We can never be too complacent. Be prepared, read our Wet Season check list.

A blocked or covered overflow relief gully (ORG) could turn your lounge room into a swamp. Take five minutes to check your ORG.

Unplug during storms. It's the only way to ensure your electrical appliances won't be damaged during an electrical storm power surge.

Trees touching or near powerlines cause a lot of power outages and can be dangerous.

Keep your air conditioners' filters clean and save energy and money.

Every year in the Territory our communities, towns and cities are affected by severe storms and the possibility of flooding and cyclones. Luckily most will pass by causing little or no damage, but we can never be complacent.

MTSAT-1R: Satellite image originally processed by the Bureau of Meteorology from the geostationary satellite MTSAT-1R operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

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Get set for the wet

Wild storms, lightning strikes, strong winds and driving rain can all play havoc with the power supply. Darwin and surrounding areas are the most lightning prone in the world, due not only to our location in the tropics, but also because ironstone in the ground attracts lightning.

Every householder in the Top End should check their property for hazards before the main storm season.

Examine the trees and palms near powerlines on your property and organise trimming if they are not at least 3m away. Hot weather makes powerlines sag, so they need greater clearance in the warmer months.
Make sure your overflow relief gully (ORG) is clear so excess water can drain away. It is a small grate and will be near your house. Don't place pot plants, extra pipes or concrete near them.
Most household appliances are able to cope with small surges, but can be unplugged before a storm.
For your computer, television and stereo equipment, a plug-in surge protector can be installed between the appliance and the power supply. Surge protection devices limit the voltage to the appliance. If there is a surge, they divert the extra voltage to the ground or store it. These devices range from $30 to $60 for domestic sizes - depending on their rating. The device is effective only within its specified range. To protect large appliances you will need to purchase bigger devices. As a general rule, the more money you spend, the broader the range of events they will handle.
For computers, you may consider an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) which protects against surges and also provides backup power when there is a supply interruption. These range in quality so talk to your electrical retailer or computer supplier about the advantages of a UPS and other surge protection devices. While surge protectors will protect your equipment from minor power surges (small voltage change), they will not protect equipment from a direct or close lightning strike (high voltage change). These lightning strikes can send tens of thousands of volts through the electrical system or phone line.

For more information click on the following links:

Cyclone checklists
Get Set for the Wet campaign:
- Brochure
- Television commercials
- Radio advertisements