Paul Millar
VICTORIA is on flood alert today, with emergency crews preparing for a repeat of the deluge that hammered the state with record rainfall yesterday.
A country pipeline erupted, busy roads were flooded and closed, and campers were happy to evacuate yesterday as parts of Victoria had their biggest downpour in more than a century.
The SES, which responded to hundreds of requests for aid yesterday, has warned that heavy rains, driven by powerful winds in the north and the west, could cause major problems today.
”The communities most at risk are those that are on the catchments and river systems of the Wimmera River, the Avoca River and the Loddon River,” SES acting director of operations Tim Wiebusch said.
He also warned that a stretch of the Great Ocean Road, closed because of landslips and boulders on the road, could remain blocked for days.
A VicRoads spokeswoman said the scenic highway was closed between Lorne and Skenes Creek from 7am yesterday following rockfalls. Diversions will remain in place until the road is cleared and repaired. Caravan parks and campsites in the area were evacuated.
Jeparit, north of Horsham, was lashed with 160 millimetres of rain over 24 hours, its heaviest fall in 113 years of records.
The deluge caused seals to break on the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline, completed less than a year ago, and several pipes were dislodged on the Jeparit Rainbow Road. Customers have been warned it could take days to reconnect their water supply.
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said there was no immediate end to the rain in sight. ”More than 100 millimetres has fallen in parts of the Mallee and Wimmera in the last day or so, four times the monthly average. And there’s potentially another 100 millimetres to come,” he said.
Rainbow, close to Jerapit, recorded 130 millimetres in 24 hours, its heaviest fall in 74 years of records. Horsham and Longerenong had about 100 millimetres each, both 50-year highs. Mildura had its biggest rainfall in eight years and most January rainfall on record, with 60 millimetres.
Source: www.theage.com.au
