SES has storm season preparation in the bag

Photo: Redcliffe SES volunteers Phil Carton, Graham Davis and Euros Lewis handed out Get Ready guides at Bunnings Rothwell.

Hundreds of Moreton Bay Region residents are better prepared for the coming storm season thanks to volunteers from the Redcliffe SES.

Last weekend Bunnings at Rothwell played host to a team of volunteers, who set up their storm/flood mitigation display stand within the store to provide storm preparation advice and answer questions.

Redcliffe SES volunteer Graham Davis says the display was well received, with a new La Nina expected to bring heavy rain and storms over the next few months.

“The volunteers handed out hundreds of the Moreton Bay Regional Council's ‘Get Ready Moreton Bay’ guides along with copies of ‘Preparing an emergency kit’ and ‘See Yourself in Orange’ - a recruitment brochure,” Graham says.

“Shoppers were invited to attach the magnetised guides to their refrigerator doors, while their children were asked to take a guide to school as potential lesson material.”

Sandbag demonstration

Graham says volunteers also set up a demonstration sandbag wall, provided storm preparation advice and answered questions.

“Redcliffe volunteers have developed a quick ‘sandbag’ wall construction where the usual hessian bags are replaced by plastic shopping bags filled with garden soil and the usual commercial black plastic membrane to keep floodwater out is replaced with a waterproof plastic tablecloth,” he says.

“Plastic tablecloths could also be used to cover valuable furniture in the event of water cascading from the ceiling.”

Graham says the display was part of an overall campaign to make the community more resilient in times of emergencies and aligned with Council and the State Government's campaign of community preparedness.