Storm season in South East Queensland runs from about October to March, give or take. The first big one often turns up before anyone has got around to the gutters. This is the list we would work through at our place.
A lot of storm damage starts small. A blocked gutter that overflows into the eaves. A branch resting on the roof. A trampoline nobody tied down. Most of it is quick and cheap to sort before the season, and a lot harder to sort after.
The Queensland Government's Get Ready Queensland program recommends checking your roof, clearing gutters and downpipes, trimming overhanging branches, fixing rust, loose fittings and rot, and securing loose items. That is all in here, plus the bits people tend to forget.
Do what you can from the ground. Anything on the roof, or up a ladder at the gutter line of a two-storey house, is a job for someone with the right gear. A fall is a far worse outcome than a leaky gutter.
Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back and finish it later.
Roof and gutters
Trees and yard
Around the house
Inside and the plan
When a severe storm warning is issued
Keep an eye on warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology once the season starts. They are the ones to trust, not a screenshot doing the rounds on social media.
If water is coming through the ceiling during a storm, call the SES on 132 500. If anyone is in danger, call triple zero (000). Then read what to do after storm damage.
The jobs to leave to someone else
We will be straight with you. Some of this list is a Saturday morning job with a hose and a pair of gloves. Some of it is not. Leave these to someone with the gear and, where it is needed, the licence:
- Anything that means walking on the roof
- Gutters on a two-storey house, or above sloping ground
- Big branches, and anything near powerlines
- Replacing tiles, re-pointing ridge capping or fixing roof sheets
- Anything electrical
If ladders are not your thing, that is what our Free Storm Ready Check is for. We look over the roof, gutters, downpipes and the outside of your home, take photos and give you a short written summary. If something needs fixing, we put the quote together and line up the right local trade to do it. No obligation either way.
For eligible seniors and people with disability, the Queensland Government's Home Assist Secure service can help with some critical home maintenance and repairs. Eligibility applies, so check the current details with Home Assist Secure. Search Home Assist Secure on qld.gov.au or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68).
Not sure where your place sits? The storm ready score takes two minutes and tells you what to sort first.
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Sources and further reading
General information only, shared from the sources below. It is not professional advice for your property. If something looks unsafe, stop and call a licensed professional, or 000 in an emergency.
- Get Ready Queensland Protect your home (opens in a new tab)Roof, gutters and downpipes, branches, loose items and fittings to sort before the season.
- Queensland SES SES assistance (opens in a new tab)What the SES can help with in a storm or flood, and how to call 132 500.
- Bureau of Meteorology Warnings (opens in a new tab)Current severe weather and storm warnings.
- Queensland Government Home Assist Secure (opens in a new tab)Help with some critical home maintenance and repairs for eligible seniors and people with disability.
- QBCC Prepare for natural disasters (opens in a new tab)Getting your home ready before the storm season.
- Queensland Government Ladder safety (opens in a new tab)Setting up and climbing a ladder safely at home.