As the wetter months approach across the Bellingen Shire, residents are encouraged to take a few minutes to review their flood plans. While flooding doesn’t occur every season, staying prepared is always worthwhile.
To help you get your house in order, Bellingen Shire Council is running a six-day Household Preparedness Challenge from Monday 23 February to Saturday 28 February.
Each day will have a five-minute challenge designed so that by the end of the week you will have created a household emergency plan, an emergency contact list, reviewed your insurance, prepared a grab and go kit, and identified risks in your area.
Mayor Cr. Steve Allan emphasised the importance of planning ahead and not being complacent about the risks of flooding.
“Bellingen Shire is prone to flooding, and while most floods don’t inundate houses or businesses, there is always the risk of out of ordinary events which don’t behave in ways that we are used to,” said Mayor Allan.
“In addition, if you are new to the area, are elderly or have mobility issues – or you know someone who is – we really encourage you to give some thought to what you will do if it floods, how long you can be isolated in terms of food and medication, what you will do if electricity or communications go down, and put plans in place to address any areas of concern you might have.”
As part of this challenge, participants will also be able to register for Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) support to help ensure their homes are flood prepared. DRA volunteers will be in Bellingen from 7-8 March for a practical preparation day with a special focus on helping veterans, seniors and vulnerable community members clean gutters, conduct basic repairs and clear debris.
While we can’t stop natural disasters from happening, we can reduce their impact by preparing our homes, having a plan B, and understanding how we will be impacted by rain events.
Register for the Household Preparedness Challenge here: www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Events-directory/Household-Preparedness-Challenge