Sturt State Emergency Service

31/05/2026

⚠️ SEVERE WEATHER WARNING – DAMAGING WINDS & RAIN ⚠️

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Severe Weather Warning for our area, with damaging winds and rain expected over the coming days. Trees down on roads, driveways and properties are a real possibility — and that means it's time to get prepared.

Here's your pre-storm checklist:
🌳 Secure anything loose — outdoor furniture, trampolines, pots, signs… and yes, that includes bringing Barry the budgie inside. The BOM doesn't issue warnings for nothing, and neither does Barry when he's airborne out of his control! 🐦💨
🍂 Clear your gutters — blocked gutters + heavy rain = water where you really don't want it.
🚗 Move vehicles away from trees — your car and that old gum tree out front are not friends in a storm.
🪵 Trim any overhanging branches if you can do so safely before the weather hits — don't attempt it once things kick off.
🏠 Check your roof and fences — anything that was already questionable becomes a hazard in damaging winds.
📱 Stay informed — monitor the BOM website and your local ABC Radio for updates, and follow our page for any emergency alerts in the area. https://www.bom.gov.au/warning/severe-weather-warning/IDS21037

If you see trees or debris blocking roads, please do not attempt to move them yourself — contact us so we can get the right crews out safely.
Stay safe, batten down the hatches, and look out for your neighbours — especially the elderly or those who may need a hand getting prepared. 💪

🆘 SA SES EMERGENCY CONTACTS
🔴 Life-threatening emergency: call 000
🟠 Storm or flood damage: call SA SES on 132 500
⚡ Power outages — SA Power Networks: 13 13 66

20/05/2026

🧡 WOW — Wear Orange Wednesday 🧡

They show up when everything goes wrong. The least we can do is show up in orange. 🍊

Today, we’re asking our incredible community to wear orange in honour of our amazing SES volunteers — the legends who drop everything (and sleep) to keep us safe. From floods to storms to that tree that falls and lands inconveniently… they’ve got us. 🚨

To every single one of our volunteers: thank you. What you give — your time, your energy, your 2am callouts — means the world to this community. You are extraordinary.

Now, community — your mission, should you choose to accept it: dig out your brightest orange, snap a photo, and show our volunteers just how much they mean to you! Tag us and use so we can share the love. 📸🧡

Because they wear it every time they answer the call. On Wednesday, we wear it for them. 💛

10/05/2026

27/04/2026

🌅 Lest We Forget 🌅

On Saturday, a number of our Sturt SES volunteers attended the Dawn Service at Blackwood to pay their respects this Anzac Day.

It is a privilege to stand alongside our community and honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who came before us — values that continue to inspire the work we do every day.

Thank you to all who attended services across our region.

10/04/2026

🌳💥 When a big gum decides it's had enough...

Today, our crew was called out to Main Road, Coromandel Valley after a large gum tree came down in windy conditions. A couple of days of rain had softened the ground just enough, and with the wind picking up, down she went — taking out a stobie pole along the way. And not just any stobie pole — this tree bent solid steel and concrete like it was made of rubber. Beckham himself would've been proud of that curve! 🦵⚡

But here's the thing — with high-voltage power lines lying across the road, our team couldn't touch a thing until SA Power Networks arrived and made it safe. Safety first, always.
Once the all-clear was given, our crew got straight to work with chainsaws running and then traffic slowly flowing again.

A huge thank you to:
🧡 Coromandel Valley CFS & Group Officers — for keeping traffic controlled and giving our team a safe space to work
⚡ SA Power Networks — for getting out quickly and making the area safe and then replacing that stobie pole at lightning speed
🚗 Our fabulous local community — for your incredible patience while we cleared the road safely

Main Road is back open and the only thing left behind is a very large pile of firewood. 🪵

If you see our orange uniforms out and about — give us a wave.

We're your neighbours, and we're always here when things go sideways (or in this case, horizontally across the road 😄).

Stay safe out there 🧡

03/04/2026

🐰🚒 HOP TO IT — THE SES BUNNY TRUCK IS ON THE MOVE! 🚒🐰

This Easter, our Sturt SES crew has gone full bunny mode — ears, nose, whiskers and all — but don't let the fluff fool you, we are still 100% ready to respond!

Whether it's a fallen tree, storm damage or a flood, our Easter bunnies will be hopping to your rescue faster than you can say "chocolate egg" 🥚🌳

We make NO apologies for our ear-resistible new look. 👂
So this long weekend, rest easy knowing your local SES crew is on standby — whiskers, high-vis and all. We may look a little hare-raising, but our response is anything but! 🐇

If you need us, don't be nervous — we don't bite. We only rescue. 🐾

☎️ For Storm & Flood Emergencies: 132 500
🚨 For Life Threatening Emergencies: 000

From our burrow to yours — have a safe and happy Easter! 🐣🧡

08/03/2026

Tree down across Main Rd Cherry Gardens today and how fabulous to have women driving the trucks, using the Chainsaws and managing the space!
We are always super happy to work with our mates in the Cherry Gardens Country Fire Service but today having so many women on scene made it extra special!
Happy international women’s day 🧡

Every member of our team is valuable, but today we recognise the achievements of the women in our teams on International Women's Day.

From officers to drivers, chainsaw and breathing apparatus operators, to communications and operational support members; we work together as a team across all roles to ensure the safety of our community. This includes across brigades and services, as a large tree across Main Road, Chandlers Hill demonstrated tonight.

Thankyou to the women in our community for you input and achievements in society, and to the teams, families, and friends who uplift us.

Sturt State Emergency Service
CFS Sturt Group Operations Support

27/02/2026

⚠️ WEEKEND WEATHER WARNING – SANDBAGS AVAILABLE NOW ⚠️
With significant rainfall forecast this weekend and an elevated risk of flash flooding on Sunday, now is the time to prepare – don't wait until the water is at your door!

The Sturt SES has sandbags and sand available for residents to collect FREE at:
📍 20 Ackland Hill Road, Coromandel Valley

Just bring a shovel and some helping hands – we've done the rest! There's also an information pamphlet on site with handy tips on how to fill and place sandbags effectively to protect your property.
Sturt SES volunteers will be on site at times throughout the weekend, and as you can see from the photos, plenty of locals are already getting prepared – we love to see it! 💪

If you have a neighbour who might be at risk or need a hand, please share this post and spread the word.

📞 Need SES assistance? Call 132 500
🚨 Life threatening emergency? Call 000

Stay safe, stay prepared 🧡

20/02/2026

🌧️ The Rain is Coming — time to get ready!

While our mates up North are bracing for some serious rainfall and flood warnings, we're also in for a good soaking over the next few days. After the 🔥 hot, dry stretch we've had, our ground is baked solid — meaning water has nowhere to go but straight across the surface💦. That's when things can get soggy, fast.

So before the rain rolls in, do yourself a favour:
🍂 Clear those gutters! Our gum trees have spent summer shedding bark and leaves everywhere — and all that lovely debris sitting in your gutters is just waiting to cause an overflow. Nobody wants a DIY indoor water feature. 😵‍💫
💧 Check your downpipes are clear and directing water away from your home and foundations.
🏠 Move valuables away from low-lying spots around your property.

A little prep now can save a big headache (and a very wet carpet) later!

Link below 👇 to the SA SES Storm Preparedness page for more handy tips — if you have a moment, give it a read and make sure you're across it.

And if you found this helpful, please share this post — the more neighbours who are prepared, the better! 🧡

Remember:
☎️132 500 for Storm and Flood Emergencies
☎️Triple Zero (000) for Life Threatening Emergencies

Clear your gutters 🍃 & drains. Rain 🌧️ is forecast across SA (particularly across Northern areas of SA) this weekend.

⛈️ For storm preparation tips, visit ses.sa.gov.au/storm

🌤️ For weather forecasts, visit https://www.bom.gov.au

☎️ For emergency storm or flood assistance, call 132 500

☎️ For life-threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)

20/02/2026

A huge thank you to the Blackwood Action Group!

On Tuesday night we were delighted to welcome members of the Blackwood Action Group to our local unit. They joined us during training to present a very generous $3,000 donation, followed by a quick tour of our equipment and operations.

Their support will go directly toward purchasing new, smaller, and easier‑to‑carry first aid kit bags - an upgrade that will make a real difference to our volunteers on the ground and to those who we provide assistance to in the Community.

Community partnerships like this help us stay ready to respond when our community needs us most. Thank you again to the Blackwood Action Group for your ongoing support!