Strong winds, heavy rain, water ingress through ceilings, windows and doors and flying debris during extreme weather can cause severe damage to your property. Be sure to be prepared for the rare but inevitable extreme weather events that can impact upon your region.
It’s no secret that Mother Nature is powerful. If a storm or tropical cyclone hits, the combination of heavy rains and destructive winds can cause a wide variety of chaos like floods, flying debris, destruction of infrastructure, and can potentially put lives and safety or family and friends at risk.
For farmers, the impacts of extreme weather, including major floods and tropical cyclones, can include loss of livestock and / or your crops or produce, increased susceptibility of disease to livestock and crops, increased risks of plagues of locusts and mice, damage to roads and fences, and land degradation as a result of ongoing wind and water impacts.
Although the La Nina from last summer is declining, large parts of Australia are still expecting bursts of heavy rainfall at times in the coming months. To help you take action, here are a few ways to get organised and plan for extreme weather before it happens.
In Australia over one million properties, or about one in 10 homes, have some level of flood risk. While each area has its own risk of flooding, some are higher than others. The most at-risk flood areas across Australia are found in the following local government areas:
Even if your area isn’t included in the above list, your property could still be at risk of damage from flooding. Check with your local floodplain management authority to see whether some or all of your property is at risk - you may be surprised. Depending on where you live, the source of the flood risk mapping could be the local council, catchment management authority, water authority, or territory government. You can also search your area via the Australian Flood Risk Information Portal.
Like any situation, if you’re prepared you’ll be better equipped to handle severe weather when and if it happens. You can avoid some of the most common types of damage from storms, floods and tropical cyclones with proper planning, high quality building practices, using resilient building materials and ongoing maintenance.
Storms, floods and tropical cyclones can occur quickly with little warning, which means there’s often not much time to get organised. That’s why it’s important to have an emergency safety plan in place – even if you live in an area that’s not frequently affected by extreme weather events.
To help households and businesses plan for flooding, the NSW SES has developed an Emergency Plan template. Complete, share and practice your plan with your family, and neighbours - practice relocating animals to safer paddocks during the year as this will help things run more smoothly in the event of an emergency.
As a farm owner, you should consider your objectives, financial situation and needs to help decide whether you have appropriate insurance in place. With your personal circumstances in mind, below is a checklist that can help you safeguard your property and livelihood:
Above all, in the event of a storm, flood or cyclone, your main priority is to keep yourself, your family and your animals safe. Always take all the appropriate safety precautions, listen to the instructions and advice of your local emergency services – including whether you should stay or leave your property – but most importantly, never attempt to drive through floodwaters.
Bruce is the Principal Research Analyst for Climate at Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australia’s largest general insurer and operator of some of Australia’s leading insurance brands including WFI and NRMA insurance. With over 40 years’ experience, Bruce provides a wide range of technical advice on all aspects of meteorology and climate change. He is an expert in the field, holding a PHD in Mathematics (Numerical Weather Prediction) from the University of New South Wales. Bruce is passionate about encouraging actions to combat the adverse effects of climate change and remains actively involved in initiatives from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.
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By Bruce Buckley, Principal Climate Research Analyst at WFI.