Last week’s abnormally high tides resulted in some minor coastal inundation around Lakes Entrance and other low-lying areas of the state.
The community and emergency services combined to prepare and put many preventative practices into place in case the inundation was severe.
After several days of warnings, tides decreased by Thursday and the Watch and Act warnings issued for parts of the Gippsland coast were downgraded to Advice – Threat is Reduced message.
The State Emergency Service, East Gippsland Shire and other emergency services thanked the public for preparing for the two days of potentially severe conditions, from damaging and destructive winds to storm surge. It was an eventful end to May but fortunately no major impacts were seen.
The local SES stated in response to the forecast of abnormally high tide at Lakes Entrance, many actions and communications were undertaken.
They prepared with sandbag filling and collection point, public warnings out early, messaging actively shared on social media platforms, commercial broadcast interviews were recorded and aired, door knocking was completed at potentially impacted
properties in Lakes Entrance. Residents received readiness plans and flood guides and the community were receptive, came and got sandbags and set up their properties.
The SES Resources were deployed from Bruthen, Bairnsdale, Sale and Stratford. There were standby rescue boat crew, Land-Based Swift Water Rescue (LBSWR) crew and field observers (Snap Send Solve). Both the rescue boat and LBSWR crews also acted as field observers. There were also door knocking crews and a sandbag hopper.
Multiple roads were impacted by water over the surface, one property on the night required preventive sandbagging to mitigate potential inundation.
“No relocation was required, because of pre-emptive planning by VICSES and the community and thankfully due to the mitigation works completed by the East Gippsland Shire in Lakes Entrance over the last 10 years, the impacts were lessened,” SES emergency management operations officer Lisa Worcester said.
