-government and community organisations in responding to the impacts from disasters in the Brisbane Local Government Area.
Our job is to help you prepare, respond and recover from emergencies and natural disasters.
Everything we do is guided by our Local Disaster Management Plan.
Local Disaster Management Plan
The Local Disaster Management Plan outlines what we do before, during and after a natural disaster. It details how Council works with other organisations and how the community can prepare and stay safe during an emergency.
Call the SES on 132 500 for non-life-threatening flood and storm emergency assistance during severe weather events. For example, if you need help with:
- emergency storm damage repairs to your home
- access to your home if it's blocked by a fallen tree
- flooding or the immediate risk of flooding in your home
- emergency sandbagging if you are elderly, frail, have a disability or medical condition.
Phone Triple Zero (000) for other emergency situations such as:
- fire
- medical emergency
- rescue
- lost persons
- vehicle accidents.
During a disaster, animal owners can contact:
- Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (for zoos and wildlife handlers) on 13 25 23
- Office of Racing (for the racing industry) on 13 74 68.
Council’s animal disaster management guidelines offer information and advice for the commercial animal industry. Use the guide to plan and prepare for a potential emergency.