The little town of Whorouly is no stranger to a major flood event.
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Deluges of recent years, especially in 2012, caused roads to become inundated with water and cut off farming properties from the town.
Emergency Services commissioner Craig Lapsley will be among the big names to visit Whorouly on Sunday for a flood safe demonstration day.
The event will consist of workshops and demonstrations by State Emergency Service, CFA and police, plus educational activities for children.
Mr Lapsley, SES North East Victoria regional manager Keith O'Brien and Wangaratta Council emergency management coordinator Jamie McCaffrey will be key speakers to offer flood advice to adults in the morning.
Over in the children’s classroom, Paddy platypus will run games around subjects such as looking after pets and first aid.
Event organiser and Wangaratta SES volunteer Carina Heppell said the demonstration day started as a small idea, but grew into an important opportunity to educate the community with quality speakers.
“They’ve all got something to say about flood safety and how to prepare,” she said.
“It’s just going to be a fun day where people can come down and learn to prepare for floods.”
The SES was aiming to raise $5000 on the day, which the Whorouly Recreation Reserve committee would use for flood mitigation.
It is also fitting the event would be held at the end of National Volunteer Week.
Ms Heppell said the involvement of police and the CFA showed the partnership between emergency organisations.
“We’re really working together, we just want to build a more resilient community,” she said.
Whorouly Primary School will host the demonstration day and principal Fran Waterman said the school was keen to get involved as a hub for the town.
“It was an opportunity for us to be a kids’ educational facility, but also be involved in educating the adult community,” she said.
The banks of the Ovens River burst during the 2012 floods, stopping school buses and isolating families, most who lived on farming properties away from the centre of town.
“That is a semi-regular event for us,” Ms Waterman said.
“The major concern is the dangers of driving through the roads.”
She said new families had moved to Whorouly since 2012 so the event would be an opportunity to ensure they were prepared.
The demonstration day will run from 10am to 2pm, with gold coin donation entry.
