NSW State Emergency Service has marked the beginning of the official storm season with the launch of the new Australian Warning System for floods and tsunamis at Thompson Square, Windsor.
The Australian Warning System is a nationally consistent, three-tiered approach which gives residents clearer advice and warnings in the lead up to severe weather events.
The three levels are Advice (yellow), Watch and Act (orange) and Emergency Warning (red) and mean:
- Advice - an incident has started. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.
- Watch and Act - conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.
- Emergency Warning - the highest level of warning. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately.
Impacted communities will continue to receive flood warnings through the NSW SES website, NSW SES social media channels and by listening to local ABC radio stations. Council is committed to onsharing this information to its social media followers in the event of an emergency.
Hawkesbury City Mayor Sarah McMahon urged residents to familiarise themselves with the warning system and maintain ready access to the NSW SES and Council information channels.
"Living with the risk of floods is sadly a way of life in the Hawkesbury, but there are simple ways to ensure we are prepared and stay safe in an emergency," Mayor McMahon said.
"Make sure your family has an emergency evacuation plan, and that you are all familiar with it. And keep a careful eye on warnings from NSW SES and follow their advice.
"With the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a higher than normal risk of wet weather over the coming months, there is no better time than now to ensure we are prepared."
