Communities along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road are beginning recovery efforts after an intense and highly localised deluge triggered sudden and “terrifying” flash flooding, with the worst impacts felt at Wye River and Lorne.
More than 180 millimetres of rain fell in about four hours near Lorne, shattering rainfall records and sending torrents of water through estuaries and caravan parks.
Cars were swept away, access roads were damaged, and floodwaters forced evacuations from low-lying areas.
Around 10,000 people received emergency alerts, and approximately 200 residents and holiday-makers were displaced. No injuries have been reported, though SES crews assisted people trapped in caravans.
Emergency warnings have since been downgraded, but authorities caution that significant hazards remain, including debris, mud, damaged roads, fallen trees and the risk of landslips.
Officials described the event as unprecedented for the region, warning that even lighter rain could still cause issues due to saturated ground.
The flooding followed a volatile week for the area, which had already been on alert for bushfires, underscoring the extreme and rapidly changing conditions facing coastal communities.
Source: ABC News
