Getting ready early and having a plan of what you will do during storms will keep you and your animals safe, and help prevent damage to your home and property.
Preparing for storm season
- Get your home safe and ready — check fences, roofs and gutters; make any repairs that are needed.
- Trim branches near your home and near powerlines.
- Clean gutters and downpipes regularly; secure loose roof tiles/sheets.
- If you have equipment like trampolines and barbecues, have everything you need to tie these down and know where they are kept.
- Ensure your home, contents and car insurance is current and covers your assets adequately.
- Identify which room is the strongest part of the house in case you need to shelter in your home during a severe thunderstorm. Usually this would be the smallest room in the house with the fewest windows.
- Install the Bureau of Meteorology weather app on your phone and bookmark the BOM warnings page and radar on computers so you can track storms in your area.
If storms are forecast ...
- Move cars under cover and away from trees
- Cover cars with firmly tied blankets or hail covers if you can't get your car under cover
- Put away or secure loose items like outdoor furniture, pot plants and play equipment
- Create a safe place for your pets out of the storm
- Protect your electrical appliances from possible damage from outages
- Check your emergency kit is ready
- Check your battery-powered radio works
- Check on neighbours, friends and family members to see if they are safe and prepared
- Figure out where the storm is coming from and think about which areas will provide the most shelter
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Make a storm plan for your livestock
Emergency WA says planning ahead is the best way to keep livestock safe during storms.
- Do a risk assessment of your property — Identify areas of your property least likely to flood.
- Identify hazards — Think about potential hazards (e.g. powerlines, trees).
- Do your research — What direction do most storm fronts come from in your area? Where can animals shelter from storms?
- Stay up to date with weather forecasts — Move stock early if storms and severe weather are likely.
- Know where your livestock can shelter — Can they stay in their usual paddock? Are there parts of your property where flooding is less likely?
- Ask for help — Write a list of people and organisations who can help you with your animals if there's a warning issued.
- Tell someone your plan — Tell your immediate family as well as friends and neighbours about your plan.
Emergency services
Stay up to date with BOM warnings. The bureau monitors storm conditions and gives regular updates. The BOM radar gives you a scalable view of the intensity and direction of any rainfall.
If storms or cold weather are likely to affect livestock such as lambs and sheep, a warning to graziers will be issued.
For assistance with storm damage, call the SES on 132 500. If your life is at risk, call triple-0.
Stay listening to your local ABC radio station for regular updates when a storm warning is issued.