Mandurah's 'Biblical' Flooding Event Prompts Major Emergency Response
The full extent of the devastating flooding that struck Mandurah over the weekend has now been revealed, with local State Emergency Service crews forced to call in additional volunteers from out of town to manage the crisis. Mandurah SES unit manager Chris Stickland, a forty-year veteran of the service, stated he has never witnessed anything comparable to the flooding that inundated the city on Saturday.
Record Rainfall Creates New Waterways
The city effectively gained several new canals as it received more than one hundred millimeters of rain by nine o'clock in the morning, marking the highest rainfall ever recorded for the month of March. "This one was just a rain event, and it just continued, it just was relentless, it was like biblical rain," Mr Stickland emphasized. The relentless downpour overwhelmed local infrastructure and created hazardous conditions across the region.
Reinforcements Arrive to Bolster Local Efforts
Reinforcements were urgently summoned, with volunteers from the Shire of Murray and Serpentine Jarrahdale joining over forty volunteers from Mandurah to tackle the epic flooding. In total, approximately sixty volunteers mobilized to address collapsed roofs, distribute sandbags to protect homes, and remove fallen trees obstructing roads and properties. "It was really good, and it meant that we got to people a lot faster, because there were so many volunteers," Mr Stickland noted gratefully.
The volunteers distributed a substantial number of sandbags during the incident, enabling residents to sandbag their front doors and prevent water intrusion, as well as secure other vulnerable areas on their properties. City of Mandurah workers were also deployed in force, pumping water from six majorly affected roads. Significant flooding on Mandurah Road prevented drivers from accessing the town center, while Bortolo Road was completely submerged, necessitating the towing of multiple cars to safety.
Community and Business Support Proves Invaluable
Local business Pumps and Pipes generously volunteered their time and equipment to assist in clearing the floodwaters, demonstrating strong community solidarity. Despite the severe conditions, Mr Stickland commended Mandurah residents for their patience and preparatory work ahead of the storm. "We were working pretty hard to keep up with things, and it was a pretty long day all in all, but no one was injured, the public was safe, and the damage was minor," he added.
He highlighted that once the rain ceased, many of the immediate problems dissipated. Residents showed considerable responsibility by seeking advice, collecting sandbags independently, and managing minor flooding themselves, which reduced unnecessary emergency call-outs. "So they need to be praised for the fact that they actually took heed of the warnings and tied down all the loose items and made sure they had sandbags, and they'd done a bit of prep work before this storm," Mr Stickland stated.
Warnings Against Floodwater Recreation
Videos circulated on social media depicting people kayaking, surfing, and playing in the floodwaters, a behavior Mr Stickland strongly discourages. "You don't know what is there and there could be sewage and that sort of stuff, which if you swallow it, could make you sick," he warned. The official advice from emergency services is clear: avoid playing in floodwaters due to hidden dangers and contamination risks.
Lucky Escape from Further Complications
Mr Stickland expressed relief that the region avoided the strong winds that were forecasted, which could have exacerbated the situation significantly. "And we're very lucky too, because we didn't get the really strong winds that they were expecting. Because if we got that, we would have been in all sorts of trouble," he remarked. While some volunteers are taking a well-deserved rest today, others are heading north to assist with task forces in Geraldton, Carnarvon, and Exmouth, showcasing the ongoing commitment of emergency responders across Western Australia.
