After a storm

Storm damage? Do this first.

The order matters. Pick what has happened and get the next safe step and who to call, so you stay safe and the insurance claim is not harder than it needs to be.

If anyone is hurt or in danger, call triple zero (000) now. For storm and flood help, like a damaged roof letting water in or a tree on the house, call the Queensland SES on 132 500.

What's happened? (1 minutes, free, no sign-up). Book Your Pre-Storm CheckPoint. Read the full guide.

What's happened?

Someone is hurt, or in danger right now

How urgent: Now. Call triple zero (000). Get everyone safe first. Everything else can wait. What it probably is: An emergency. A fallen powerline, a fire, a gas leak you cannot control, or part of the house that could come down all count. What you can safely check: Nothing, until everyone is safe. Stay inside until the storm has properly passed: another cell can come through right behind the first. Who to call: Triple zero (000).

A powerline is down

How urgent: Now. Call triple zero (000). What it probably is: A danger. Treat every fallen powerline as live. What you can safely check: Keep well clear, and keep kids and pets away. Who to call: Triple zero (000).

I can smell gas

How urgent: Now. Do not light anything, and do not switch anything electrical on or off. What it probably is: A gas leak. Treat it as one. What you can safely check: Turn the gas off at the meter or bottle, but only if you can do it safely. Who to call: Your gas supplier. If you can still smell it after that, or the leak is out of control, get everyone out and call 000.

Water is coming in through the roof or ceiling

How urgent: Now. Call the Queensland SES on 132 500 for urgent, temporary help. What it probably is: Storm damage letting water in. The SES helps with this, usually with a tarp over the damage to stop more water getting in. It is temporary: you will still need a proper repair. What you can safely check: Keep out from under ceilings that are sagging or bulging with water. Stay off the roof. If water has got near lights or power points, switch off at the switchboard only if the switchboard is dry and you can reach it safely. Then take photos and video before you clean up. Who to call: The Queensland SES on 132 500. Be patient after a big storm: crews are volunteers and get to the most urgent jobs first. Then your insurer, early. Then a licensed trade for the make-safe and the proper repair.

A tree has come down on the house

How urgent: Now. Call the Queensland SES on 132 500. What it probably is: Storm damage the SES helps with. Their work is temporary, so you will still need a proper repair. What you can safely check: Stay inside and away from the damage until the storm has properly passed. If it has brought down a powerline, treat the line as live and call 000. Take photos and video before anything is moved. Who to call: The Queensland SES on 132 500. Then your insurer, early. Then a licensed trade for the make-safe and the proper repair.

Water has got near lights, power points or the switchboard

How urgent: Now. Never touch a switchboard that is wet or damaged. What it probably is: An electrical risk. Everything needs checking before the power goes back on. What you can safely check: Switch off at the switchboard only if the switchboard is dry and you can reach it safely. Otherwise leave it alone. Who to call: A licensed electrician, to check everything before the power goes back on. If anyone is in danger, 000.

The roof is damaged, but no water is coming in

How urgent: Today. Photos first, then your insurer. What it probably is: Two different jobs: a make-safe to stop more damage now, then the proper repair. A tarp today does not mean you need to sign up for a new roof today. What you can safely check: Stay off the roof: wet tiles and sheets are slippery, and damaged ones can give way. From the ground, take wide shots of each side of the house first, then close-ups of the damage. Who to call: Your insurer, early: get a claim number and write down who you spoke to. Then a licensed trade for a written quote with a clear scope.

Minor damage only, and I want to clean up

How urgent: Soon. Photos before you clean up. What it probably is: Still worth recording properly. Photos are the one step people regret skipping. What you can safely check: Before you move, sweep up or throw out anything: wide shots, then close-ups, inside and out, and the cause if you can see it safely. Keep every receipt. Ask your insurer before you throw out anything big, and back the photos up somewhere other than your phone. Who to call: Your insurer, early, even if you do not know the full extent of the damage yet. Write down the claim number, who you spoke to and when.

Someone knocked on the door offering to fix the roof

How urgent: Before you agree to anything. Some are genuine. Some are not. What it probably is: Be careful if they want cash or a big payment before any work starts, cannot give you a QBCC licence number, give a price with no written scope, push you to decide today, or find damage you cannot see and will not photograph. What you can safely check: Check the licence for free on the QBCC register, and that the name on it matches. If you agree to work worth more than 100 dollars after an uninvited knock, the door-to-door sales rules generally give you a 10 business day cooling-off period. Who to call: A licensed trade whose licence you have checked, with a written quote and a clear scope. Ask your insurer whether they want their builder to do the repair, or you can choose the trade.

General information only, not professional advice for your property. We are not insurers or loss assessors, and we cannot tell you what your policy covers: only your insurer can. We cannot promise how quickly trades can get to everyone after a big storm.

More free checks

• Storm Ready Score: how ready is your home?: Ten quick yes or no questions about your home, a score out of 10 and what to sort before the storms. Free, two minutes.
• Storm season checklist: is your home ready?: Twelve quick questions from the SEQ storm season checklist. See what is done and what to sort before the first big storm. Free, three minutes.
• Storm damage? What to do first, in the right order: Pick what has happened and get the next safe step and who to call: 000, the SES on 132 500, your insurer or a licensed trade. Free, one minute.
• Roof warning signs: is your roof warning you?: Twelve things to look for from the ground and inside, what each one means and when to get someone up there. Free, and you stay off the roof.
• Roof repair in Brisbane: what moves the price?: Pick the repair and see what it involves, the six things that change the number and what a fair roof quote should show. Free, one minute.
• Gutters and downpipes: the boring job that saves the house: Ten quick questions to tell if your gutters and downpipes need attention, how often to clean them in SEQ and when to leave the ladder in the shed.
• Who should I call? Problem to trade, in plain English: Ceiling stain, power tripping, a gas smell, a sagging shade sail? See how urgent it is, what you can safely check and which trade to call.
• Simple home checks: ten minutes, no ladder: A safe walk-around from the ground and inside. Hidden leaks, ceiling stains, cracks, gutters and the safety switch. What it might mean and who to call.
• Could a flexi hose flood your house? Check it: Simple plumbing checks: flexi hoses, a leaking toilet, water pressure, the hot water relief valve and slow drains. What to look for and who to call.
• Is your tradie licensed? Check it in two minutes: A free QBCC licence check, step by step. Is it current, does the class cover the job, and the red flags that mean walk away.
• Is the cheapest quote missing half the job?: Twelve quick questions to check a quote: scope, exclusions, materials, payment terms, warranty and licence. Compare the quote, not just the number.
• Why your quotes go cold: a two-minute self-check: A lot of quotes are not lost on price. Seven yes or no questions for trade businesses to find where quotes leak between the enquiry and the yes.
• What are cold quotes costing your business?: Four sliders, two minutes, no sign-up. See what slips away a year when quotes go unanswered. Example only: revenue, not profit.
• Property manager storm checklist: are you ready?: A storm hits every property on your list at once. Twelve quick questions for property managers and landlords: what is done, and what to sort first.

Linc Point

Linc Point (sometimes spelt Link Point), ABN 48 535 502 159. Call 0458 381 559 or email linc@lincpoint.com.au. Brisbane and South East Queensland, Bribie Island to Helensvale. Website: lincpoint.com.au. Tools for trade businesses: lincpoint.online.