SES Maroondah Unit

🚗☀️ Heading away these school holidays?

Whether you're travelling across Victoria or just heading a few hours down the road, make safety part of your journey.

😴 Get a good night's sleep before you leave

☕ Take regular breaks along the way

🚶 Stretch your legs and stay refreshed

🛣️ Share the driving where possible

Driver fatigue can creep up on you without warning, especially on long trips. Taking a break every two hours can help keep you, your passengers and everyone else on the road safe.

Remember, arriving a little later is much better than not arriving at all.

And despite what the kids in the back seat might think, "Are we there yet?" is not an approved method of keeping the driver awake! 😅

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday break.

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

📞 Not sure when to call VICSES?

You're not alone! When storms and floods hit, knowing who to call can help get assistance to those who need it faster.

VICSES assists with:

🌳 Fallen trees impacting buildings

🏠 Storm damage to homes and businesses

🌊 Flood and storm-related emergencies

⚠️ Other emergencies where SES is the control agency

The images below provide some examples of when to call SES and when another service may be better placed to help.

A quick tip: if your tree is happily lying in the backyard doing nothing more than improving the view, it's probably not an SES job. 😅 But if it's met your roof and introduced itself to your lounge room, give us a call!

Knowing who to call helps emergency services respond more efficiently and ensures help gets where it's needed most.

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

❄️🌙 Today marks the Winter Solstice – the shortest day and longest night of the year.

While many people see it as a time for reflection and renewal, it's also the perfect reminder to prepare your home for the winter weather that may still be ahead.

A little preparation now can help prevent a lot of headaches later. Here are three simple things you can do to get storm ready:

🌳 Trim back trees and branches around your home

🍂 Clear your gutters, downpipes and drains

🎒 Prepare or check your emergency kit

After all, winter storms don't check the calendar before arriving, and your gutters don't magically clean themselves during the longest night of the year! 😉

For more tips on preparing your home for storms, visit:
🌐 www.ses.vic.gov.au/be-storm-smart

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000.

🍂 Your gutters weren't designed to be garden beds!

Blocked gutters can cause water to overflow into your roof, ceilings and walls, leading to costly damage when heavy rain and storms arrive.

Now is the perfect time to grab the ladder (safely), clear out any leaves and debris, and make sure water can flow freely away from your home.

We've seen some very impressive gutter gardens over the years 🌱😅 — but trust us, your roof will thank you for keeping the plants on the ground where they belong!

A little maintenance today can save a lot of trouble tomorrow.

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000.

🌊 Floodwater is often deeper, faster and more dangerous than it appears.

Did you know?

🚗 Just 15cm of moving water can affect your vehicle's control.

🚙 Just 30cm of moving water can carry away a car.

If you come across a flooded road, creek crossing or water over the roadway, don't take the risk. The inconvenience of turning around is far better than the consequences of getting stuck.

Remember: your car may be many things, but it's definitely not a boat! 🚤❌

🚗 Turn Around, Don't Drown.

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000.

🚨 Looking for a challenge, new skills and a great group of people to be part of?

As a VICSES volunteer, you'll learn a whole new skillset while making a real difference in your local community. From storm and flood response to community education, training and teamwork, no two days are ever quite the same.

You'll gain valuable skills, build lasting friendships and become part of a team that's always ready to help when the community needs it most.

No experience? No problem! We provide the training and support to help you get started.

And let's be honest – where else can you learn new skills, help your community and occasionally get paid in biscuits and gratitude? 😄

Ready to get on board?

🌐 Apply today: www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us

☎️ For SES assistance during floods and storms, call 132 500

🚨 In a life-threatening emergency, call 000

🌧️🚨 Flood warnings are issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) to help communities prepare for possible riverine flooding.

Once BoM issues a flood warning, VICSES translates that information into community and township-specific warnings on the VicEmergency app, complete with clear action statements so you know exactly what to do.

With four different flood warning levels, it can sometimes feel like flood warnings have their own language! 🌊 That's why we've put together the images below to explain what each warning level means and the actions you should take if flooding threatens your area.

📱 During any emergency, don't rely on just one source of information. Stay informed by:
✅ Monitoring the VicEmergency app and website
✅ Following official emergency service updates
✅ Listening to local emergency radio stations
✅ Watching trusted television news broadcasts

A little preparation today can make a big difference tomorrow. And remember — if it's flooded, forget it. Your car is not a boat, no matter how confident it feels! 🚗🚫🌊

** Update: this warning has been cancelled **
Severe Thunderstorm Warning for heavy rainfall.
Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/
Issued at: 5:58 pm on Thursday 4 June 2026.

Where:
For people in parts of Central, North Central and Northern Country Forecast Districts.

Locations which may be affected include Seymour and Yarra Glen.

When:
Slow moving thunderstorms are producing heavy rainfall this evening.

Situation:
A complex low pressure system in Bass Strait and associated troughs is producing slow moving rainfall over central Victoria.

Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.

What you should do:
The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
* Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
* Be aware - heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it's windy or wet.
* Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
* Stay indoors and away from windows.
* If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
* Stay away from fallen powerlines - always assume they are live.
* Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks. Heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads.
* Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency website/app/hotline.

The next warning is due to be issued by 9:00 pm.

** Update: A new warning has been issued. Stay informed: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/warnings/ **

Severe Weather Warning for damaging winds

Issued at 4:50 pm on Sunday 31 May 2026

Where:
For people in parts of Central, East Gippsland, North Central, North East, West and South Gippsland and South West Forecast Districts.

Locations which may be affected include Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh, Falls Creek, Yarra Glen, Dargo, Mt Baw Baw, Mt Hotham, Mt Buller, Omeo and Apollo Bay.

When:
Damaging winds to develop about central and eastern areas from Monday afternoon.

Situation:
A complex low pressure system will approach Victoria on Monday, with vigorous northwesterly winds expected ahead of a cold front which will cross the state on Monday night.

For Central Victoria: Strong winds averaging 50 to 60 km/h with damaging wind gusts of around 90 km/h are likely to develop from Monday afternoon over the Macedon and Otway ranges and their southern slopes. Into the evening damaging wind gusts are also possible over lower lying areas including the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Winds are then forecast to ease before dawn on Tuesday morning.

For the Northeastern Ranges: Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are likely over elevated areas above 1200 metres from late Monday evening. Winds are then forecast to ease by late Tuesday morning.

What you should do:
The Victoria State Emergency Service advises that people should:
* If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
* Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
* Be aware - heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it's windy or wet.
* Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
* Stay indoors and away from windows.
* If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
* Stay away from fallen powerlines - always assume they are live.
* Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks. Heavy rainfall may also increase the potential for landslides and debris across roads.
* Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency website/app/hotline.

The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 11:00 pm AEST Sunday.