Capalaba disaster profile
Capalaba is a major business, retail and service centre for Redlands Coast, with significant commercial, community and recreational facilities. The suburb includes large areas of parkland and open space, including Capalaba Regional Park and Redlands IndigiScapes Centre.
On this page:
Natural hazards
All natural hazards are possible. Understanding your risk and taking steps to prepare can help reduce the impacts of a disaster.
Use the Hazard Areas interactive map layers on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard to help identify bushfire, flood/storm tide and landslide risk in your area.
Severe thunderstorms are the most common local natural hazard. Thunderstorms can develop quickly and bring heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning, resulting in localised flooding, power outages, fallen trees and debris hazards. Lightning associated with thunderstorms may also ignite bushfires.
Other potential natural hazards at Capalaba include:
Bushfire
Capalaba contains several areas of medium to high bushfire hazard, particularly in the south and west of the suburb where acreage properties and residential areas adjoin bushland. Areas around Koala Park, Maridale Park and the Capalaba Wastewater Treatment Plant are identified as having moderate to very high bushfire hazard.
Because bushfire is a risk to all properties in Redland City, all residents should have a bushfire survival plan and all properties should be bushfire ready.
You can see bushfire hazard mapping for your area on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
Properties adjacent to bushland are at higher risk of ember attack. Even if your property is not adjacent to bushland, ember attack is still a real risk as embers can travel kilometres ahead of a fire.
Council utilises a range of fire mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of bushfire on Council owned land and impact to surrounding areas. For more information, visit Bushfire risk mitigation program and check out the Planned Burn Program page for a map and list of locations.
For bushfire preparedness, visit the Queensland Fire Department website.
Flood / storm tide
Capalaba's primary flood risks are creek flooding, overland flow and flooding associated with heavy rainfall events.
Several waterways flow through the suburb, including Coolnwynpin Creek, Tingalpa Creek and the tributaries feeding Leslie Harrison Dam. When this ungated dam reaches capacity, water flows over the spillway into the lower reaches of Tingalpa Creek. Flood-prone areas include parts of Capalaba Regional Park and nearby sporting fields, while low-lying land along waterways may be affected during significant rainfall events.
Tingalpa Creek forms the boundary between Brisbane and Redland City, below Leslie Harrison dam the creek flows past open space, sporting fields and low-lying land before flowing into Waterloo Bay. Seqwater has an Emergency Action Plan for Leslie Harrison Dam to manage emergencies and potential dam failure.
Visit Catchment areas of the Redlands to find out more about the creeks and waterways in Capalaba.
Residents should check creek flood mapping and storm tide mapping information for their suburb.
Local roads and access routes may be temporarily affected during severe weather. Check the Disaster Dashboard and Flood Cameras for the latest road conditions to plan the safest routes during severe weather.
Landslide
Capalaba generally has a low risk of landslide due to the suburb's terrain.
Limited areas of low to high landslide risk have been identified around Leslie Harrison Dam, including parts of Howlett Road, Allambee Crescent and Quentin Street. These areas are predominantly characterised by larger properties and limited residential development.
You can see landslide hazard mapping for your area on the Redlands Coast Disaster Dashboard.
For more information on landslides, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Learn more about natural disaster risks on Redlands Coast.
Critical infrastructure
Critical infrastructure in Capalaba includes electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications, gas services and major transport routes.
As one of Redland City's largest business and retail centres, the suburb contains major shopping precincts, commercial and industrial areas, and community services that support residents across Redlands Coast.
Key road corridors such as Old Cleveland Road, Finucane Road and Redland Bay Road provide important access for residents and emergency services and may be affected during severe weather or disaster events.
Preparing for service disruptions
During a disaster, essential services may be disrupted for extended periods. Power outages, telecommunications interruptions, localised flooding and road closures can affect access to information, supplies and services.
Monitor official emergency information channels and prepare for the possibility of being without some services for several days. Consider how you will access emergency information if internet, mobile phone or power services have been impacted.
Ensure your household emergency kit has 5 to 7 days supply of essential items, including enough food, drinking water, medications, pet supplies and other essentials to be self-sufficient.
Loss of electricity
Power outages can occur during severe weather, flooding, bushfire or other emergency events. Be prepared for the loss of lights, refrigeration, air conditioning, electric cooking appliances and the ability to charge devices.
Stay well clear of fallen powerlines and any objects in contact with them. To report fallen powerlines, electric shocks and tingles or other electricity emergencies, call 000 or Energex on 13 19 62.
Power outages can be reported on 13 62 62, and are listed on the Disaster Dashboard or Energex Outage Finder.
Energex offer a notification service for Emergency and Planned outages visit the Energex Notifications page to register for this service.
Telecommunications interruptions
Power outages may affect mobile phone coverage, internet services and landline communications. While many mobile phone towers have battery backup systems, these operate for a limited time. NBN services, VoIP phones and cordless landline phones require power and may not operate during prolonged outages. If you have NBN, visit what happens during a power outage for information about how your connection type may be be affected.
Keep mobile devices charged and include power banks or other backup charging options in your emergency kit. Consider having alternative ways to receive emergency information if telecommunications services are disrupted.
For advice on preparing an emergency kit and planning for disruptions to critical infrastructure, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Gas, water and wastewater systems
Some properties in this suburb have on-site wastewater systems, water tanks, or use gas bottles to service hot water systems and cooking appliances. Residents should ensure gas cylinders are secure and maintained. On-site wastewater or water tank systems and may not operate during extended power outages.
Seqwater supplies bulk drinking water through the SEQ Water Grid, and Redland City Council delivers it to most properties in Redland City. Some properties use rainwater tanks. For planned and unplanned water and sewerage outages, visit the Service Interruptions page.
For advice on preparing an emergency kit and planning for disruptions to critical infrastructure, visit Get Ready Queensland.
Road and transport access
Heavy rainfall, flooding, fallen trees and storm damage may affect local roads and transport routes. Conditions can change quickly during severe weather and some roads may become unsafe or inaccessible. Visit Roads affected by local flooding for a suburb-by-suburb list of roads that have experienced flooding in the past.
Check the Disaster Dashboard and Flood Cameras for the latest road conditions.
Never drive through floodwater. If it's flooded, forget it.
Evacuation
During a disaster or emergency, local Evacuation Centres or Assembly Areas may be activated as required.
Do not travel to an Evacuation Centre or Assembly Area unless it has been announced that it is activated and open.
Check the latest evacuation advice and activated Evacuation Centres
If an evacuation is issued, follow the directions of emergency services and refer to the Evacuation in a disaster page about evacuating safely.
Residents should prepare for the possibility of evacuation by ensuring their household emergency plan and emergency kit is up-to-date.