Byron Shire Council and the State Emergency Service (SES) are asking residents to start thinking about the onset of the wet season and what they will do if there is prolonged heavy rain and flooding.
The SES has launched a flood awareness campaign for the Northern Rivers called ‘The Risk is Real’.
Janet Pettit, Community Capability Officer with the SES Northern Zone, said the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of flood risks in the Byron Shire.
“We have developed detailed information about the flood risk in parts of the Byron Shire and our message to residents is that now is the time to prepare for floods, not in the middle of the emergency,” Ms Pettit said.
The campaign includes a Northern Rivers Flood Awareness website which provides specific details about:
- high-risk flood areas in the Byron Shire
- what to do to before and during a flood
- information about river gauges
- maps showing flood risk to specific properties.
“Preparation for events like floods is key and this is especially important because there are a lot of new residents who have not experienced floods and the devastation and danger they can cause,” Ms Pettit said.
The flood awareness website links to Byron Shire Council’s Emergency Dashboard which is a place where people can get access to all the information they need during an emergency including the SES, Bureau of Meteorology, Police and the Rural Fire Service (RFS).
“Summer is a very challenging time for our emergency services like the SES and the RFS because dry and hot weather creates bush fire risks while wet weather and storms mean floods and property damage,” Phil Holloway, Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, said.
“This SES campaign is a great reminder to people to think about how and when they will act during a natural emergency like a flood or a bushfire.
“The Byron Emergency Dashboard is live all year so now is the time to have a look at it, book-mark the dashboard and Council’s website and sign-up for our social media feeds,” he said.
Council also has a Climate Wise website that aims to build people’s resilience so they can cope better with extreme weather events.
