Batter Down the Hatches, the Rains are Coming!
Next month marks the start of the wet season for the Top End and locals know to expect high humidity, torrential rains and raging storms. We’ve prepared a few tips to help you stay protected and minimise the potential damage to your home or business.
Emergency Plan & Kit
It’s important to have an emergency plan in place just in case things get a little too wet and wild. To ensure everyone stays safe during an emergency situation, discuss the plan with your entire household or workplace. Things to include in the plan may be:
- An emergency telephone list
- Assigned roles for each person
- Communication methods & meeting points
- How & where to turn off power, gas & water
- Storage for valuables & important documents
- Directions to the closest shelter
- An emergency kit
In some cases, it may take a few days before anyone can reach you! If this situation does occur, having an emergency kit with all the essentials on hand will prove to be a real lifesaver. Prepare your kit with items such as:
- Battery-operated radio
- Torch
- Spare batteries
- Candles & waterproof matches
- Non-perishable foods & can opener
- 10 litres of bottles water per person
- First aid kit
- Warm clothes & closed-in shoes
- Essential toiletries (including toilet paper)
- Sleeping bags & blankets
- Money
- Photo identification & certificates
- Mobile phone, spare battery & charger
- Extra car & house keys
If you have pets, infants, disabled and elderly people living in your household, you may also need to pack specific supplies, foods or medications into the kit.
There are plenty of precautionary measures available to ensure that you and your loved ones remain safe. For more information, head to the Northern Territory Emergency Service website.
Preparing Your Home
Over time, buildings can deteriorate if not properly maintained, which may become a real problem when the wet season rolls in. Some things you can do to ensure that your home is prepared include:
- Check to see if your home has been built to cyclone code
- Check that your walls, roof & eaves are secure
- Trim treetops & branches
- Fit shutters or metal screens to windows
- Clear property of any loose material that may cause injury or damage during extreme winds
- Check for signs of corrosion, rotting timber or loose fittings
To ensure that your home or business is cyclone safe and prepared, contact these local Darwin businesses.
NT Tank Specialists
NT Tank Specialists will ensure that all rain you receive during the wet season will be safely stored in your new water tank. Their services include:
- Gutters & gutter guard for rainwater tanks
- Homeguard termite protection
- Cyclonic hold-down guidelines
They also supply and install rural and domestic tanks for all areas of Darwin. For more information about their services, visit NT Tank Specialists’ LocalSearch profile.
B R Durham & Sons
If you’re looking for drainage and sewer products, B R Durham & Sons have you covered. They offer a range of services including:
- Locally manufactured cast iron access covers and gratings
- Reinforced pre-concrete pits, risers, lintels and surrounds
- Manufactured and supplied galvanised mild steel gratings and aluminium products
They also offer all services from their Humpty Doo foundry. Check them out on their LocalSearch profile.
Steeline GRP
Steeline GRP offer a full range of roofing solutions for commercial, domestic and industrial requirements throughout Darwin and the Northern Territory. Their services include:
- Custom-manufacturing
- Supply of all purlin sizes
- Stock roofing supplies such as gutters
Since 1988, Steeline GRP has been providing advice on all your roofing requirements. Visit Steeline GRP’s LocalSearch profile for a list of services.
