The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tropical cyclone alert for the southeast Queensland coast.
With Tropical Cyclone Alfred forecast to impact the Queensland coast on Friday 7 March or Saturday 8 March, we encourage you to stay up to date with weather warnings and review your emergency plan today.
The cyclone is likely to bring destructive winds and flooding.
Please be alert, stay up-to-date with warnings and take the essential steps to Get Ready – know your risk, make a plan and pack a kit.
The Department of Agriculture is regularly providing information and updates via Facebook Queensland Agriculture | Facebook Information is also available on the DAF Facebook page for those impacted who need to report damage to agribusinesses.
How can I protect my horse, greyhound and/or ensure property access in the event of extreme weather?
Prepare an emergency evacuation plan now so you can respond quickly if you need to move your animals to a safe place. This may be necessary if you receive an evacuation order, or if you believe your stable or kennel access may be restricted or may pose a danger to your animals.
PREPARE
- Make an emergency evacuation plan if your stable or kennel is prone to flooding, exposed to high winds, at risk of flying debris, unable to be accessed safely during or after an extreme weather event.
- Organise somewhere you can take your horses or greyhounds prior in the event you need to evacuate them. Plan which way you will go and remember never to drive on flooded roads (if it’s flooded, forget it).
- Listen to the news and weather reports, keep yourself updated so you can take action if or when required.
- Keep a list of emergency numbers and your animal’s microchip numbers handy and be prepared. Remember, if electricity is not reliable or your phone isn’t available, then write down your key phone numbers on a piece of paper (and keep this paper in a dry place – like your wallet or emergency kit).
- Prepare an emergency kit, including: wire cutters, rope, torches, halter/s or lead/s, extra head collars and, first aid items for you and your animals.
- Stock up on supplies. Make sure both yourself and your animals have access to at least a week’s worth of safe food and water and do not rely on automatic water systems or pumps, as power may be lost.
If you are planning to leave with your horses or greyhounds you may need some portable yards to keep them safe, plenty of dry feed and a good supply of clean water. Horses and greyhounds under stress can stop eating and drinking so it is a good idea to have some electrolytes in your supplies such as Electro paste to help their recovery and stay hydrated.
- Vehicle and float/trailer. Make sure you have a full tank of fuel, and your float/trailer and/or car are in good working order.
- Before the storm begins, check your property for hazards that need to be cleared including damaged fences, sharp items or potential projectiles.
GET INFORMED – EACH COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT
Please check out the information that is relevant to your area. Local Governments have disaster dashboards and/or websites that provide important information to support local communities during and after disaster events. You can locate information on your local community here.
Also please utilise the www.disaster.qld.gov.au website for current and reliable information.
Please don’t be afraid to ask for help. The racing community has a wonderful way of coming together for resilience and recovery.
ANIMAL EVACUATION
Sometimes evacuating your horses is not an option, but you can still try and keep them safe even if you must leave your property.
HORSES
Ideally during high winds, horses should reside in stables.
Property subject to flooding or need to evacuate?
If your property is subject to flooding or you need to evacuate without your horses, please consider the advice below. This advice is only for horses on acreage properties.
- Leave stable doors open (only for acreage properties who are evacuating). Horses are good swimmers and can try and reach higher ground, if need be. Leaving them confined reduces that ability. It may be necessary to pull down internal fencing to allow them access to higher, safer areas.
- Leave the horse’s headcollars and rugs off so they are not weighed down when they are wet – this could also prevent them getting snagged on fencing or debris.
- Keep a good description of your horse including photos and a microchip number, if they have one, so they can be easily identified when found or rescued.
ALL HORSE OWNERS
Please remember that the emergency is not over when the waters recede, please monitor your horse/s following a flood. And, be sure to look out for:
- Colic
- Hypothermia
- Stress
- Wounds
- Hoof problems
- Rain scald
- Greasy heel
- Eating mouldy feed
- Contaminated water.
When safe to do so, consider and discuss updating tetanus vaccines for your horses with your vet.
GREYHOUNDS
- Ensure you have enough transport to safely evacuate all your dogs if necessary and ask for assistance if needed.
- Flood waters can carry disease for people and animals. Water borne diseases can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
- Throw out any wet or contaminated pet food. It can be a health hazard.
- Parasitic worms are more prevalent after floods like giardia, hook worm, round worm and fleas.
- Please consult your vet if you have any concerns especially if your greyhound is showing signs of vomiting, diarrhea, illness or dermatitis.
- Mosquitos may be breeding in stagnant water areas so, make sure heart worm preventatives are up to date.
- Consult your vet if you have any concerns.
CHECK YOUR PADDOCKS
Floods can damage fencing and leave rubbish when the water recedes, so be sure to check your horses’ paddocks and greyhound kennels thoroughly before letting your horses or greyhounds back out to ensure they do not injure themselves.
Carefully survey your property for hazards that could pose a safety risk to humans and animals, such as: sharp objects, dangerous materials, fallen power lines and contaminated water.
STAY UP TO DAY WITH RECOVERY OPTIONS/ASSISTANCE
The Department of Agriculture (DAF) has regular information updates available via Facebook re: Queensland Agriculture | Facebook. A survey link is also available via DAF to help to determine if there is a need for additional assistance to support the recovery for impacted communities. Don’t forget to take date stamped photographs to show the damage is from this natural disaster event.
Finally, when a flood is threatening, the most important thing you can do is be prepared. Preparation is key and can help save both you and, your horse/s or greyhound/s.
POWER LINES AND LOSS OF POWER
Fallen power lines can be fatal. Make sure your animals are not left in areas where there are power lines, in case they come down during the storm. Always assume fallen power lines are live and dangerous.
Don’t touch fallen power lines, but rather report any fallen power lines through the Get Ready Queensland website.
KNOW WHO TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE
- Emergency calls: 000
- TTY (type and listen) emergency calls: 106
- State emergency service (SES): 132 500
- Find a detailed list of Queensland Emergency Contacts
ANIMAL ASSISTANCE
- Get informed – each community is different
Please check out the information that is relevant to your area. Local Governments have disaster dashboards and/or websites that provide important information to support local communities during and after disaster events. You can locate information on your local community here.
- Please utilise the www.disaster.qld.gov.au website for current and reliable information.
- Animal emergency – RSPCA 1300 264 265
If you have any concerns about the welfare of racing animals due to extreme weather, please contact: