Client

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES), Victorian Government

Project

Residential FloodSafe – Inner Suburban Case Study

Category

Community Engagement

Our client says

"I've entrusted my video production work to Red Hat Films for over 10 years. 
Working with Sarah from Red Hat Films can only be described as a truly rewarding
and professional experience.
Sarah with her film making expertise acts as guide and support, ensuring your corporate objectives are met and your story is told with passion and conviction.
When engaging Red Hat Films you are entering into a partnership committed to quality outcomes, and you will be working with a team genuinely dedicated to communicating your message."
Anna Maciejewska
Community Resilience Coordinator
Victoria State Emergency Service

Video Transcript

>>ANDREW: Water was coming from the ceiling and also through the vents, through the light fittings.

Our hallway was fully flooded and also our kitchen was fully flooded.

We tried to use buckets and towels and just to soak everything up.

We tried to lift furniture off the floor but we were well aware that we were insured.

But a lot of the stuff that we had was irreplaceable.

All our beds were fully saturated.

Our carpet was saturated.

There was severe timber damage.

And all the walls were stained because of the water.

We had some beautiful paintings we had purchased.
They were damaged and we couldn't get them back.

We have two little girls and they were 18 months old at the time and they were frightened as well and they were extremely unsettled.

At the end of the day basically my partner and the kids where okay.

I never ever thought I would get flooded period let alone being flooded in the business and also at home.

When you see flooding on television more than likely you see the outskirts
of Melbourne or rural Victoria.

You don't see basically Elwood being flooded.

I was surprised by the amount of damage.

The insurers had told us there was up to $150,000 of damage just for our home.

The hardest thing about the flood I feel is the hardship it causes after the event.

The cleaning up process is one aspect.

Dealing with insurers is extremely difficult because obviously if I'm gonna be flooded so many others are going to be flooded and there are so many claims
and that is a lengthy process and exhausting process.

My partner and I we're in business here together and we also live together so the complications that we were facing throughout the flooding period was very very hard and there were many many arguments you know but we survived.

I've never been through anything like this this particular flood hit me quite hard.

It's taken 24 months, 36 months for me to get back on my feet.

The emotional effects have been quite daunting every time there is torrential rain or substantial rain I feel that I need to be either home or at the business.

I've read the SES Home Emergency Plan and I seen that it's probably best
that I keep on site an emergency kit.

Recently I purchased some swell bags.

I've also got first aid and we do have boots and I've got in storage some
big brooms.

We are now aware. We've fixed all the cavities and we've blocked all the
holes to ensure that minimal water comes back into the property.

I feel that people that live in a flood-prone area should be vigilant they should
have their SES Home Emergency Plan and they probably should read over it
every six or twelve months to refresh their memory.

It's imperative, they need to basically help themselves because the SES can't help everybody and I know that because they attended here and within three minutes they needed to go somewhere else and I totally understood that.

It does concern me a little bit that it could happen in the near future but if it does
I feel that I'll be able to cope better than what I did previously.

>> MALE VOICEOVER: The real impact of flooding on a home and the family can be bigger than you think.

Planning and preparing can reduce the impact of a flood and help you recover more quickly.

Taking time to think about emergencies and making a plan helps you think clearly, have a greater sense of control and make better decisions when an emergency occurs.

Creating a Home Emergency Plan only takes a little time and may help save
your life or property during an emergency.