Spring is traditionally Victoria’s most high-risk storm season, bringing with it potentially dangerous, unstable weather patterns, and the state’s essential and emergency services want residents to be suitably prepared.
Electricity distributor Powercor and VICSES have urged residents across the state to plan and prepare for a warmer and windier spring.
Although the recent rains may not indicate it, Victoria’s weather and emergency management agencies are predicting warmer and drier-than-average conditions, along with storms, strong winds and lightning.
Recent history in the north-east of the state has shown the impact Mother Nature can have, including major flooding last October and severe storms in 2021.
In each case, thousands of homes and businesses were left without electricity.
Powercor said it worked closely with VICSES volunteers when responding to and preparing for major weather events.
VICSES chief officer operations Tim Wiebusch has urged residents to do their own preparation to ensure they’re storm- and fire-ready.
“While the climate outlook indicates an average season for storm and flood, it’s important communities remain vigilant and prepare for all emergencies,” he said.
“Don’t wait for the emergency to have a plan. It is vital to know your risk and to have a robust plan in place for storms and flash flooding, along with potential bushfires.”
Powercor head of customer experience Adam Nason encouraged householders and business owners to prepare for power outages as part of their emergency plan.
“We work all year round to make sure the electricity network is as strong as possible ahead of extreme weather events, but power outages can still happen, so being prepared ahead of a storm is essential,” Mr Nason said.
Powercor is trialling a new system that it said would streamline fault reporting for customers.
That includes customers uploading an image of the fault to Powercor’s customer service team via SMS if the circumstances allow.
“When a power fault occurs, we may now ask customers to send us a photo of the scene through the new reporting site if it’s safe to do so,” Mr Nason said.
“By providing this snapshot of the scene, we can assess the resources we need to repair any damage and get power back on to customers faster.”
Powercor is also introducing a second emergency response vehicle to its fleet, which is equipped with power banks for recharging electronic devices, a large screen to display news coverage, weather updates and network information, and a retractable awning to protect from wind and rain.
Powercor’s tips to prepare for possible power outages
Be safe — your health and safety are the priority
- Have a back-up plan ready if you rely on life support equipment or need electrical items to care for babies, people with a disability, the elderly or pets.
- Plan to keep food safe. Set your fridge to 5°C or below. An unopened fridge will keep food for about four hours.
- Have plenty of water available if your supply relies on power.
Be smart — if the power goes out, you’ll want to stay connected
- Sign up for SMS notifications about power supplies and choose your preferences for who you want to receive them at Powercor.com.au/notify
- Download the VicEmergency app and keep emergency phone numbers handy.
- Know how to connect computers and tablets to your mobile phone’s hotspot.
- Back up computer files.
- Know how to open electric garage doors and gates manually.
Be ready — have a plan in place in case of a power outage
- Charge mobile phones, laptops and portable back-up batteries.
- Check if your rooftop solar system is able to operate in a power outage.
- If you plan to use a diesel generator, make sure it’s fully fuelled and operational and that you know how to operate it safely.
- Have a battery-powered radio available for real-time news updates.
- Keep battery-powered lamps or torches handy.