SES crews to the rescue after wild weather

Local SES units have been kept busy following weeks of severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and localised flooding, with crews responding to more than 100 calls for help since mid-December.

City of Moreton Bay SES Controller Sean Harrop says crews answered 186 requests for assistance within the Moreton Bay area between December 17, 2023, and January 2, 2024.

“Before the Christmas Day storm we had a couple of bad storms out through Woodford and Wamuran that resulted in lots of trees down and damage to people’s properties,” Sean says.

“The nature of the tasks then changed after Christmas due to the heavy rain, which saw us responding to leaky roofs and sandbagging.”

With other parts of South East Queensland also dealing with a mammoth cleanup effort, Sean says Moreton Bay crews were also dispatched to help other units in Brisbane, Logan, Scenic Rim and the Gold Coast, particularly after the Christmas Day storms.

Currently, there are no weather warnings for the City of Moreton Bay, but Felin Hannify from the Bureau of Meteorology says we could see some showers on Friday.

“We will see a bit of a reprieve today and tomorrow before the southeasterly winds pick up on Friday bringing the chance of a thunderstorm across the inland parts of South East Queensland,” Felin says.

“It’s not expected to be as extensive and as wild as last week, but we could get some mumbles of thunder and possible showers on the coastline.”

Take time to prepare your home now

With summer far from over and the possibility of more severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the next few months, Sean is urging residents to start taking steps now to protect their homes from more damage.

“As everyone has seen with the severe weather impacting so many parts of Queensland over the last month, severe weather happens quickly and often with little warning,” Sean says.

“Its important residents do the small things now to prepare their home and family to avoid potentially massive problems during severe weather.

“Residents should ensure their gutters are clean, overhanging trees are cut back, and patio furniture and outdoor items are secured.

Residents can find out more information on how to prepare their home through the digital SES Severe Weather Safety Guide.

If it’s flooded, forget it

“With all the rain we have received over the last few weeks catchments, creeks, and rivers are considered wet. This means any rainfall we receive in our region will immediately turn into runoff,” Sean says.

“This results in faster flooding earlier then residents are expecting and exacerbates flash flooding when it occurs.

“Residents should understand their flood risks and most importantly never drive or walk through flood waters, no matter how little.

“Even small amounts of flood water are extremely dangerous. If it’s flooded forget it.

“Residents should also ensure their children and family members never play in storm water drains and culverts. Even if there is only a small amount of water in the drain or culvert at the time rain and water runoff further upstream can cause these areas to quickly fill with fast flowing water with no warning. 

"Storm water drains and culverts are not playgrounds.”

Keep up to date with the latest warnings and information 

The MoretonAlert system is a complimentary service that sends alerts through SMS, email, and voice messages.

It delivers important notifications regarding severe weather conditions, bushfire warnings, prescribed burn notices from the council, potential incidents of flash flooding, and planned dam releases in Moreton Bay.

These messages contain essential details about the nature of the emergency, the level of danger, and suggested actions to be taken.

To sign up to MoretonAlert click here.

Residents can also get up-to-date information about weather updates, road locations sandbag locations and more by visiting the Moreton Bay Disaster Dashboard.