Storm & Cyclone Preparedness — A Brisbane Homeowner's Electrical Guide

Brisbane and South East Queensland sit in one of Australia's most storm-exposed corridors. Severe weather in 2011, 2022, and again in 2025 reminded everyone how fast a routine summer afternoon can turn into lost power, flooded properties, and downed lines. If you own or manage property in Greater Brisbane or the Gold Coast hinterland, this is the electrical-safety checklist you should keep somewhere accessible before the next event.

What to do if your power goes out in a storm

• •Check if the outage is widespread — look at your neighbours' lights and check the Energex Outage Finder online. If it's the whole street, it's a network issue, not your switchboard.
• •Turn off and unplug sensitive electrical appliances. When power is restored there's often a surge — TVs, computers, A/C units, and anything with a circuit board can be damaged if they're plugged in at the moment of reconnection.
• •Keep fridge and freezer doors closed. A well-sealed fridge holds temperature for about 4 hours; a full freezer closer to 24. Opening them repeatedly wastes that buffer.
• •Use torches, not candles. Post-storm house fires from open flames are more common than people realise, especially if there's been any flooding that's left damp fabric or paper near the flame.
• •Stay clear of any downed power lines — assume they are live, even if they look dead. Keep yourself, children, and pets at least 8 metres away and call Energex on 13 19 62 or 000 if there's immediate danger.
• •For flood or storm-related property emergencies, call the SES on 132 500.
• •Once power is restored and it's safe, call Jentech on 07 3914 9696 if anything in your home isn't working normally — especially if water has been near any electrical fittings.

What to do if electrical outlets or fittings are water-damaged

Water inside any electrical fitting is a serious problem. Even if the visible water dries, residual moisture inside the fitting can cause corrosion, shorts, and fires weeks after the event.

1. 1.Do not touch wet electrical outlets, switches, or appliances. The risk of electric shock is real, even if the power appears to be off — backfeed from a generator or UPS can keep circuits live.
2. 2.If it's safe to do so, turn off the power at your main switchboard. Do not stand in water to reach the switchboard — if it's wet, call Energex to isolate the supply at the street.
3. 3.Avoid standing in water near any electrical outlet or appliance.
4. 4.Do not use any electrical device or switch that's been in contact with water until a licensed electrician has inspected it.
5. 5.Call Jentech on 07 3914 9696 for a safety inspection. Every affected fitting, cable length, and switchboard component needs to be checked — this is specialist work.
6. 6.If flooding poses an ongoing risk to your property, call the SES on 132 500.

Understanding the Electricity Defect Report

If Energex disconnects your property because of storm or flood damage, they usually issue an Electricity Defect Report. This is a formal document stating that the electrical installation is unsafe to reconnect in its current condition. Until a licensed electrician has inspected the installation, remediated any faults, and provided a Certificate of Electrical Safety confirming the work, Energex will not restore your supply.

This process exists for good reason — reconnecting power to a storm-damaged installation has caused house fires and electrocutions in the past. The inspection and remediation usually covers: switchboard condition, earth integrity, every circuit that was at risk of water ingress, each affected socket and switch, and any appliance that was connected at the time. The switchboard itself is frequently replaced because water damage to a board is effectively irreversible.

How Jentech helps with post-storm electrical

• •Priority safety inspections for storm-affected properties — we move emergency callouts to the front of the schedule.
• •Full electrical remediation to the standard Energex requires for reconnection — affected circuits repaired or replaced, switchboard replacement where needed, full testing.
• •Certificate of Electrical Safety issued on completion, lodged with the QLD Electrical Safety Office.
• •Coordination with Energex on your behalf to close out the Electricity Defect Report and book the reconnection visit. You don't have to wrangle the paperwork yourself.
• •Post-remediation recommendations — surge protection at the switchboard to reduce future storm damage, battery backup (UPS) for critical items, and RCD coverage where missing.

Before the next storm — what to do now

• •Add surge protection to your switchboard. Whole-of-house surge protection is a modest add-on that protects every appliance in the property from lightning-strike and grid-switching surges.
• •Check your RCDs. Press the TEST button on each RCD in the switchboard — if it doesn't trip, that RCD isn't protecting you.
• •Consider UPS backup for anything that can't afford to go down — server rooms, medical equipment, home office with critical data, 24/7 access systems.
• •Know where your main switch is. Everyone in the household should know how to isolate the power.
• •Book a pre-storm-season inspection if your switchboard is ageing — the start of summer is the worst time to discover an old board can't take the load of a just-installed A/C unit.