Prepare Your Home

• Have a discussion with your family, friends and neighbours about what you will do if there is a storm.
• Schools and businesses will have emergency plans to look after children and people. You do not need to worry about their safety.
• Decide on a safe, secure and sheltered location in your home and decide on another location to go to if you need to leave. Let your family, friends and neighbours know this other location.
• Know the low-lying areas that may be flooded and find safer ways to travel.
• Know to find secure shelter if you are driving or outside, away from trees, powerlines and low-lying areas.

In tornadoes and cyclones, know a safer place you can go to in order of preference:

• A storm shelter
• A basement
• A small, interior room without windows in the lowest part of a sturdy building
• An internal hall, room or bathroom
• Under a heavy table or desk
• Identify items that can be used for protection, such as mattresses and blankets.

Work with neighbours, family and friends to plan what you can do to help each other.

Put together an emergency kit with items you may need in an emergency:

• A list of emergency numbers
• A portable battery powered radio
• A battery powered torch
• Spare batteries
• Gloves
• A first aid kit
• Candles and waterproof matches
• Important papers (insurance, certificates, passports, etc.)
• A copy of your emergency plans
• A waterproof bag

Remember to keep it in an easy to access location. Put together an Emergency Kit learn more about other items you’d include in an emergency kit.

Make a Home Emergency Plan for your family that outlines what you would do in an emergency

Consider where you’ll go and how you’ll get in contact with each other along with any special circumstances or considerations for your household. Remember that storms and other emergencies can happen at any time of day so think about where members of your household may be (school, work, commuting), how you’ll get in touch with them and where you can meet up.

Try to identify how you will manage in these circumstances and who you may be able to get additional support from. Make sure that everyone knows what the plan is. 

• Do not travel unless you absolutely need to.
• Secure or put away items that could blow around in strong winds.
• Seek secure shelter away from trees, powerlines and low-lying areas.
• In a cyclone or tornado, go to a safer shelter immediately.
• Move vehicles under cover, away from trees, powerlines and low-lying areas.
• Bring children and pets indoors and keep away from windows.
• If driving, find secure shelter away from trees, powerlines, and low-lying areas Turn around at flooded roads and find a safer way to go to seek shelter.
• Listen to local media for information, updates and advice.
• Follow all advice from emergency services.

If you are trapped by rising flooding, seek refuge in the highest part of a sturdy building (do not go into roof cavities) or on high ground. Stay there and call (Triple Zero) 000 if you need to be rescued. This is a life-threatening situation.