Prepare your home and property

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Maintain your home and property

Regular maintenance can help reduce the impacts of severe weather and other natural hazards. Consider the following actions to help protect your home and property:

  • Check the condition of the roof and arrange for the repair of loose tiles, eaves and roof screws
  • Clear gutters and downpipes of debris so water can drain away quickly and reduce fire risk
  • Trim trees and branches that overhang your home (be careful of any overhead powerlines)
  • Secure loose items around your property and garden that could cause damage if blown around in strong winds (such as outdoor furniture, garbage bins, trampolines and toys)
  • Regularly review your emergency plans, emergency kit and local hazard information, and stay up-to-date with official weather and hazard warnings.

Hazards around your home

Understand the hazards that may affect your area and regularly review how you would respond to severe weather, bushfire, flooding and other disasters. 

Reduce storm and cyclone hazards around your home

Understanding your risk and taking practical steps around your property can help reduce storm and cyclone damage. Some actions include:
  • Fit windows with shutters or metal screens for added protection during high winds
  • Arrange for a qualified professional to assess your home and identify ways to improve its resilience to severe weather
  • Secure or store loose outdoor items that could become hazardous in strong winds
  • Regularly maintain roofs, gutters, trees and other structures that may be damaged during severe weather.

Visit Queensland Government for information about preparing your home for disasters and what to do when severe storm or cyclone warnings are issued.

Reduce bushfire hazards around your property

Create a fire break around your home or property to help reduce bushfire risk by:
  • Mowing grass regularly
  • Keeping grass green and well watered
  • Removing excess ground fuel such as vegetation, leaves and wood
  • Removing excess ladder fuels (materials that allow a fire to climb into vegetation)
  • Clearing leaves from gutters, downpipes and roofs
  • Trimming low-lying branches around your home to at least two metres above the ground
  • Removing unnecessary fuel and combustible materials stored on or around your property
  • Avoiding the storage of combustible materials against homes, sheds and fences, or near livestock and areas of environmental or cultural significance.

To assess your home's bushfire resilience, visit the Resilient Building Council website and use the free Bushfire Resilience Rating Home Self-Assessment App for a customised action plan to help you identify practical steps to reduce bushfire risk and improve your property's resilience.

Visit Queensland Fire Department for more information about Preparing for bushfires around your home and property.

Removing flood risks around your property

If your property is at risk of flooding, there are a range of steps you can take to help reduce impacts on your home, including:

  • Store all chemicals and poisons above ground level in case of flash flooding
  • Identify which indoor items you will need to raise or empty if flooding threatens your home (e.g. freezers and refrigerators).
  • Consider alternatives to carpet floor coverings in flood-prone areas.
  • Consider relocating electrical sockets and power points above expected flood levels.
Visit Queensland Government for guidance on preparing for floods to reduce flood impacts on your home and property.

Check your insurance cover

The Insurance Council of Australia provides guidance to help you understand whether your insurance policy meets your needs. Make sure you know what your policy does and doesn’t cover.

Stay informed during disasters

When severe weather or other hazards are forecast, monitor official warnings and follow the advice of emergency services and relevant authorities.

Check the Disaster warnings and alerts page for how to stay informed and keep up-to-date. 

 

Get sandbags early, as soon as severe weather is forecast, not when a warning is issued. Prepare in advance if your property is flood‑prone. Learn more on our Sandbags and sandbag stations page.

Don’t wait for raindrops - prepare your home for severe weather

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