If It's Flooded, Forget It!
Cr Scott Henschen and Deputy Mayor Gavin Jones today called on the travelling public to drive carefully during and following wet weather events.
“Roads are flooding with very little rainfall due to the saturated ground and care needs to be taken. The advice of ‘If it’s flooded, forget it!’ must be followed,” said Cr Henschen at this week’s Council meeting.
Cr Henschen referred to several local incidents in the past 24 hours following rain which required attendance by Police, Emergency Services and Council staff, and caused damage to property.
“These were avoidable events if people acted safely. Please don’t be reckless as it could cost someone their life,” stressed Cr Henschen.
Roads Portfolio spokesperson, Deputy Mayor Gavin Jones, added that Council was working hard to make roads safe for travel, often repairing the same patch of road several times due to the multiple wet weather events.
Cr Jones warned, “Heavy rain can cause flash flooding that can turn roads into rapids before you know it. Back up when faced with a flooded road. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced driver, if the person before you got through, or you think you know the road and what your car can do. Floodwaters can change everything without warning.”
Cr Henschen explained, “Floodwater can hide all sorts of dangers such as uneven ground, strong currents, vehicles, tree debris, sewage, chemicals and electrical currents.”
“The second you decide to push through floodwater, you give up control. Firefighters across the state rescue more people from water each year than they do from fires,” said Cr Henschen.
