City braces for storm season

With winter imminent, the City is preparing for storm season in collaboration with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), the State Emergency Services (SES) and other response agencies.

This winter, City residents are encouraged to stay informed on disruptive weather events through official channels, such as the Emergency WA website, the DFES Facebook page, ABC Radio as the emergency broadcaster and the Bureau of Meteorology.

In the event of severe weather warnings such as heavy rain, strong winds or flooding, residents should also check Main Roads Travel Map for road closures and follow instructions from emergency services.

Before weather warnings are issued, residents can be prepared by:

• Clearing gutters at your property to prevent water buildup
• Trimming overhanging branches that could pose a risk during strong winds
• Securing loose objects like garden furniture and trampolines
• Ensuring you have essential supplies like torches, batteries, and non-perishable food items in case of power outages
• Ensuring your pets have proper identification including microchips, registration tags and up-to-date registration.

During a storm, residents can respond by:

• Reducing your speed when driving on wet roads, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles, and turning your lights on to help you see the road and help other drivers see you
• If possible, staying indoors during heavy rains and storms and avoiding unnecessary travel and exposure to the elements
• Creating a safe and enclosed space for your pet and bring them indoors before the weather starts
• Reporting incidents to the leading agency (refer to the table below).

After a storm, residents can respond by:

• Reporting incidents to the leading agency (refer to the table below).
• If your pet escapes, contact the City’s ranger team. They’ll identify lost pets using registration tags and microchips and take them to the Animal Care Facility and make every effort to reunite them with their owner.

Mayor Mark Irwin said while DFES and the SES were the primary emergency response agencies, local governments work collaboratively with them to encourage the whole community to prepare for storm season and respond to local damage.

“The City of Stirling can help to amplify the official advice from the response agencies, encourage general preparedness and respond to public infrastructure damage such as trees, branches or debris on local roads, fallen trees on City land, and providing sandbags to heavily affected areas,” he said.

“Since last winter, the City has been investing in storm and flood resilience, including maintenance works of 50 crossovers, 180 sumps and swales, 50km of CCTV-based inspections, 200 drainage construction jobs and work on pits and pipes.