It's rare that SES volunteers deliberately drop a tree onto the roof of a house.
But after the previous storm season, which saw one the of the most damaging hail storms in Canberra in living memory, crews preparing for this year's season aren't taking any chances.
The first day of spring in the capital also marked the first day of the 2020-21 storm season, and several SES volunteers used that time to undergo training in responding to the damage that can be caused by a large storm.
After crews dropped a large tree on the roof of a shed just off the Monaro Highway on Tuesday, volunteers got to work, helping to clear branches and debris and making sure the area was safe and clear of hazards.
While wild weather hasn't been forecast for the first few weeks of spring, Canberrans are being urged to prepare their homes should a storm like January's hail storm come out of the blue.
Storm season typically runs from September to March.
ACT SES acting chief officer Matt Shonk said the weather outlook for coming months indicates large amounts of rain.
"The outlook is for a La Nina event later in the year and we're looking at increased rainfall and the possibility of flooding," Mr Shonk said.
"As a garden city, we have a foliage through our urban forests, and while that's a great benefit to living in the ACT, it does present risks."
Between December 2019 and January 2020 alone, Canberrans made more than 4500 calls to the SES requesting help.
Mr Shonk said Canberra residents should aim to clean gutters and downpipes and make sure insurance is up-to-date in order to best prepare for the coming season.
"As we saw with the hail storm, they can come at any time and they are devastating in consequence," Mr Shonk said.
"Trees can also do a great amount of damage. Branches can fall from a height and onto a roof during a rainfall event."
The start of the storm season coincided with the release of the outlook for this year's fire season.
The ACT is on track for a normal fire season, following recent rain that has fuelled moisture content in bush areas.
ACT Rural Fire Service acting chief officer Rohan Scott said while areas in the Namadgi National Park destroyed in last season's devastating fires were unlikely to burn this season, other areas surrounding Canberra could be at risk.
"Those parts of Namadgi won't be a risk for a few years to come, but if there's high temperatures then there's a risk for other areas that haven't burnt," Mr Scott said.
"We haven't changed our preparation and we always prepare for the worst outcome."
