Authorities have defended the timing of warnings for holidaymakers along Victoria’s surf coast after an “unprecedented weather event” on Thursday caused flash flooding. Cars were washed into the ocean and campgrounds flooded after the region received 180mm of rain, causing the Wye, Kennett and Cumberland rivers to overflow.
About 400 people were displaced and dozens of vehicles were destroyed. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more flash flooding across southern New South Wales and Victoria in the coming days.
The flooding comes as 10 major fires continue to burn across Victoria, with 289 homes among more than 1,000 structures destroyed. Authorities and firefighters say the January 2026 fires were unlike anything seen before in terms of speed and destruction.
