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BEFORE
Residents in affected areas should start preparing for a cyclone as soon as the first warnings appear.
Make an emergency kit and plan
Your emergency kit should contain everything your home needs to survive the days of service without access to electricity or clean water.
This should include:
Enough water for three days: about 10 liters per person
Enough non-perishable food for three days and cutlery, can opener and plates.
Kitchen equipment: portable stove and fuel.
Self-powered items including radio, flashlights and portable charger.
First aid kit
Essential medicines
Warm and protective clothing.
Toiletries
Important documents (sealed in plastic bags)
Money
Litter
pet supplies
Additional batteries
Your household should also prepare an emergency plan and know how to turn off the main water, electricity and gas supplies.
Your plan should include which local shelter you will go to if necessary, the best route from your home to the shelter, what you will leave behind in an emergency situation, what room you will take shelter in, and how you will stay in touch with friends and family.
QFES also recommends filling your vehicle with fuel and parking it in a protected area in case you need to evacuate.
Check your property
Properties in the line of fire of a cyclone must be free of projectiles that cause injury or damage.
QFES recommends cleaning gutters and downspouts, removing shade sails, moving caravans and boats to a covered area or anchoring them securely to the ground and pruning dangerous trees.
All outdoor furniture, including trampolines and garden pots, should be moved indoors or tied down.
Homeowners should also check that window and door seals are in good condition.
Check your neighborhood
Contact your local council or energy supplier if you see any trees on your street that could fall and damage homes or power lines.
CYCLONE DAY
On days when the cyclone is forecast to affect your area, QFES recommends closely monitoring local warnings.
Households should also:
Fill emergency containers with drinking water.
Close all windows and consider placing plastic sheeting inside to prevent wind-driven rain.
Make sure everyone and all pets are inside the house.
Check that the emergency kit is ready
QFES also encourages residents to check on their friends and loved ones to ensure they are also prepared for cyclones.
DURING THE CYCLONE
QFES urges everyone in areas affected by the cyclone to listen to and comply with local warnings shared on radio and television.
If you are told to evacuate, go to the nearest municipal shelter.
“Emergency services or local council staff may visit your area to pass on warnings,” QFES said.
“If a warning is issued, make sure everyone in your household is aware of the warning and advice.”
During a cyclone, everyone in your household should wear closed-toe shoes and sturdy clothing to protect themselves.
All electricity, gas and water to the house must be turned off at the main supply.
If your home is hit by a cyclone and you have not evacuated, QFES advises you:
Go to the refuge room specified in your emergency plan.
Stay tuned to local information through a radio.
Stay inside your home until authorities tell you it is safe to go out.
If your home is damaged by the storm, QFES recommends hiding under a strong table, bench or heavy mattress.
“If you are driving when the cyclone hits, stop the vehicle and apply the handbrake,” QFES said.
‘Stop away from the sea and away from trees, power lines and streams.
“Stay in the vehicle.”
AFTER THE CYCLONE
Do not leave your shelter until authorities tell you it is safe to do so. The eye of cyclones may appear calm before dangerous conditions resume.
QFES recommends checking in with family and friends once the storms have passed.
If you are returning home from an evacuation shelter, follow the route recommended by emergency services and avoid driving through flooded water, even if it appears shallow.
Inspect and photograph any damage caused to your property for insurance purposes.