Families trapped, left homeless as Yarra Ranges smashed by Melbourne storm

A FAMILY was trapped by a collapsed retaining wall while another was left homeless due to water damage as yesterday’s storms caused chaos across the Yarra Ranges.

• MORE STORM COVERAGE: FLASH FLOODING RECOVERY CONTINUES
• SES abused over storm road closures

FLASH flooding caused chaos across the Yarra Ranges yesterday with the area hit with 15mm in about 10 minutes.

The worst hit suburbs included Lilydale, Tecoma, Upwey, Belgrave and Chirnside Park.

The Beresford Rd roundabout underwater near the Lilydale Industrial Estate. Picture: Dianne Lindner

The Emerald SES unit answered 40 calls for assistance. Issues included a collapsed retaining wall that trapped a family in Belgrave, water damage to a pizza shop in Tecoma, forcing the business to close for the night, and even a group of stranded alpacas in Upwey.

Many calls related to water damage, with the downpour compromising gutters.

Beresford and Cave Hill roads roundabout near the Lilydale Industrial Estate.

The Lilydale SES unit responded to about 29 call-outs, most relating to water damage in Chirnside Park, from about 4.30pm.

Emerald SES member Dale Frankland said while the event didn’t result in any injuries there were a few incidents of property damage.

“The majority of our call-outs were related to water damage to properties, although we did have a couple of trees blocking driveways,” he said.

Greenslopes Drive in Mooroolbark became impassable as Brushy Creek burst its banks.

The roundabout at the corner of Beresford and Cave Hill roads near the Lilydale Industrial Estate was under water within a few minutes of the torrential rainfall.

One family was left searching for emergency accommodation after their house was made unliveable due to water damage.

“We had to get Yarra Ranges Council in on that to help rehouse them,” Mr Frankland said.

Flash flooding turned Hereford Rd, Lilydale, into a river yesterday.

He said there were a few flooded and damaged roads but they were “nothing major, just puddles”.

“It’s nothing that would stop traffic although we did have a few driveways washed away in the rain,” Mr Frankland said.

A bridge collapsed on Kumbada Ave, crossing Ferny Creek in Upwey, a pizza shop on Burwood Highway, Tecoma, was forced to close due to water damage and a retaining wall trapped a family when it collapsed in Kaola St, Belgrave.

Most of the Lilydale unit’s call-outs were to incidents in Chirnside Park, unit member Shaun Caulfield said.

“We had a few garages inundated and overflowing gutters running into ceiling spaces,” Mr Caulfield said.

“The majority of our jobs came in a 10 minute period.”

The car park at Officeworks in Chirnside Park became a fast flowing river while lanes were closed on nearby Maroondah Highway.

Flooded roads included Beresford and Hereford roads, Lilydale, and the Maroondah Highway at Chirnside Park, where Brushy Creek burst its banks.

Pipes under Beresford Rd, channelling Olinda Creek, were also overwhelmed.

“The same amount of the rain spread over two hours won’t cause nearly as many issues as in 10 minutes,” Mr Caulfield said.

“Drains and gutters aren’t designed to manage that volume of water in such a short period of time. What results is that gutters become overwhelmed and the water goes into ceiling spaces, which is what happened in 25 homes yesterday.”

The results were water damaging carpets and plaster, with the integrity of damaged plaster compromised and at risk of collapsing.

“We can do emergency repairs and help with the clean-up but in most cases they’ll need to get a contractor in to repair the damage,” Mr Caulfield said.

The Lilydale Charcoal Chicken Shop was among many shops in Main St to be inundated by flood waters during the deluge.

On Facebook several commenters took to the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader’s page to vent their frustration at damage to their homes.

“The SES were that busy, when I tried I got: ‘Due to technical difficulties all phones are down’. It’s very upsetting when there’s a waterfall in the dining room!” Heidi Maiwald wrote.

Darryl Murphy wrote he hoped to see the council be more proactive in cleaning council-owned gutters and drains.

“I’m continually unblocking one in front of my place. Only a small one but council should provide a service for a massive rates,” he said.

Yarra Ranges Council acting municipal emergency manager Lisa Keedle said crews attended more than 50 callouts related to trees and flooding overnight.

“Yarra Ranges received more than 50mm of rain from 4pm Thursday to 9am Friday with the main areas affected including Upwey and Tecoma,” Ms Keedle said.

“Five properties are being inspected today for possible minor landslips and impact to dwellings.”

Ms Keedle said it was important for residents to check their home insurance policy in relation to any damage incurred from the storm.

Cars struggled to get through the flooded Cave Hill Rd, Lilydale.

Deborah Best wrote “Remember before the lake ... the water in Lilydale had nowhere to go”.

VicRoads is warning that some roads will still be slippery in parts and there may be debris.

If you come across a road hazard, call Traffic Management Centre team on 13 11 70 to report it.