In just a few hours on Friday, early morning, popular holiday towns around the Great Ocean Road in Australia saw a record-breaking rainfall, triggering flash floods that swept away cars, caravans and tents.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC News) reported that 200-400 people in low-lying areas were displaced, most of them being holiday-makers in caravan parks. According to the State Control Centre (SCC) of Victoria, dozens of vehicles were impacted by floodwaters, and nearly 10,000 people in areas along the Great Ocean Road received emergency texts alerting them to the flooding.
The heavy rainfall in the hills happened in a catchment area that emptied out along the Great Ocean Road. Flash floods occurred in several communities along a long stretch of the coast, including Lorne, Separation Creek, Cumberland River, Wye River and Kennett River in Australia.
Clean-Up Begins
As conditions eased on Friday morning, clean-up work got underway even as the wreckages of cars bobbed up and down in the ocean.
People were spotted pulling debris from the surf along the beach at Wye River, hauling entire bicycles and eskies back to the shore.
What Led To The Floods
ABC News reports that a number of thunderstorms developed across Victoria yesterday — most in the north and east of the state.
The weather conditions that helped them form can be traced back to ex-Cyclone Koji, which has caused flooding in some parts of outback Queensland.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior forecaster Angus Hines said Victoria was ripe for thunderstorms yesterday because of very high moisture in the atmosphere. He added that the humidity coincided with an upper-level trough, which helped intensify the stormy conditions.
More Rains
Hines also told the Guardian that it would be a “very wet weekend” across the majority of eastern New South Wales, with a persistent easterly onshore wind, heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Flash floods in Australia are also possible into Sunday afternoon, especially in coastal areas. There is also a severe storm prediction for the Illawarra and Sydney districts.
It comes as Victoria continued to fight large bushfires, with as many as 289 homes now destroyed, according to the Guardian report.
