Anger over blocked drains as Mornington Peninsula smashed by rain bomb
A dozen businesses have been swamped with water and mud after Mornington and Mount Martha were hit by a month’s rain in six hours.
South East
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Heartbroken traders say a severe flash flood that swamped a Mornington Peninsula shopping strip could have been prevented.
About a dozen small business faced a big clean up after water and mud poured into their Mornington shops during an intense storm early Monday morning.
Mornington and Mount Martha were hit hardest by the rain bomb which hit Victoria about 4am and led to 550 calls for help to State Emergency Service including 194 on the Mornington Peninsula.
The area was lashed with 60mm of rain, a month’s worth in six hours.
However, the Dava Drive traders said a blocked storm water drain in the shopping strip car park was to blame for the worst of the flooding.
“The water had nowhere to go but into our businesses,” Dava Thai owner Mandy Lingard said.
“Why wasn’t something done about clearing the drain?
“This rain was forecast and I know traders in this strip have been asking for something to be done about that drain.”
Ms Lingard said the flood waters reached about 30cm in her business but other traders had up to 50cm of water in their shops.
The popular eatery had only just reopened to diners after a tough couple of years navigating Covid lockdowns and restrictions.
“I guess it’s back to take away and delivery,” Ms Lingard said.
Nelson Chiropractic co-owner Jason Minster said the businesses was likely to lose a lot of expensive electronic equipment.
“I don’t know when we’ll be able to reopen,” he said.
Business partner Lauren Sukroo said with no phones, no Wi-Fi and no access to records the business couldn’t even reschedule appointments.
“All we could do is put a message on Facebook and hope clients see it,” she said.
The team at Regenerate Skin and Body were desperately trying to organise a permit from the local council to allow them to hire a container to store their equipment while the business was cleared of mud and water.
A devastated Mount Martha mum also blamed poor drainage for flash flooding that ruined her children’s bedrooms.
Other Mount Martha residents woke before dawn to hammering rain and “rivers in the back yard”.
For Merv and Tracey Rea it was the third time this year their driveway and landscaping had been washed away.
Mr Rea said two storm water drains on an easement behind their property had become blocked and overflowed in January, October and again on Monday morning.
“We got onto the council in January and they acted promptly, organising for the drains to be cleared,’ he said.
“But they’re obviously blocked again and the water was cascading down either side of our house from 4am Monday.
“It was one cm from entering our back and side doors.
“There’s a hell of a mess in the back and front yards and our driveway is now down the street, but it could have been worse.”
Mornington Peninsula mayor Anthony Marsh said the shire had diverted 220 calls to a dedicated floodline between 5am and 2pm.
He sympathised with residents and business impacted by flooding and other storm damage.
However, Mr Marsh said it was difficult to manage and pay for drainage that would always met the challenge of freak weather events.
“Last year a single storm event (on October 31) ended up costing ratepayers about $3 million. “Do we start budgeting for these events that are becoming more common?
“And if we do that, what do we give up?”
Mr Marsh said staff were standing by to activate an emergency relief centre if needed and praised Mount Martha Life Saving Club for quickly offering flood assistance including sandbags, bathroom and kitchen facilities and free Wi-Fi for anyone displaced by the floods.
The council was still assessing damage to the region which included the collapse of the historic Beleura Cliff Path and severe erosion at Shire Hall Beach, both in Mornington and significant flooding at the Briars, Mount Martha.