La Niña warnings to prompt flood preparedness across Kingston
Following the Bureau of Meteorology’s recent announcement to expect La Niña weather patterns over the coming months, Kingston Council is contacting local community groups, sports clubs and schools to remind them to be prepared.
Mayor Steve Staikos said that whilst no official flood warnings have been issued, it is a good time to remember that many parts of our municipality are low lying and face a greater risk of flooding in high rainfall events.
“While localised flooding can happen any time, historically most flooding events have occurred between December and February – so this is a timely reminder to be prepared.” said Cr Staikos. “Preparation can reduce the damage caused by flooding and limit recovery costs.”
The State Emergency Service (SES) has some fantastic tools to help you be better prepared for all kinds of emergency events, including local area flood guides and a checklist to build an Emergency Kit – see www.ses.vic.gov.au/plan-and-stay-safe. And the Australian Red Cross have templates and apps to make it easy for you to prepare for all kinds of emergencies – see www.redcross.org.au/prepare.
As well as getting your Emergency Kit and Emergency Plan ready, here are a few other simple steps to help your household be more flood resilient as summer approaches:
- Prioritise cleaning any drains, gutters and downpipes
- Sign up to receive alerts and warnings from the VicEmergency app or website (www.emergency.vic.gov.au/respond)
- Store equipment off the ground where possible
- Check if you are insured for losses due to flooding
- Make sure you and your loved ones know what do in case of an emergency, including emergency exit routes and assembly locations
It is also worth taking note of the numbers to call: In a life-threatening emergency, call ‘000’; you can reach the SES Flood Storm Emergency line on 132 500. And the Vic Emergency Hotline is 1800 226 226.
“Please be prepared and have a safe and happy summer in Kingston,” said Cr Staikos.
