Be prepared for a disaster
Brisbane's subtropical climate means our city is prone to severe weather events and a variety of natural disasters and hazards.
It is common for Brisbane to experience a number of different severe weather events including:
- flooding from a number of different sources, for example river, creek, overland flow, king tide and storm surge
- severe storms with hail and damaging winds
- heavy rainfall
- earthquakes, heat waves, landslides, dust storms
Are you prepared?
Now is the time to prepare your family, pets and property. A disaster can occur anywhere and at any time.
To be prepared for disasters, Brisbane City Council has a number of tools and services available to help reduce the impacts of possible events to your family, pets and property.
Severe weather is a natural part of living in Brisbane's sub-tropical climate. Every year, Brisbane experiences severe storms which typically occur from September through to March. It is important you take the time to prepare yourself and your home for storm season.
Sign up to receive free alerts via the Brisbane Early Warning Alert Service.
Brisbane is built on a floodplain and our sub-tropical climate means we often experience heavy rain that can lead to flooding from a number of different sources including river, creek, overland flow and storm tide.
Use Council’s new interactive Flood Awareness Maps to understand your flood risk, the sources of flooding that may affect your property, and how you can prepare your home, family and business.
Have you signed up for Council's free Early Warning Alert Service? This service allows residents in the Brisbane City Council Local Government Area to register for severe and urgent weather alerts that may affect their residential address via email, SMS, and/or home phone.
Find more information on the service, as well as:
Council recognises the significant impact that severe weather can have on businesses. Damage caused to your business through weather can be devastating and can result in damage to your stock, plant, equipment, furniture and fittings, as well as financial losses.
Find out more information and some useful tips on how to prepare a plan to manage your business, staff and customers when disaster strikes.
Creek flooding or flash flooding can be a common source of flooding for many properties in Brisbane. Council offers a Creek Flooding Alert Service to some properties who are identified as being at risk. This service allows some residents in the Brisbane City Council Local Government Area to register for alerts that may affect their residential address via email, SMS, and/or home phone.
Find out if you live in a serviceable area for this type of alert.
Find more information on the service as well as:
Managing fire is vital for protecting our homes and maintaining environmental habitats. Queensland's bushfire season traditionally runs from August to December each year.
Find out how you can prepare your family, pets and property for bushfires.
Do you have an emergency kit? Use our emergency kit check list to help prepare a emergency kit to help you, your family and your pets in the event of a disaster.
It's also important to prepare a household emergency plan to help you during an emergency. Find useful tips on preparing your household emergency plan.
Other natural disasters and hazards
There are a number of other natural disasters and hazards that could affect Brisbane including:
Emergency phone numbers
- life threatening emergencies - 000
- State Emergency Service (SES) - 132 500
- Energex - 13 19 62
A range of preparedness action plans, fact sheets, booklets and announcements are available in English and other languages:
- Queensland Government emergency fact sheets
- Other Queensland Government links to community service announcements, the 'Preparing for Cyclones' brochure and action plans for culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- download SES Get Ready Guide (PDF - 4.51Mb)
Preparedness information is also available in Auslan (Australian Sign Language).