Clean-up keeps emergency service volunteers busy

Belinda Cook, Kim Smyth, Mark Smyth, Raymond Mansfield And Rob Cook  TBW Newsgroup
ARMED FOR EMERGENCY: Mount Gambier State Emergency Services crew leader Rob Cook, unit communications coordinator Kim Smyth, logistics and crew leader Mark Smyth and crew members Raymond Mansfield and Belinda Cook work regularly as a team to keep the community safe and will continue as wild weather strikes Mount Gambier. Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR

Belinda Cook, Kim Smyth, Mark Smyth, Raymond Mansfield And Rob Cook  TBW Newsgroup
ARMED FOR EMERGENCY: Mount Gambier State Emergency Services crew leader Rob Cook, unit communications coordinator Kim Smyth, logistics and crew leader Mark Smyth and crew members Raymond Mansfield and Belinda Cook work regularly as a team to keep the community safe and will continue as wild weather strikes Mount Gambier. Picture: MOLLY TAYLOR

STATE Emergency Service volunteers responded to more than 30 incidents across the South East during the wintry cold front that swept through the region.

Bringing wind gusts of more than 100kph and heavy rain, volunteers attended to around 20 trees that had fallen on roads and properties.

Mount Gambier received over 28mm of rain from mid-Wednesday afternoon to early yesterday morning, with wind gusts peaking at 78kph.

Further north, the Penola and Coonawarra district was blasted with wind gusts of 109kph just after 5pm, which brought down trees along the Riddoch Highway and caused damage to several homes.

Limestone Coast SES district officer Brad Flew said volunteers battled cold and wintry conditions to attend dozens of call-outs for help.

“There were 30 calls for assistance in the Mount Gambier and Millicent areas – this ranged from trees on roads to damage on properties,” Mr Flew said.

He said both Millicent and Mount Gambier had two crews in operation to respond to the high demand.

“Overall, more than 100 hours were given by volunteers,” Mr Flew said.

The southern region of the state, which included Adelaide, responded to more than 180 calls for help.

The storm caused damage to roofs as well as causing trampolines to fly across neighbouring properties.