Get Ready, Stay Informed, Get Through
Territorians can stay informed about a range of events including cyclones and fires through secureNT.
The site links through to key information from other government departments, Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Power and Water.
You and your family can use it to prepare for a range of disasters.
Remember, preparation can make all the difference. So check out the site and get ready to get through.
In an emergency, secureNT will provide you regular updates, including weather reports, road closures and shelter information, through the secureNT website,Facebook and Twitter.
Always pack a radio in your emergency kit and listen to your local ABC station during an emergency.
The Northern Territory Top End cyclone season has commenced and will continue until end-April 2012.
During this period, Northern Territory coastal areas, including Darwin and surrounds, are naturally prone to cyclonic events.
For the safety of yourself and your family, including the home, motor vehicles and boats, and your pets, it is vital to plan ahead. For better protection, please take the following steps -
- prepare your house and secure loose objects on verandahs and in gardens
- make an emergency kit
- have an emergency plan
- know where you will shelter
- understand cyclone warnings and messages
In the event of a cyclone, the secureNT website is your gateway to up-to-date information.
Up-to-date information on weather forecasts, warnings, and tracking maps are available via the Bureau of Meteorology website.
Surgery bookings, Outpatient clinics or treatment at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre
In the event of a cyclone, Royal Darwin Hospital patients who are booked for surgery, outpatient clinics or treatment at the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre will normally be contacted if appointments need to be postponed or changed. If you have any questions, please call the hospital on 8922 8888 to receive information on booking times.
Cyclone Kit Health Advice
Every Top End household should have a Cyclone Kit ready at the start of cyclone season. Your cyclone kit should include:
- Enough non-perishable food to feed your household for three days
- Regular medications such as blood pressure medication, insulin or ventolin if you or someone in your household regularly takes them
- Emergency medications if you or someone in your household requires them for conditions such as epilepsy or possible anaphylactic reactions
- First Aid Kit
- Nappies, formula and other items needed if you have a baby
- Enough clean drinking water to last your household three days (each person needs access to 5 litres per day)
72-Hour Emergency Food Kit Shopping List
For a family of four (2 adults and 2 children)
The 72-hour emergency food kit shopping list assumes no fresh food or refrigeration is available. All these items are readily accessible on supermarket shelves.
Essentials
750g breakfast cereal e.g. weetbix, natural muesli | 5 packets low-fat 2 minute noodles | 500g rice |
250g dehydrated potato | Stir through pasta sauce | 500g pasta |
5x250g packets dry biscuits | 500g processed cheddar cheese | 425g can tuna |
6x420g assorted can vegetables | 4x425g cans meat and vegetable ready meals | 2x440g baked beans |
6x30g dried fruit | 3x825g assorted cans fruit | 4 litres UHT milk or 500g powdered milk |
4 litres UHT milk or 500g powdered milk | oil | 60 litres water (5 litres per person per day) |
Extras
| peanut butter, vegemite, jam, honey | nuts and/or dried fruit | 1 litre UHT custard |
| packet soup mix | tea, coffee, milo or alternative | snack bars e.g. plain muesli bars |
| 1 kg self raising flour | 2 litre long life fruit juice | 1kg sugar |
| plain sweet biscuits |
Additional Items
essential medicines | extra water or plan to obtain water for washing and cooking | battery operated radio |
first aid kit | portable cooker (i.e. gas with spare canisters) | can opener |
essential items for infants (i.e. formula) | cooking and eating utensils | candles or gas lantern and matches |
torch and batteries |
Food safety guidelines
You can supplement your emergency food kit by utilising food in your refrigerator and freezer but if power has failed for longer than a day, food in refrigerators may be unsafe to eat.
Tips for consuming refrigerated/frozen food safely during power outage:
- Don't open your fridge or freezer door unnecessarily.
- Eat perishable foods in your fridge first (such as dairy or meat) as they will spoil faster than frozen food.
- Food in the freezer will start to thaw unless freezer was previously stocked with ice.
- Partly thawed food should be eaten immediately, or may be cooked thoroughly and refrozen or refrigerated but do not refreeze partly thawed food.
