Severe weather
Severe weather includes Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and east coast lows. Severe weather can threaten lives, cause damage and destruction and bring hazardous weather conditions, such as:
- Lightning
- Large hail or giant hail
- Tornadoes
- Very heavy or intense rainfall that may lead to flash flooding
- Damaging or destructive winds
- Storm surge, dangerous surf and abnormally high tides
What are the local risks
Severe storms can be unpredictable and occur with little warning. Severe thunderstorms generally occur within the Bundaberg Region between January to March but are also likely during the months of April, November and December.
Be aware of severe storm patterns in your area, for example, which direction the storms typically come from, where does storm water flow, where the rivers and creeks are, if your property at risk of storm tide inundation, and what are your potential evacuation routes.
Warnings
Severe weather warnings are issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for:
- Damaging winds including sustained gale force winds (63 km/h or more) and damaging wind gusts (90 km/h or more).
- Heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding.
- Abnormally high tides or storm tides that may be higher than the highest astronomical tide.
- Damaging surf, or ‘dangerous surf’, with unusually large surf that may cause dangerous conditions on the coast.
You can Opt-In on the Bundaberg Disaster Dashboard to receive severe weather warnings.
How to prepare
- Listen for Warnings and Alerts
- Prepare your emergency plan, emergency kit, evacuation kit
- Prepare your home
- Prepare your business
- Prepare your pets
- Get to know your neighbours
What to do during
- Stay informed. Tune your battery-operated radio into ABC 100.1 FM
- Listen for warnings and alerts and follow any instructions given.
- Stay inside and shelter well clear of windows, doors and skylights.
- If driving, stop clear of trees, powerlines and creeks.
- Do not use a fixed telephone during a severe storm due to lightning danger.
- Turn off and unplug electrical items, external TV/radio aerials and computer modems.
- If outdoors, seek solid enclosed shelter.
- If the building starts to break up, shelter under a mattress, doona, or a strong table or bench in the strongest part of the building, eg internal room, hallway or built-in wardrobe
After an event
- Pay attention to all warnings.
- Stay away from damaged power lines, fallen trees, flooded waterways.
- Check for structural property damage.
- Do not go sightseeing.
- Check and offer help to neighbours, friends and family.