Preparing Your Property for Storm Season

Storm season in South East Queensland can arrive quickly. While you can’t prevent severe weather, spending a little time preparing your property can reduce the chance of expensive damage and help keep your family safe.

Most of these checks only take a few minutes and can often identify small issues before they become much bigger problems.

🍂 1. Clean Your Gutters

Blocked gutters are one of the most common causes of water damage during heavy rain. Leaves and debris prevent water from flowing freely, causing gutters to overflow into ceilings, walls and foundations.

What to look for:
✓ Leaves and twigs
✓ Plants growing in gutters
✓ Overflow stains
✓ Sagging gutter section

Tip: If you're uncomfortable working at heights, it's always safer to have gutters cleaned professionally.

🏠 2. Look Up at Your Roof

Storms often expose problems that already existed. Take a walk around your property and look for anything unusual.

Check for:
✓ Loose roof screws
✓ Lifted roof sheets or flashing
✓ Broken or cracked roof tiles
✓ Rust around fasteners

You don't need to climb onto the roof. Many problems can be spotted safely from the ground with careful visual inspection.

🌳 3. Inspect Trees Around Your Home

Healthy trees are usually not the problem. Dead or damaged branches are.

Look for branches that could onto your:
→ Roof
→ Vehicles
→ Fences
→ Power lines

If you're unsure about large trees, speak with a qualified arborist befor storm season arrives.

💧 4. Check Drainage Around Your Property

Heavy rain quickly reveals drainage problems. Take note of areas where water regularly pools or struggles to drain away.

Look for:
✓ Blocked stormwater pits
✓ Soil erosion
✓ Standing water
✓ Water flowing towards your home

Fixing small drainage issues now can help prevent much larger problems later.

🪑 5. Secure Outdoor Items

High winds can turn everyday items into projectiles.

Before sever weather arrives, secure or store:
→ Outdoor furniture
→ Umbrellas
→ Trampolines
→ Pot plants
→ Garden ornaments
→ Wheelie bins

🚪 6. Check Gates, Fences & Retaining Walls

Strong winds place additional pressure on fences and gates.

Look for:
✓ Loose fence posts
✓ Gates that don't latch properly
✓ Leaning retaining walls
✓ Missing fasteners

Small repairs today are often much easier than replacing damaged sections after a storm.

🌱 7. Prepare Your Lawn & Garden

Keeping your lawn and garden tidy isn't just about appearance.

Overgrown vegetation can:
→ Hide drainage issues
→ Block stormwater flow
→ Increase debris during high winds
→ Make storm clean-up more difficult

A quick tidy before storm season makes ongoing maintenance much easier.

🚗 8. Prepare an Emergency Kit

While hopefully never needed, having a few basic supplies ready can make life much easier if the power goes out.

Consider keeping:
→ Torch
→ Spare batteries
→ Phone power bank
→ Bottled water
→ First aid kit
→ Battery-powered radio

Final Thoughts

Storm preparation doesn’t need to take all day.

A simple inspection each spring can help identify small maintenance issues before they become expensive repairs during severe weather.

Every property is different, so don’t worry if every item on this list doesn’t apply to your home. The important thing is taking a few minutes each season to understand the condition of your property and address any issues early.