By Jodie Symonds and Jesse Graham
WINDS of up to 120km/h lashed the state on Sunday 9 October, causing widespread damage to houses and power lines, and leaving thousands of homes without power.
Some 14,000 homes were still without power – including Woori Yallock and Belgrave – on Tuesday 11 October.
More than 1000 buildings were damaged, and more than 2000 trees were blown down.
The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges copped the worst of the storm, according to AusNet Services’ corporate relations representative Hugo Armstrong.
“As always, the combination of higher land, lots of trees and a large number of people means that significant parts of the Upper Yarra Valley have been off supply,” Mr Armstrong said.
Menzies Creek Primary School fell victim to a tree that crushed one of the buildings and a playground.
Crews began demolishing the building and removing the tree on Tuesday 11 October.
Emerald SES said they had received over 400 calls for assistance since Sunday 9 October.
A number of road detours were in place in the Dandenong Ranges, due to broken power lines and fallen trees.
Roads, including Monbulk Road in Monbulk, Masches Hill Road in Monbulk and a number of others, were blocked on Tuesday 11 October.
Ambulance Victoria said a woman aged in her eighties was taken to Dandenong Hospital with head injuries in a stable condition after a tree fell onto a house, about 1.30pm in Tecoma.
A man in his twenties was injured in Kallista, about 3.30pm, when he was hit with a tree branch. He was treated by paramedics for head injuries and taken to Dandenong Hospital in a stable condition.
A man in his sixties was injured when a tree fell onto a house in Olinda, about 4.30pm.
In the Yarra Valley, Healesville police Leading Senior Constable Cliff Argus said the winds were some of the worst he had seen in the area, and that officers were working overtime to help clear fallen trees from roads.
“Fortunately for us, nothing involving any people or injuries, so that was good,” he said.
An elderly Badger Creek woman was taken to Maroondah Hospital in a stable condition after her roof collapsed, about 9.20am.
A tree fell on to a number of people in Don Valley, about 2.20pm, while they were trying to clear other trees from Don Road.
While police and SES attended the scene, Warburton police Leading Senior Constable Tony Pagels said a tree fell on a nearby car and a police car, damaging both vehicles.
A woman in Healesville was cut on the head when a tree branch fell, about 3.15pm. She was taken to Maroondah Hospital in a stable condition.
About 3.30pm, two women were hurt in Hoddles Creek when a tree came down on their car on the Gembrook-Launching Place Road. Both have head and neck injuries and were taken to Maroondah Hospital in a stable condition.
Controller Geoff Stott said that in one incident a tree fell across two houses’ roofs, and that many roads were blocked off, including the Maroondah Highway through the Black Spur, which re-opened on Monday evening.
“You sort of get one of these (storms), probably every about four, maybe five years,” he said.
“It’s not unknown, but we don’t get it every year, thank goodness.”
The SES unit’s Maria Lastra and Mr Stott urged residents to stay well clear of fallen power lines, and to always treat them as if they were live with electricity, even if the power company has switched them off.
“I was at a job where power lines were on the floor and a lot of people walked right up to it to have a look,” Ms Lastra said.
She said that residents should also be aware of animals on their property that may be frightened or injured, or could possibly escape, and to put dogs or pets inside during stormy weather and when emergency services are on the property.
Mr Stott said that, as with bushfires, if a major storm was forecast and trees had the possibility of falling on a house, it was best to leave early.
“If they’ve got threatening trees, particularly if you’ve got kids in the house, the best thing is to get down to Eastland and do a bit of shopping or go see some friends in a safe area – just leave and go,” he said.
“You can’t stop a tree from falling over – just get out of the area.”
Anyone needing emergency assistance from an SES unit must call 13 25 00, and not the unit directly.
