Originally Published February 1 2022
KERANG copped the tail end of a storm that passed over northern Victoria late last week, dumping more than 60 millimetres of water across two days.
The State Emergency Service Kerang branch responded to about a dozen calls for help, ranging from water leaks into homes to fallen trees.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Kerang weather station recorded 22.8mm on Thursday and another 36mm on Friday, but rain recordings varied as rain clouds threatened specific areas across the Gannawarra.
SES controller Glyndia Gee said the unit had 11 jobs between January 26 and 30.
“There was certainly not a great deal of damage compared to other areas,” she said.
“We had trees down and water seeping into houses.
“One house had water coming through the roof, and other homes had water coming in through the back and front doors.
“A lot of it coms down to blocked downpipes and gutters because they can’t handle the volume of water.
“They were just caught off guard.”
Ms Gee said trees had uprooted because of the moisture in the ground made trees heavy and uproot.”
The unit also send three members to Swan Hill to assist their inundation.
In the Kerang CBD streets were turned into lakes on Thursday night with the drainage unable to cope with the torrential rain that fell.
Ms Gee reminded drivers that it only took 15cm of water for a vehicle to start floating.
“People need to be more aware of water in the streets,” she said.
“It also creates bigger problems for houses that are around, because it creates a wave and pushes the water into their yards.
“We are forever getting jobs of people driving through flood water and pushing it into houses, not because they are flooded from the rain.”
Ms Gee said the unit was prepared after receiving a warning from the bureau, but thought the rain would bypass the district.
“Swan Hill copped it more than us, we got the tail end.”
The Australia Day storm also caused damage to local sporting clubs.
The rail at the south side of the Kerang Turf Club was blown over, along with several trees at the east end of the course along the Kerang-Koondrook Road.
At the Kerang Golf Club, several large tress were blown over in the storm and the shelter at the town end of the two bowling greens was flattened.
Golf club members were busy on Thursday morning with chainsaws, doing their best to clean up the debris.
Damage was also caused to local residences with a large palm tree narrowly missing a house on Airport Road.
