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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. 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.

Take precautions by conducting a basic inspection around your house during September or October before the main storm season:

  • Examine the trees and palms near power lines on your property and organise trimming if required. Hot weather makes power lines sag, so they need greater clearance in the warmer months.
  • Make sure your overflow relief gully (ORG) is clear to ensure that excess water can drain away. It is a small grate and will be located near your house. Pot plants, extra pipes and concrete have no place near them.
  • Most general 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 the voltage is increased because of a surge, the device instantly diverts the extra voltage to the ground or stores it in its capacitor. These devices are relatively cheap, ranging from $30 to $60 for domestic sizes - depending on their rating.
  • Please note the device you buy 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 could consider using an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) which protects against surges and also provides back-up power when there is a supply interruption. These devices 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.

Also see Cyclone checklists

More information - Get Set 4 The Wet

PRIVACY | DISCLAIMER | EMERGENCY 1800 245 090 | CUSTOMER SERVICE 1800 245 092 | POWER AND WATER CORPORATION | ABN 15 947 352 360

The Power and Water Corporation is the Northern Territory of Australia's provider of electricity, water and sewerage services.
We are one of the largest businesses in the Territory with assets in excess of $1.2 billion and servicing over 80,000 customers.