Storm season is here again and it is time to get proactive to keep our families and homes safe.
Some of the scariest moments in our home have been during severe storms … especially the big weather events and super storms that can occur at any time in Australia. In 2013, a huge storm hit our home late one afternoon and our street flooded as a result of the torrential rain. The water literally filled the street and completely covered our block of land. It was so quick that there was little anybody could do at the time to minimise the impact … almost everyone in the street had some damage. We all wished that we had been better prepared!
Another super frustrating thing was that some people were driving around the streets just to have a look at the flood and this was pushing extra water into already flooded homes and gardens, as well as being dangerous for everyone. Please don’t drive through any flood water whether you think that it is safe or not. The reality is, driving in floodwater is never safe!
Storm season generally runs from October to March each year but it is important to remember that storms can strike at any time. Although the SES do a fantastic job helping people in their time of need (in fact they respond to hundreds and in some cases thousands of call outs during a storm event), we can all play our part to help avoid having to call the SES in the first place, and to also help avoid costly damage too.
Our Prep Weekend
This year we have decided to take action BEFORE we need it! It proved too late last time and a little preparation could have kept ourselves safer and reduced the damage too. We made a little fun of it this year and picked a Saturday morning to divide up some jobs with everyone doing something to help get the yard and home ready for storm season.
5 Key Things That You Can Do Now To Prepare
1. Clear Your Gutters
So much damage can be avoided with some simple home maintenance. Clogged gutters prevent water from getting away to the drains and then that water ends up inside the home ruining kitchens, bathrooms and more. Water in the walls causes long term damage too. Clean the gutters out and install some gutter guards to keep unwanted leaves out for good.
2. Maintain The Yard
It’s a good idea to trim your trees and remove any dead or weak limbs especially if they could fall onto your home or become a missile in the wind. Put away unnecessary items such as toys and sporting equipment that could be picked up by violent winds. Most importantly, look for the storm water drains and ensure that they are clear of debris … remember in a big storm, items and loose leaves will quickly be washed to the drain and can stop them working properly.
3. Agree on an Emergency Plan
Storms can happen anytime and your family may not all be together in the same place. It’s a great idea to discuss a plan so that if power and communications go down, everyone knows where to go. It can be a good idea to write down some simple steps and post it somewhere especially if older children are sometimes home alone.
4. Check Your Emergency Kit
Every home should have an emergency kit that you can use in a crisis. Think about what you might need if someone gets hurt, if power is cut off for an extended period or if you have to evacuate your property. These things happen every year to some people so now is the time to prepare. Do a stocktake on your first aid kit and check that you have enough emergency food and water, torches and batteries and a radio.
5. Review Your Insurance Cover
Now is the best time to check that you have everything covered and either renew or update your insurance to ensure any new household items, or renovations, are also covered. Don’t forget that vehicles are often damaged in storms too so check your car insurance is also up to date and please remember, never drive through any flooded roads.
After a couple of hours of raking, trimming and packing we celebrated with a trip to the local dessert bar knowing that we should be good for the next big storm. It was actually pretty fun too doing it all together and I had more than one good chat to my kids about why we were doing these things now so they were able to learn too.
Now is the time to get onto these things. Why not put aside some time this week or even on the weekend to make sure that you, your home and your family are ready for the next big one? For more ideas and tips on how you can get ready for storm season, head over to this great website from the SES and NRMA Insurance – https://nrmastormseason.com.au/storm-safety-tips.
