Home maintenance for extreme weather

All disasters are different, but all require good home preparation and maintenance plans. Based on your understanding of the risks that you face, the following checklists from Get Ready Queensland provide steps to protect what’s most important to you.

Home maintenance checklists

For all disasters

• Check the condition of the roof regularly and repair loose tiles, eaves, screws and cracked or broken guttering or flashing.
• Clean gutters and downpipes so water can drain away as quickly as possible.
• Trim trees and overhanging branches that are close to your home.
• Fix any corrosion, loose fittings and rotting or termite-affected timber.
• Repair any broken sealant around window sills to make watertight.
• Empty standing water from any containers and paddling pools that are not frequently emptied in the yard to prevent mosquito growth which can carry disease.

For severe weather

• Disconnect electrical appliances and all external television and radio aerials.
• Fill buckets and bath with clean water in case of interruptions to main supply.
• Close windows with shutters or draw curtains.
• Move outdoor equipment, garbage, chemicals and poisons to a higher location.
• Empty and raise freezers and refrigerators and stack or move furniture, valuables and electrical items off-site.
• Sandbag internal drains and toilets to prevent sewage backflow.
• Move livestock, plant and feed to higher ground.
• Park vehicles under cover, away from trees, powerlines and waterways.
• If you cannot access undercover shelter for your vehicles, secure with firmly tied blankets to minimise hail damage.
• Check all household members are safe (including your pets) and are in the strongest room in the house e.g. bathroom or laundry.
• Take your emergency kit in with you whilst sheltering from the storm or cyclone.

For cyclones, storms and potential flooding

• Identify which room is the strongest part of the house, in case you need to shelter in your home during a severe storm or cyclone. Usually this would be the smallest room in the house, with the least windows e.g. bathroom or laundry.
• Identify where and how to turn off the mains supply for water, power and gas.
• Pack your emergency and evacuation kits – ensure the location is included on your household emergency and evacuation plan.
• Store safely a spare supply of fuel for use in your vehicle.
• Have readily available hessian bags and sand for sandbagging indoor drains to prevent sewerage backwash from flooding.
• Identify loose items that would need to be secured that could cause damage if blown around in high winds (such as garden furniture and toys).
• Store all poisons well above ground level.
• Identify which indoor items you will need to raise or empty if flooding threatens your home.

More information

For more information on disaster preparedness visit Get Ready Queensland.