Storm season preparation for manufactured homeowners

September marks the official beginning of storm season, meaning now is the best time to consider preparing your home.

It’s fair to say that Aussies have a healthy obsession with the weather. And as the country whose (arguably) most famous poem includes the line ‘of droughts and flooding rains,’ it’s no wonder most of us know an El Niño from a La Niña.

With the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) confirming in June 2026 that an El Niño was already underway and will continue to strengthen, now is the perfect time to tick off your storm safety checklist, check your emergency kit and update your warning alerts and apps.

Start with the storm season preparation basics

If you live in a manufactured home, storm season preparation doesn’t really change from year to year. The list below is designed for those who can do it themselves, as well as those who prefer to use a gardener or handy man.

Here are a few basic things for your storm safety checklist:

• Clear gutters, drains and downpipes
• Check your roof and roof edges for visible problems
• Trim unsafe branches
• Secure outdoor furniture or other loose items
• Check awnings, carports and other external structures
• Have a pet plan
• Have an emergency plan and emergency kit

For more details, read our article Preparing your home for storm season and severe weather.

When was the last time you went through your emergency kit?

NSW SES recommends keeping an emergency kit ready in case you need to leave quickly or lose electricity or water.

Having an emergency kit you haven’t opened in years is not ideal, especially when you consider that some of the items may have expiry dates. Before this year’s storm season, you should:

Test your torch and replace old batteries

Check use-by dates on food and other supplies

Go through your first aid kit, medications and prescriptions

Make sure emergency phone numbers are correct

Make sure you have copies of all your important documents

What’s changed since you last packed your emergency kit?

If it’s been a few years since you thoroughly reviewed your emergency kit, it can be easy to miss important changes. Just a few things to keep in mind:

• Do you now rely on a smartphone or tablet for important information?
• Do you have the right charging cables and a charged power bank?
• Has someone in your home started taking medication?
• Do your pets have the food, medication or other supplies they would need?

Use the SES emergency kit checklist to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

Don’t only think about leaving. What if you stay?

Severe weather events can leave homes without electricity or water or make roads temporarily inaccessible. Think about what your family would need to manage safely for a few days, or even a week, without standard services. NSW SES recommends planning for food, water, medical supplies and pet care if severe weather could leave you isolated.

Hazards Near Me NSW app

If you’re in NSW, the Hazards Near Me app lets you set up watch zones.

Check that notifications are switched on, especially if you have a new phone or changed your notification settings.

If you’re not confident changing those settings, ask someone you trust to help you. It’s much easier to sort out on a quiet afternoon than potentially miss an emergency warning.

A new way to receive emergency warnings will be live in October

Millions of Australians received a test alert from Australia’s new national emergency warning system, AusAlert, on 27 July 2026.

Scheduled to launch in October 2026, it will allow authorities to send emergency alerts directly to compatible mobile devices in affected areas.

By the time the summer storm season is underway, it will be another important way Australians receive urgent information.

Don’t forget to prepare for hot weather and power outages too

Storm season preparation also means thinking about what happens if severe weather interrupts the power supply, particularly on a hot day. Think about:

• Testing your fans before summer
• Cleaning or replacing air-conditioner filters
• Keeping power banks charged when severe weather is forecast
• Finding which part of your home stays coolest if powered cooling isn’t available
• Closing blinds or curtains before direct sun heats the room
• Using fans to help reduce the amount of work your air conditioner needs to do

How to save money by using your air conditioner more efficiently

Australian Government energy guidance suggests setting air-conditioning between 25°C and 27°C in summer because each degree of extra cooling can increase energy use by around 5 to 10 percent.

That can add up over a long, hot summer.

After severe weather, check what has changed

Once the danger has passed and authorities say conditions are safe, take a look around your home for anything that has changed.

Inside, look for new water marks, damp areas, leaks around doors or windows and broken glass.

Outside, check for fallen branches, moved or damaged outdoor items and visible damage to gutters, roofing, awnings or other structures.

Keep the inspection safe. Don’t climb onto a roof or go into an area that may have structural or electrical damage simply to get a better look.

If you notice something and want to make a storm damage home insurance claim, you can lodge a claim online 24/7.

Check your insurance before you need it

Storm preparation is also a good reminder to check your home and contents insurance policy.

Confirm that your policy is current and your details are correct.

Check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for the insured events relevant to severe weather, along with any applicable conditions, limits and exclusions.

If something about your home or circumstances has changed since you last reviewed your policy, or you aren’t sure what something means, please contact the MHIA team.