Council urges preparedness for imminent significant weather event
September 28, 2016
With heavy rain expected across the district later this week, Colac Otway Shire Council is urging home and business owners to ensure they have prepared their property to help reduce the possibility of potential damage.
Substantial rainfalls and severe weather across the Colac Otway region have been forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Chief Executive Officer Sue Wilkinson said Council was working with relevant agencies to best prepare flood and landslip prone areas for the forecast rain and wind, as the clean-up from the one-in-twenty-year event rain event earlier in the month continues.
"Floods are an inevitable part of our weather cycle. The recent rains had the most impact on properties situated near waterways which burst their banks, not an overflow from our stormwater system," she said.
"The ground is currently saturated, so any additional rainfall will likely become run off. With this in mind we encourage people to be prepared for flooding.
"While our services and operations team continues its drainage maintenance program and other preparation measures in vulnerable areas, it's important to note that typically drainage infrastructure is designed for much smaller one-in-five or one-in-ten year events. Once the capacity of the drainage system is exceeded localised flooding may result.
"We recommend people take the time to prepare themselves and their properties for the anticipated weather event, she added."
Homeowners can also prepare by:
• securing loose items around their property
• clearing gutters and downpipes from leaf litter and other material
• ensuring pets and other animals are safe from floodwaters
• beware of damaged trees and keep clear of powerlines and floodwaters surrounding them.
Community members affected by flooding should call the Victorian Emergency Recovery information line on 1300 799 232 for assistance.
Regular updates, road closures and emergency warnings can be accessed via:
• Warning information: www.emergency.vic.gov.au
• Road closures (VicTraffic): www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
Residents needing assistance from the SES during storms and floods should call 132 500.
If the matter is life-threatening call 000.
Council Enquiries
(03) 5232 9400