Flash flooding wreaks havoc in Melbourne suburb of Lilydale

Businesses are surveying the damage today after an extraordinary rain bomb hit Melbourne’s eastern suburbs last night.

Businesses in a Melbourne suburb are surveying the damage on Thursday morning after an extraordinary flash flood struck the city’s east.

According to the Lilydale State Emergency Service, 65mm of rain fell in the suburb on Wednesday night, leading to 210 calls for assistance and 24 rescue calls.

The Bureau of Meteorology said Olinda Creek at Lilydale recorded 44mm of rain in the 30 minutes to 5:30 last night.

A laundromat in Lilydale was flooded in a flash flood on Tuesday night. Picture: Supplied.

Tara Taylor, who owns Lefty’s Barbershop in Lilydale, told NCA Newswire on Wednesday her shop was an “absolute mess,” with floodwaters reaching slightly below knee height.

“I can’t explain how quickly it got here,” Ms Taylor, who has owned the Main St business since 2018, said.

She said the bulk of the damage would be on her barber chairs, an old leather sofa and her cabinetry.

“Sandbagging wouldn’t have done anything,” Ms Taylor said.

Cars were trapped in flash flooding in the suburb of Lilydale, in Melbourne’s east, on Tuesday night. Picture: Lilydale SES.

She said the water had subsided by Thursday morning, and was waiting on a visit from her insurers and an electrician.

Wednesday nights deluge came as Disaster Relief Australia began to assist clean-up efforts in Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s west, where a number of homes and businesses were flooded earlier this month after the Maribyrnong river breach its banks.

Residents of Echuca, in Victoria’s north, continue to battle flooding after the Murray River at the Port of Echuca reached at height of just below 94.9 metres on Tuesday.

The owner of Lilydale’s Lefty’s Barbershop, Tara Taylor, said her shop was an “absolute mess” after Tuesday night’s flash flood. Picture: Supplied.

The owner of Lilydale’s Lux Aesthetics told 3AW on Wednesday morning their store was “completely underwater,” and said the flooring of her store had been ripped up due to the pressure of the water.

A video shared on Twitter also showed torrential rain pummelling the Dandenong Ranges on Tuesday evening.

“Have never seen it hit that hard that fast in the hills before,” the caption said.

The view from my brother's house in the Dandenongs last night where as much as 100ml fell in less than an hour. Have never seen it hit that hard and fast in the hills before. @newscomauHQhttps://t.co/7vO4tplzHG

— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) October 25, 2022

According to the Bureau of Meteorology Melbourne has received 117mm of rain so far this month, almost double the mean rainfall of October at 66mm.

Originally published as Flash flooding wreaks havoc in Melbourne suburb of Lilydale