Strong wind gusts, heavy rainfall smashes Victoria as SES crews respond to thousands of calls for help

An off-duty paramedic has provided a miracle for one Victorian family trapped in their home after wild storms blocked all roads out of their town.

An off-duty paramedic has helped a mother give birth after wild storms blocked all roads out of their town in western Victoria overnight.

The small town of Trentham – near Dayelsford – was entirely blocked off by fallen trees as State Emergency Service crews scrambled to make way for a woman who was in labour.

Ambulance Victoria was also called to the report of a woman in labour at about 1.50am on Thursday and confirmed an off-duty paramedic had helped to deliver “a healthy baby”.

It comes as Victorians woke to scenes of destruction after severe wind gusts and heavy rain thrashed the state overnight.

SES crews have been called out to more than 4000 incidents in the past 24 hours after trees collapsed onto homes, power lines and across roads.

In one terrifying incident, police officers were forced to walk about 1.5km into the Dandenong Ranges to rescue an injured mother and son after a tree branch fell on their home in Olinda on Wednesday about 11pm.

Emergency services were told the branch had crashed through the roof of the double-storey house, “extensively damaging the roof and home” and trapping the woman and her nine-year-old son.

A massive tree falls on power lines in Lilydale. Picture: Twitter/@b_rothberg

A Belgrave police unit, who themselves were isolated due to fallen trees, then made their way on foot through the ranges to the injured pair who were separated from one another in the home.

The roads were then cleared and the pair could be brought to paramedics.

An emergency evacuation order has also been issued for more than 200 homes near the Traralgon Creek in Gippsland as floodwaters rise rapidly.

A tree falls across a house on Victoria Road in Lilydale. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

A total of 161,073 AusNet customers were without power at 5.30am on Thursday as well as 11,792 customers with United Energy, 458 with Powercor and 810 with Jemena.

An AusNet spokesperson said they did not expect power to be restored in some homes until much later on Thursday.

“Sever weather has caused power outages across the state. A large number of our customers are without power and are unlikely to have power restored until late tomorrow,” they said.

“Keep away from fallen power lines and assume any wires are live.”

A tree hangs on power lines over a road in Lilydale. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Crosling

In the past 12 hours there have been 2915 SES call outs across Victoria, with 2376 of those for fallen trees and 393 for building damage.

At 1am the Lilydale SES unit in Melbourne’s east was forced to “cease all non urgent operations” due to high demand for help.

The unit has responded to 463 call-outs overnight.

Mount William in the Grampians recorded the strongest wind gust in the state at 115km/h, while 111km/h gusts lashed the coast at Wilsons Promontory and Puckapunyal, and 104km/h winds hit Kilmore Gap.

In Melbourne, 91km/h gusts caused massive waves to hit St Kilda harbour, with 87km/h and 85km/h winds howling through Moorabbin and Melbourne airports.

WARNING - SEVERE WEATHER - Victoria

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Severe Weather Warning for Central, North Central, West and South Gippsland and parts of South West, Northern Country, North East and Wimmera Forecast Districts.

More details at https://t.co/lROoPY9Qkhpic.twitter.com/mtVEJ1sW0n

— VICSES News (@vicsesnews) June 9, 2021

The Department of Transport urged Victorian drivers not to travel unless it was absolutely necessary after hundreds of roads were affected by flooding and fallen trees overnight.

Motorists were especially advised to avoid the Yarra Ranges and Dandenong Ranges, with multiple trees down across roads and power outages.

Road closures were in place on the Black Spur between Healesville and Narbethong and on the Great Alpine Road between Bruthen and Ensay due to a landslip.

There was also significant flooding on the Princes Highway in Traralgon at Grey St.

The Moorooduc Highway was closed southbound in Moorooduc between Bentons Rd and Craigie Rd due to a large tree on the road.

The Maroondah Highway was closed in Coldstream at Maxwells Rd, the Department of Transport also warned about 10am on Thursday.

Power outages also affected traffic lights – particularly in Croydon, Mooroolbark and Ringwood. Drivers should treat the intersection like they would at a stop or give way sign.

A tree has also come down on power lines in Burnley on Swan St at Madden Grove, affecting Route 70 trams. Police are on scene.

Heavy rainfall has caused delays for Vline services, with a tree across the track in Macedon. Coaches are replacing trains between Kyneton and Southern Cross.

Coaches were also replacing trains between Traralgon and Bairnsdale due to flooding across the tracks.

On the metropolitan network, crews were working to remove a tree that had fallen across the train tracks near Croydon. Buses were replacing trains between Ringwood and Lilydale.

John Street in Lilydale beneath the rail bridge was closed due to flooding. Picture: Facebook

Victoria Police also urged drivers to be cautious, issuing a warning about “treacherous slippery road conditions”.

They said the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Ranges had been “extensively impacted by fallen trees”, while officers had received reports throughout the northwest of Melbourne of trees over roads, downed power lines and slippery roads

They said the Hepburn, Moorabool and Ballarat areas had also been hit by many fallen trees across roads.

“We’re asking motorists to please remain vigilant behind the wheel and to stay off the roads in the extreme weather if possible,” Victoria Police said.

“Please keep an eye out for police who will be managing traffic management points at different points on the roads and other emergency service personnel working to clear debris from the roads.”

Massive waves hit Williamstown beach. Picture: ElwynF3011/Twitter

Victorians were told to brace for the wild weather earlier in the week ahead of a polar cold front sweeping through the state that would bring damaging gusts and possible major flooding.

Weather bureau senior meteorologist Kevin Parkyn said rainfall on Wednesday would be widespread across Gippsland and other parts of the state, intensifying during the evening and into Thursday.

Falls of 20mm to 50mm were expected, saturating the water catchments.

“As the rainfall intensifies Wednesday night into Thursday, that’s when we’re really concerned because the rain rates will be heavy enough for flash flooding through Gippsland, particularly the foothills,” Mr Parkyn said.

By about noon on Thursday, rainfall across the region could total 100mm and even as much as 200mm in more elevated areas, he said.

Severe weather warnings for damaging winds and heavy rainfall remain in place for parts of the state, along with a dozen flood warnings and a road weather alert for Melbourne.