Skip to main content

Check your risk

Link copied

Understand your flood, storm, heatwave and bushfire risk. Learn about flooding in Brisbane. Sign up for severe weather alerts.

Close-up of a woman's hand at a fair standing in front of a Brisbane Severe Weather Alert advertising A-frame. and pointing to Weatherzone app on smartphone.

Natural disasters and emergencies in Brisbane

Everyone visiting or living in Brisbane needs to be aware of the risk of severe weather and natural disasters.

Brisbane is a river city with a subtropical climate. This means you can experience intense storms in spring and in the hot, humid summer months. In winter, you can expect dry and mild conditions. 

Brisbane’s climate and unique landscape make it prone to severe weather events. Occasionally, these events cause natural disasters. 

Types of natural disasters

The most common types of natural disasters experienced in Brisbane include:

  • flooding from heavy rainfall
  • severe storms, hail and damaging winds
  • heatwaves
  • bushfires.

Knowing your risk can help you protect yourself, your family, your home and your business.

Use the tools on this page to check your risk so you can prepare for an emergency.

Looking for something else

Prepare for an emergency

Respond to an emergency

Disaster recovery

Check your flood risk

Brisbane is naturally at risk of flooding due to its: 

  • location on the floodplain of the Brisbane River 
  • network of creek catchments
  • terrain featuring low-lying areas 
  • subtropical weather patterns, including a storm season which typically runs from September to March. 

Council’s Flood Awareness Map helps you understand your flood risk. It shows the likelihood of flooding on your property from different sources.

The Brisbane flood map is based on data from the latest flood studies and models endorsed by Council. 

The map:

  • covers the Brisbane Local Government Area
  • shows possible flood extents, based on the best data available to Council 
  • shows historic flood events
  • doesn’t show flooding in real-time. 

How to use the Flood Awareness Map

Before searching for a property on the Flood Awareness Map, it is important to understand the terms 'flood likelihood' and 'impact'.

The terms 'likelihood' and 'impact' are used by Council to explain the chances of floods occurring. These terms are used in the Flood Awareness Map, which is an awareness tool to display the probability of a flood occurring from one or more sources including creek, river and storm tide. It also shows the impact of overland flow flooding.

Once you have read this informaion, use the map to check your flooding risk.

  1. Search your property using your address, lot plan or suburb.
  2. Toggle the map layers to view the likelihood (very low – high) of different types of flooding. 
  3. Use the map layers to see if your property was affected by past flood events.
  4. View the legend and definitions to help you understand the map layers.  
Check your flooding risk opens in a new tab

Types of flooding

There are 4 common types of flooding in Brisbane. Learn about the different flood types to understand:

  • causes of flooding in Brisbane
  • where and when flooding is likely to happen
  • floodwater behaviour.

Types of flooding in Brisbane video

Other flooding hazards

Brisbane Severe Weather Alert

Brisbane's summer can be hot, humid and unpredictable. A fine, sunny day can turn into a heavy, thundering sky at a moment's notice. 

Storm season typically lasts from September to March. During this time, prepare for potential heavy rain, strong winds and other severe weather conditions. 

Subscribe to our alert service

You can prepare for storm season by signing up for our Brisbane Severe Weather Alert service. 

The free service sends you warnings if your nominated address is at risk of severe thunderstorms, destructive winds or potential flooding (including creek flooding alerts). 

Nominate an unlimited number of Brisbane addresses to receive alerts for your workplace, school, or  friends and family.

You can receive severe weather alerts by SMS, email or voice message. 

Before you subscribe, read the Brisbane Severe Weather Alert terms and conditions.

Register for weather alerts opens in a new tab
information outline

Note

You can also view current weather warnings on the Bureau of Meteorology websiteopens in a new tab.  

Creek flooding alerts

The Brisbane Severe Weather Alert service sends creek flood alerts in select locations at risk of creek flooding.

These alerts use information from flood gauges to trigger automatic warnings when waters rise to a certain level due to heavy rainfall, storms or tidal flooding.

It's common for creek alerts to be triggered when creek levels rise and fall quickly in heavy rainfall events or storms.

The service also includes specific river flood alerts in select locations along the Brisbane River. This includes alerts for flooded bridges in isolated communities in: 

  • Karana Downs
  • Kholo
  • Lake Manchester
  • Mount Crosby.

Use the map to view the creek flooding alert locations

Search by address using the search bar.

Click on a location for information on local flooding and the suburbs affected. 

Map legend

Grey: These areas are the first to receive alerts in flash flooding or tidal flooding events.

Purple: These areas receive creek flood alerts in larger scale flood events. 

Blue: These are areas receive alerts for river flooding when bridges and crossings are likely to flood. 

Red: These areas receive alerts if the Brisbane River floods.

Register for creek flooding alerts opens in a new tab

Be prepared for heatwaves

A heatwave occurs when the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 or more days. 

Extreme heat in Brisbane is most likely to occur between November and March, but can occur at any time.  

Although everyone can be at risk of heat-related health problems, those most vulnerable include babies and young people, and the elderly. 

Heatwave warnings are available from the Bureau of Meteorologyopens in a new tab. You can also get hot weather health and safety advice from the Queensland Governmentopens in a new tab.

Be bushfire aware

The risk of bushfires is highest during the hotter and drier months of the year.

South East Queensland’s bushfire season typically runs from August to December. This can vary depending on the condition of local bushland, long-term climate conditions and other weather events.

Search your postcode 

People living in bushland or rural residential areas are at higher risk of bushfires. However, smoke, embers and burning materials can impact urban areas, too.

You can check your area’s bushfire risk using the Queensland Fire Department’s postcode checkeropens in a new tab.

mdi information outline1

Note

Queensland Fire Department has more information on how to assess your fire riskopens in a new tab.

Planned burns 

We conduct planned burns to maintain the health of our bushland and lessen the risk of wildfires.

Planned burns reduce the amount of materials that can fuel fires, such as dead wood. They are sometimes called hazard reduction burns.

Frequently asked questions