By Tyler Wright
As flash flooding hit Melbourne overnight on Saturday 15 April, Emerald SES crews say they have turned out to 16 jobs over the past 10 days.
Emerald SES Unit’s deputy controller, Neil Fisher, said members have attended requests for assistance with trees down across driveways and building damage in areas including Upwey, Cockatoo, Sassafras and Belgrave.
“The two wet summers that were due to La Niña, we found that we were doing a lot more tree down traffic hazard of whole trees rather than tree branches,” Mr Fisher said.
“In a dry, hot summer, we find that we do a lot more branch jobs; eucalyptus drop a branch because they feel like it, whereas the soggy sodden ground was dislodging whole trees.”
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Michael Efron said tropic cyclone Ilsa moved from Western Australia, interacting with a cold front that was moving through southeastern Australia, causing some “significant rainfall” throughout the state – especially in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
“Ferny Creek has had 138 millimetres, which is really significant… just over the April average and we’ve still got a little bit of time to go through the month,” Mr Efron said.
“[At] Bunyip River, there was 115 millimetres there over the two days, and at Knox there was 69 millimetres.
“In Dandenong Creek, at Liverpool Road Retarding Basin, there was 64 millimetres there and also 64 [millimetres] at Montrose.”
The 38.4 millimetres of rainfall that fell over Melbourne on the weekend was also the highest amount of daily April rainfall since 2011, Mr Efron said.
“The average for the whole month of April in Melbourne is about 57 millimetres, so we’ve seen a bit over half of the April average falling in a 24 hour period,” Mr Efron said.
“We’re actually looking at a really settled weekend and into Anzac Day…looking warmer and drier with a lot more sunshine as well, and that will be welcomed given the Easter that we had was very cold, wet and windy.”
Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen said people should avoid touching power lines during wet weather, and not assume they are not live.
“General maintenance, making sure your gutters are clean…when the strong wind force comes out, can you tie down or put away garden furnitures?” Mr Owen said.
“When we get a severe weather warning, if you don’t need to drive, don’t be on the roads,” Mr Fisher added.
