A natural disaster can:
- do lots of damage to things around us
- isolate people from shops, family, school and work
- put people's lives in danger.
Types of natural disasters include:
- a flood, when there's too much rain
- a heatwave, very hot weather that goes for a long time
- a bushfire, a scrub or forest fire that spreads quickly.
A natural disaster is an emergency. Take steps now to protect:
- yourself
- your family
- your pets
- your home.
This helps you plan ahead so you know what to do during an emergency. When creating your plan, you should:
- consider if it's safer to stay or leave your home during an emergency, plan for both options
- find routes to leave your home which avoid potential hazards like flash flooding across the road
- pick meeting places in case you get separated from your family or need to leave home
- include your pets in your plan.
Create your emergency plan
This is a box or bag of things you might need during an emergency. For example:
- a first aid kit - include items like bandages and scissors
- long-life food, this may include canned food and don't forget a can opener
- a torch
- bottled water
- a battery powered radio
- spare batteries
- a mobile phone and charger
- portable power bank.
Prepare your emergency kit checklist
Place your documents in a plastic box or bag. These may include:
- driver's license
- passport
- birth certificate
- some spare cash
- insurance documents.
Ways neighbours can help each other before and during a disaster:
- clean gutters and trim trees near your homes
- make a phone call to check in or share important information about a disaster
- provide a place of shelter or access to power
Prepare your family and home for a disaster video transcript
- Cut any branches that are hanging over your house
- Clean your gutters and rain pipes
- Tie down things that could blow away
- Remove all rubbish leaf litter, firewood and fuel containers near your house
- Ensure your wastewater overflow relief gully is clear of obstruction and stormwater does not flow into it from roof downpipes
- Mow your grass regularly
- Identify where and how to turn off the mains supply (water, electricity and gas)
- Stay up-to-date on what's happening in your area
- Listen to local radio stations
- Visit the Disaster dashboard
- Register to Logan Early Warning to receive alerts
- Call 000 in life threatening emergency.
- Check on your pets
- Check on your neighbours
- Watch out for wildlife (e.g. spiders and snakes)
- Return home only when safe to do so
- Following the disaster, check your home for damage and record details for potential insurance claims
Flood
- Move furniture to high places out of floodwater
- Move cars to higher ground
- Never drive into floodwater
- Plan to leave your home if you need to, know the way out of your suburb,
Bushfire
- Move cars to safer ground
- Leave if you need to -Tell family where you are going
- If you stay - Close windows, seal gaps under doors, fill containers with water like baths, buckets and bins
- Plan an escape route away from your suburb
Heatwave
- Stay inside if possible
- Close curtains and blinds
- Avoid strenuous exercise
- Drink 2 to 3 litres of water
- Call a doctor if you feel unwell
- Never leave children or pets in cars
Storm
- Don't touch fallen powerlines
- Secure loose items around the house
- Park vehicle undercover or cover with blankets
- Unplug electrical items not being used
Plan ahead
- Buy a pet carrier for smaller pets. A collapsible crate can be helpful for larger pets.
- Include items for your pets in your emergency kit like food and vaccination records, see on our checklist.
- Identify your pets with a collar that has their Council registration tag and name tag with your phone number.
- Make sure your pet's microchip details are up-to-date.
- Check that your planned evacuation location allows pets, or see if your pet can stay with friends or family. Council' Animal Management Centre will also be able to provide safe housing for domestic pets (not livestock) during a disaster.
During a disaster
- Place pets in separate rooms with small or preferably no windows like your laundry or bathroom.
- If you need to move pets to a safer location, do it early.
- If staying home, secure animals indoors.
- Do not tie animals up outside.
- Do not leave pets in vehicles.
- Put food and water in large, heavy bowls.
After a disaster
- Don't let your pets loose in your house or yard until you have had a chance to check for hazards and damage like broken fences or fallen powerlines.
- If you lose your pet, contact our Animal Management Centre on 07 3412 5397 or visit 213 Queens Road, Kingston. You can also check with neighbouring Council's and other welfare agencies
Stay informed
When we know, you'll know. We use these tools to stay informed and we've made them available for all Logan residents to allow you to plan, prepare for and respond to severe weather events.
Tune into radio for the latest emergency updates
- River 94.9FM
- ABC 612AM
- 101FM
Visit the Disaster Dashboard for real-time updates during a disaster.
Know your risks
Enter your address into Logan PD Hub's flood report for flood hazard and level information specific to your home.
Logan PD Hub.
More information