Woodend and Gisborne State Emergency Services handed out thousands of sandbags today as residents prepared for heavy rain, damaging winds and potential flooding.
An update from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) at 2pm on Wednesday (October 12) said central and northern Victoria should expect heavy rain of about 30 to 50 millimetres overnight and into Thursday (October 13) morning.
According to BOM, central and eastern Victoria should also expect damaging winds above 90km/h in areas of elevated terrain from Thursday morning.
In a Facebook post, Woodend SES said residents could continue to collect from them until 8pm on Wednesday and then again from 10am on Thursday morning.
“A huge thank you to all the people who stayed beyond their 12 bags and assisted with filling many many bags, we couldn’t have done it without you,” the post said.
“Thank you to all the recipients of bags for you patience and willingness to help each other.
“Sandbags are limited to 12 per household to ensure there is enough to go around. You can purchase additional sandbags from Bunnings and other garden/hardware retailers.”
As of 1.30pm today, The Gisborne SES collection point had run out of sand but had empty sand bags for residents to fill up themselves.
The SES said volunteers would be available on Thursday to answer any questions about storm preparedness.
Residents who require emergency assistance in storms or floods can contact SES on 132 500. If an emergency is life threatening contact Triple-0.
