http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-09/severe-storm-sweeps-victoria/3655706
Severe storms sweep across Victoria
Updated November 09, 2011 21:51:28
A series of wild storms sweeping across Victoria has damaged homes, brought down trees and caused flash flooding.
Storms buffeted the state for several hours, with big downpours near Port Fairy, Wodonga and Ballarat.
Central Melbourne was largely spared, though flash flooding and damage to homes was reported in eastern and south-east suburbs.
The State Emergency Service has received more than 500 calls for help. It says the rain will continue overnight, but will not be as severe.
Residents of the state's north-east say the storm formed a "mini cyclone" when it passed through.
The intensity of the downpour over Werribee led to the storm being classified as "dangerous".
Lachlan Quick of the SES says it is the first time a storm has been given that rating in two years.
"Similar to what we saw in March 2009 where we had hundreds of millions, perhaps even a billion dollars of damage to property and vehicles over that period," he said.
"It looks as if these storms are actually dissipating and weakening as they get across the bay somewhat, but we're probably in for a series of these over the next couple of hours."
The SES has responded to about 500 calls for help across the state. It says a mini-cyclone hit Bellbridge, near Wodonga, this afternoon.
Several houses were damaged at Bellbridge, Bethanga, and Tallangatta in the state's north. Flash flooding was reported on the Mornington Peninsular.
Boronia resident, Alice Ahrens, says her property was right in the storm's path.
"It got dark in about 15 minutes, from bright skies to pitch black and we had about an inch of water flood through our garage," she said.
Bethanga resident Lorraine Craig arrived home to find extensive damage, and a number of trees down.
"When I pulled into the driveway I was just overwhelmed, at least 10 trees down, it's crashed onto the carport," she said.
"We were worried about our caravan because it's under the carport, buts it's ok thank heavens."
Trish Chapman of Bellbridge says the storm badly damaged her home.
"I don't know if it can be rectified," she said. "Our couch from upstairs is out on the grass, there's bits of roof everywhere, inside is an absolute shambles."
In the north-east, Warrick Armstrong, deputy controller with the Wodonga SES, says the storm damaged several houses and a church at Bellbridge.
He says one home also had its roof completely ripped off.
"A second residence has had a third of its roof removed," Mr Armstrong said.
"We have two crews in Bellbridge at the moment trying to tarp as many properties as we can between now and when the next storm front comes through."
He says trees were uprooted at the Lake Hume weir.
"A storm front has come through, basically a small tornado-type wind," he said.
"[It] flattened a large number of trees on the north-east side of the weir and then [it] came across the weir itself and impacted into Bellbridge."
Meanwhile, storms have damaged roofs, toppled trees and cut power lines in South Australia's Riverland.
The Weather Bureau says winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour were experienced across parts of the area, and emergency services say they have received more than 100 calls for help.
Roofs were ripped off homes and buildings, and trees and power lines brought down in places like Waikerie, Loxton, Barmera and Morgan.
About 13,000 homes are without power across the state.
The owner of the Terminus Hotel at Morgan on the River Murray, Josephine O'Donnell, says big trees have been uprooted on the riverfront.
"A lot of the locals coming in saying they've never seen it before and they've been here 50 years," she said.
"This is the strongest they've ever seen it, we've just got a couple of sheets off our roof, but there's a few houses around the town that have got trees on them."
Anne, who lives just north of Waikerie in the Riverland, saw the storm approaching.
"It was like a [category] 1 cyclone. Trees cracking, vertical rain, and everything was flying around in a circle on my patio. It hit fast and furious," she said via story comment.
Topics: storm-event, weather, vic, melbourne-3000, bellbridge-3691, wodonga-3690, bethanga-3691, sa
First posted November 09, 2011 18:47:04
