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In Tropical Queensland, harsh thunderstorms and cyclones are a reality that we face yearly. And if we’re not properly prepared they can cause significant damage to our properties, not just structurally to our roof, windows and plants but also to our plumbing systems.
It’s essential to prepare your property and plumbing for storm season to avoid damages and save valuable time and money on extensive repairs. In this blog, we’ll provide tips to help you protect your plumbing during future storm seasons.
Potential Storm-Related Plumbing Issues
Our harsh tropical storms and cyclones can bring flooding rain, strong winds and occasionally even hail which has the potential to cause significant damage to your plumbing, including:
- Flooding: Constant, heavy rainfall can inundate your drains and cause them to flood and not drain properly. This can cause dirty water to flow back into your clean water supply and back up your pipes into your wet rooms. If this water isn’t cleared efficiently it can lead to structural damage and dangerous mould growth.
- Power Surges & Outages: When lightning or heavy winds knock out power lines they don’t just plunge us into darkness, they can also cause internal plumbing appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, or even your hot water system to short or break.
- Water Main Breaks: Heavy flooding can cause water main pipes to back up or burst, cutting off your supply of clean drinking water.
- Water Tank Damage: During cyclones and heavy winds, everyday objects, such as branches, trampolines and outdoor furniture can become projectiles that can puncture or damage your water tank or collect inside it leading to contamination.
- Roof Damage: Similar to above, these projectiles along with large hail stones can damage your roof, causing leaks and structural water damage.
Precautionary Measures for Storm Season
Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, but we can all take precautionary measures to prepare and protect our properties for storm seasons. This can include measures such as:
- Watching the news and weather reports for upcoming bad weather or cyclones
- Clearing out gutters and downpipes regularly to ensure water can flow freely
- Inspecting your property – especially your roof – for damages, paying close attention to common problem areas like gutters, downpipes, chimneys, vents, skylights, solar panels and fans.
- Securing any potential projectiles like outdoor furniture, decorations or bins to ensure they don’t damage your or your neighbour’s properties
- Trimming trees to prevent large branches from snapping off and damaging your property
- Knowing how to shut off your water in emergencies to prevent or minimise the chance of backflow.
- Finally, getting professional plumbers to inspect your plumbing for signs of damage, leaks and blockages and complete necessary repairs.
Staying Safe During a Storm
During storms, the most important thing that you can do is stay inside in a central room and keep yourself and your family safe. Monitor your local news and weather reports on your phone or radio for safety information and potential evacuation orders.
It’s also important to stay inside and wait until the storm passes before going outside to check for any damages. Also, keep all water sources like taps and showers turned off, as water is an excellent conductor and electrical currents can follow the water through your pipes and electrocute you or cause damage to your fixtures.
Professional Plumbing Services and Roof Repairs
Once the storm has passed and the reports say it’s safe, you can then address any damages on your property or to your plumbing system. If you notice any significant damage, it’s crucial to call professional emergency plumbers for help. But chances are they’ll be inundated with calls, so where safe and possible shut off the water or complete temporary repairs.
At Tropical Coast Plumbing, our emergency plumbers have all the required skills and equipment to handle any storm-related plumbing repairs, including leak detection and repair, pipe replacement, hot water system issues and more.
If you’re located in Mackay, we can also help with roof repairs to minimise the issues caused by water damage and ensure your property is watertight and equipped to weather any future storms.
Protect Your Property and Plumbing From Storm Damage
In Tropical Queensland, we know our storms and cyclones can be harsh and unpredictable. But by taking these precautionary measures you can ensure your property and plumbing system is prepared to weather anything. This will also save you valuable time and money in the long run.
Our experts at Tropical Coast Plumbing can help you prepare for the harsh tropical storm seasons. From general plumbing maintenance to emergency repairs, we can help. Contact us today to get your plumbing checked and storm-ready or to repair any storm-related damages.
