By Parker McKenzie
The Dandenong Ranges escaped the worst of heavy flooding experienced throughout Victoria and Australia, despite heavy rain in the early hours of Friday 13 October.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the hills saw 47.2mm of rain from 9am Thursday 12 October until 9am Friday 13 October.
Emerald SES unit controller Ben Owen said the unit had a busy night responding to downed trees, a landslide on Burwood Highway and flooding in homes.
“It didn’t get quite as bad as the predictions, but we got a bit of a front through at around 9pm,” he said.
“We had volunteers and vehicles on the road for a couple of hours.”
Several roads throughout the region were also closed because of flooding, including Lysterfield Road in Ferntree Gully. Monbulk has experienced 7.6mm of rain
A community alert siren in Emerald and the surrounding regions were activated in error by Emergency Management Victoria, according to a post by Emerald Fire Brigade.
“If the siren operates for 5 minutes, it’s an indication to seek further advice from trusted sources, as an Emergency Situation is impacting or can impact the local area,” the brigade said in a Facebook post.
“In this case, a Watch and Act warning was issued for Riverine Floods in the Yarra River areas. Given Emerald’s primary area was physically located within that Watch and Act Warning boundary, Emergency Management Victoria activated the sirens to alert local communities to remain aware.”
More rain is expected on Sunday 15 October, with BOM reporting an 80 per cent chance of rain, however, it is not expected to be as severe with a possible rainfall of 0 to 2mm.
The Dandenong Ranges is currently under a watch and act riverine flood warning, and residents are warned not to enter flooded areas, to be aware of raod hazards and to never drive, walk or aride through floodwater. Another update is expected at 6.30pm or if the situation changes.
