Warning people about coming floods

Recent developments and some barriers to improve performance: Keys, C. (2004) Presented at the 44th Annual Conference of the Floodplain Management Authorities of NSW, Coffs Harbour, 2004

This paper examines the role of the State Emergency Service (SES) in providing warnings of coming floods. It deals with the history of that role, noting the ways in which current practices have evolved and documenting the means by which the SES has sought to add value to Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) flood warnings and ensure that warning messages are disseminated effectively. It also focuses on the existence of barriers which impede success in the pursuit of high standards of warning. These include the fact that floods occur relatively infrequently on most of the state's rivers, which means that SES personnel get little practice in the warning role and members of flood liable communities do not become accustomed to the flood threat or to the need to heed the warnings they receive. Mindsets both within the SES and in the community can also act as barriers to improved standards, and some examples of these are discussed as are the SES's attempts to confront them.

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