The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) has marked the 10th anniversary of La Nina’s widespread flooding in 2011 by reflecting on nature’s impacts across the State over the past 10 years.
VICSES said that between September 2010 and February 2011, 70 out of 79 local government areas across Victoria experienced flooding or storm damage.
“This equated to 1,500+ flood watches and warnings and over 34,000 calls for help to SES,” VICSES said.
“While some areas saw widespread flooding occur two or three times in less than four months, other towns experienced this four times, including Charlton, Echuca, Horsham, and Kerang,” it said.
“Staggering rainfall of 100-300mm was seen between 9 and 15 January 2011, affecting two-thirds of the State.”
VICSES said areas in the north east and central region also saw significant flood events between September and December 2010, while Melbourne and the Mallee were impacted most in February 2011.
“The natural disaster saw a protracted psychological toll on communities and individuals, representing 56,791 insurance claims,” it said.
Emergency Management Commissioner at VICSES, Andrew Crisp said that in the decade since the 2011 floods VICSES had learnt a lot and made significant improvements to its emergency flood response to ensure the safety of at-risk communities.
“The emergency management sector is committed to continuous enhancements in ensuring Victoria has the best emergency preparedness and response to keep the community safe,” Mr Crisp said.
VICSES encouraged its members who were experiencing distress or traumatic memories related to the 2010/2011 floods to contact VICSES Peer Support on 1800 899 927.
