I'm really lucky when it comes to long term storage as I have a swimming pool. In Queensland, because of the huge droughts of the last 9 years which ended so abruptly, there are lots of rules around water restrictions. One of them is that if you have a pool, you must have water storage to collect and use rainwater for filling your pool. So I have 8,000 litres (2213 Gallons) of rainwater storage, a tank which is full most of the year, its never been below two thirds full since I have been here (two years). I would want to boil this water before drinking, but I'm not on mains gas so we have gas bottles, always minimum 6 months supply sitting there, so boiling isn't an issue. I keep three Jerry Cans full of water at all times in the house, 60L (16 Gallons), and will use the 10L in each of the three toilets for the dogs (total 8 gallons).

Food we should keep more of agreed, also certain medications. I will be stocking up before the wet season comes around again.

As we camp we have an excellent ice box which can keep food frozen for up to 5 days (plan on 2 days) and our fridge / freezer is also an ice maker so we always have enough ice for 1 load in the ice box. As funds permit though I will be getting a battery system for camping which I can also use in the house in an emergency, with solar panels and maybe a generator, to run an electric camping fridge/freezer as well as keeping phones/laptop running.

As for the RSPCA, they had prepared to the government advice, i.e. water levels would be the same as the 1974 floods. In 1974 their back paddocks went under, so they evacuated the farm animals and horses that live there way ahead of time. Their lowest building, the desex clinic, wasn't touched in 1974 but had 2 metres of water go through it this time. The water also completely inundated their lowest kennel blocks and got into (to about a foot) their highest kennel blocks - all the animals were in danger and they evacuated in three hours. The lesson for me is not to trust official advice and plan to the worst case most pessimistic scenario.

Our business is a corporate sponsor for the RSPCA and we work closely with them - we had to get there to help them! I should point out Brisbane mainly filled up slowly as the river rose through controlled releases from the dam, there was no wall of water here (mainly - some creeks were very dangerous and trees did come down). The dangers were being cut off from home and our pets or being run off the road (which very nearly happened three times). The rain had stopped by this point. If I felt it was really dangerous, we wouldn't have gone, but it did feel good to get back in one piece.

Chaosmagnet, this isn't the first time I have seen cell coverage go down in an emergency. I used to live in London, in 2005 after the bombs the cell network was shut down for a few hours. I understand the cell networks were unusable after 9/11. I just don't want to rely on them!