Given Maitland’s infamously wet and wild history, it should come as little surprise that the Hunter was rated the second most storm-affected region in NSW in 2015/16.
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The data, released this week by the State Emergency Service and NRMA, also showed that three of the five worst hit places in the Hunter were in the Maitland local government area.
That means Metford, Thornton and Ashtonfield were among the most storm-affected towns in NSW last financial year. The Hunter also made up 10 per cent of the state’s total storm insurance claims during the period.
The SES has released the data to show residents why it’s so urgent that they make sure they are prepared for catastrophic weather events during the official storm season, which runs from October to March.
Eighteen months on from the devastating April super storm, and 10 months after another severe weather system caused significant flooding in Maitland, it appears the city’s residents are still counting the cost.
The data released this week is a stark reminder that Maitland residents face a certain reality – we live on a floodplain that has gone under water numerous times in the past and will undoubtedly do so again.
But it’s not just the financial burden that casts a shadow over Hunter residents.
From the renowned 1955 flood to last year’s natural disaster, you don’t have to look far around this city to find examples of how these weather events have affected people who call this place home.
In April, to mark the 12 month anniversary of the super storm, Fairfax Media told the story of Peter Manuel, the Nelsons Plains farmer who clung to a tree while raging floodwater passed all around him.
Mr Manuel’s 15-year-old son Michael bravely risked his own life to save him.
It was a brush with death that remained fresh for both men a year on.
“You think this sort of thing doesn’t affect you,” Mr Manuel said at the time. “Somewhere in my subconscious it’s still there.”
While Mr Manuel’s story is at the extreme end of the scale, it shows the scary reality of what life on the floodplain can be. So it’s worthwhile taking the SES’s advice and develop a storm and flood plan, so when disaster strikes you’re ready to tackle it head-on.
The SES will hold a forum for businesses about how to prepare for floods on November 11 at Maitland Town hall. Call 0417 549 292 to book a place.
