The Department for Environment and Water (DEW) prepared itself with kilometers of flood barriers arriving in Adelaide in recent weeks as the infrastructure in areas responded to hundreds of gigalitres a day flowing by early December 2022.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has officially declared a Major Emergency as the River Murray flow update showed a high probability of 185 gigalitre-a-day flows.
According to DEW, State emergency Services will deploy four kilometres of flood barriers and 400,000 sandbags around vital infrastructure in flood-affected areas.
The reinforcements are part of the $4.8 million flood protection package and are in addition to the $9.1 million commitment to remediate existing levees and build new ones.
Additionally, the state government announced a $51.6 million initial financial assistance package for River Murray communities, households and businesses affected by large-scale flooding.
This package includes one-off Personal Hardship Emergency Grants of $400 for an individual or up to $1000 for a family will be made available to those displaced from their homes to assist with needs in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
SA Water is asking people in the Riverland and Murraylands to register their mobile phone numbers with the utility to enable it to provide important and timely notifications on water and wastewater infrastructure issues. Visit sawater.com.au for details.
More information about the Murray River floods including high-flow maps can be accessed at this PS News link.
