With wild weather predicted for the Hunter this weekend, it’s apt the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) is launching its latest “Get Ready” campaign.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned Newcastle and the greater region it will be hit by severe thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday (1-2 October), with showers expected for several days, too.
Now, the community is being urged to take practical steps to prepare their properties, with forecasts showing likely harsh conditions this storm season, elevating the risk for possible flooding during summer.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said residents needed to understand the potential dangers – and be prepared.
“The NSW SES campaign in our region is a timely reminder that we all need to take the time now to ready ourselves, our homes and our region for natural disasters, including storms and flooding in this upcoming storm season,” he explained.
“The reality is that we need communities to be equipped for the very real possibility of a repeat of previous flooding events witnessed in the Hunter – or, potentially, even worse.”
NSW Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott said the emergency services stood ready to respond.
But, he pleaded for Hunter residents to play their part in preparing for natural disasters.
“The NSW SES is taking every step to ensure communities across the state are prepared for storm season,” Mr Elliott said.
“That’s whether it be through their continued training, deployment of new rescue vehicles or indeed powerful visual campaigns such as this one.
“Being aware and prepared is everyone’s responsibility, whether you’re at home, at work or away on holidays.”
NSW SES Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Sean Kearns said the flood awareness campaign, which starts this week, would continue until the end of November.
“This region will see our messages to ‘get ready’ and be prepared,” he added.
“So, we ask the community to take action to not only prepare themselves but assist our volunteers.”
Find out more about the steps you can take to Get Ready for storms at https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/get-involved/get-ready-nsw/
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