AS Springfield braces for another Halloween storm season, Energex is urging residents who rely on powered medical equipment to prepare now for potential outages.
The warning comes with a sobering reminder of the Halloween hail disaster in 2020, when Springfield and surrounds were left battered by one of Queensland’s most destructive storms in decades.
That event caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, cutting power to thousands of homes and leaving vulnerable residents without access to electricity for days. For locals who depend on life-support equipment, it was a frightening glimpse into just how quickly essential services can fail during extreme weather.
New national figures now show a worrying trend: only 7 per cent of life support customers – just one in 14 – have a back-up power supply.
Even more concerning, 68 per cent mistakenly believe their electricity will be restored faster than others during an outage.
Energex Area Manager Katrina Lennon said the risks were laid bare last summer, when Cyclone Alfred and widespread flooding left more than 500,000 homes and businesses without power, some for almost two weeks.
“Natural disasters don’t discriminate, and Springfield and surrounding Ipswich suburbs know all too well how damaging a single storm can be,” Ms Lennon said.
“If you rely on powered medical equipment, you need a Plan B – don’t wait until the next hailstorm or cyclone to think about what you’ll do.”
She encouraged residents to talk with their GP or specialist about a detailed back-up plan. Options could include arranging medical support, identifying alternative places to stay where power has not been interrupted, or investing in battery systems or generators.
Practical steps for life support customers include talking to doctors about individual needs, knowing the fastest route to the nearest hospital, and testing generators in advance.
Energex has joined other Energy Charter members to provide new outage planning resources. Locals can visit poweroutageplan.com.au to Check…Plan…Do before the storms roll in.
