Over the festive season, NT Emergency Service (NTES) Volunteers have been hard at work responding to an increase in calls for help.

Between 26December 2022 and 2 January 2023, NTES received 46 calls to the non-emergency hotline 132 500.

NTES volunteers attended 17 jobs during this time to assist the public with the clearing of trees from driveways, cars and houses, fitted tarps on roofs, and laid sandbags against doorways to stop water from entering homes.

On Friday 30 December 2022, volunteers responded to a male found on top of his car in flooded waters at Batchelor.

NT Emergency Service Director Fleur O’Connor said “We are continuing to see severe weather across the Territory and the NT Emergency Service are urging the public to call 132 500 for emergency assistance during a flood, storm or cyclone.

“We want to remind everyone to be particularly cautious of trees susceptible to falling over due to saturated soil and windy conditions during severe storms. Always remember to stay away from flooded drains, rivers, and waterways and not to drive into floodwaters. Remember; if it’s flooded, forget it. It’s just not worth the risk”

For more information on weather alerts go to the Bureau of Meteorology website: http://www.bom.gov.au/nt/warnings

Cyclone and flood preparedness information is available at SecureNT: https://securent.nt.gov.au/prepare-for-an-emergency/weather-events