The State’s Emergency Services are urging Victorians to be prepared and stay alert ahead of heavy rainfall and flood risks, with emergency relief on standby for vulnerable communities.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Emergency Services, Jaclyn Symes joined Emergency Management Victoria, VICSES and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for a briefing on the forecast and the preparation done for upcoming floods and storms.
Mr Andrews said Community Contingency Caches had been restocked and were designed to equip responders and community members with emergency tools, including first aid and hygiene essentials, infant supplies, dust masks and respirators, batteries, water, food and cooking supplies, tents, lighting, bedding and equipment needed to set up an emergency base.
“Each of the two caches is able to provide relief for up to 50 people in the immediate aftermath of impact from a major emergency for up to five days,” Mr Andrews said.
“They can be pre-deployed based on predictive services – modelling ahead of significant weather events that point to things like floods or fires, or following emergency events where extended periods of community isolation can occur,” he said.
“The caches can be deployed via road or components of the caches could also be transported by air, to get emergency supplies delivered to areas in advance of a potential event as quickly as possible.”
Mr Andrews said the State’s fleet of emergency helicopters were on standby to assist with further airlifts of supplies, equipment and emergency personnel as needed.
He said more than 200 generators were also on standby, ready to be deployed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to households facing prolonged power outages after a severe weather event.
“Victorians are encouraged to make their own preparations for potential emergencies by having enough supplies on hand to last for up to 72 hours and to set up a support network with friends, family, neighbours and their local council,” the Premier said.
He said catchments across Victoria were extremely full and would likely rise even further, staying at extremely high levels into next week.
