SES members respond to the call for help after storms batter Albany

A group of State Emergency Service members from the Lower South West have done their part to help afflicted areas in Albany and the residents who suffered after storms last week. The SES taskforce left for the Great Southern on Monday morning last week and returned Wednesday night after responding to more than 171 requests for assistance in and around the city of Albany. The Lower South West team comprised one member from Nannup, one member from Manjimup and three members from Bridgetown. District officer of the Lower South West for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Leon Gardiner said the majority of the calls for help related to fallen trees, subsequent property damage from fallen trees and flooding issues on properties. “A lot of the damage related to tree damage or roof damage associated with tree damage, so trees down,” he said. “A number of calls related to the inundation of properties due to, not only, intense rainfall in a short period of time but also the inundation of low-lying areas, so a real mix of jobs for the team.” Mr Gardiner said by the time the team left on Wednesday there was still a sizeable amount of work to be done in the area. “There was a fair amount of recovery associated with the clean-up ... and that is all dealt with on a priority basis through local government and other services down there,” he said.