Ballarat's branch of the State Emergency Service (SES) is preparing for more rain due to the La Nina weather pattern.
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Due to the likelihood of increased storms, the SES held a flood training scenario on Tuesday night to help prepare volunteers for what handling a large-scale weather event could be like under COVID-19 restrictions.
Deputy Controller of Training and Membership Cameron Maher developed the training exercise, which he said is crucial to help prepare members for how to respond to a generational weather event.
"We need to ensure that our skills are maintained. With the pandemic we haven't been able to train as regularly as we'd like face-to-face... our training has gone online," he said.
"With the restrictions easing, it's provided us with an opportunity to come together and practice a flooding scenario - simulating a 50-100 year event - in a face-to-face capacity with COVID-restrictions in place.
"If Ballarat were to flood due to a storm event, we would still have to maintain social distancing and keep all of those COVID-restrictions in mind.
"Tonight (Tuesday) is really about keeping those policies and processes in place and practising that to ensure that we understand what incidents of that level look like with a COVID-lens. We want to make sure we know how to operate in that environment."
The training, which took place from 6pm until 10pm across Ballarat, slowly ramped the scenario up, simulating a huge storm with the intention of analysing how the various SES crews handled the changing conditions.
Mr Maher added how important it is people have plans in place to help protect their properties from a weather event such as a large storm or flood.
"People can download the flood plan for their suburb and really familiarise themselves with how the local waterways affect their property, and what they could expect if we did see some large scale rain events," he said.
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