Hundreds of people have been evacuated from a major camping ground in Wye River, Victoria, after a severe thunderstorm caused flash flooding, closing the iconic Great Ocean Road and washing cars out to sea. An emergency warning was issued for the Wye, Kennett and Cumberland rivers in the Lorne area after more than 170mm of rain fell on Thursday afternoon.
Patrice Capogreco, camping with her two daughters at the BIG4 Wye River Holiday Park, described the chaos. 'We secured our site last night knowing there was a lot of rain coming, but not the extent of it,' she said. 'Then this morning at about 8.30am we realised some of our tents had leaked. I heard someone say “there’s trees falling down”, unzipped the front door and things were floating in this really big river which is usually just grass.'
Capogreco and her family initially tried to leave by car but realised they would not make it. Staff from the caravan park advised campers to climb to higher ground, where they were evacuated by the Country Fire Authority to the Wye River pub, which became a refuge for about 500 people. 'We’ve lost everything, you can see caravans and cars floating away, it’s just heartbreaking, strangers are hugging strangers,' she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning at midday on Thursday for severe thunderstorms likely to produce flash flooding. More than 175mm of rainfall was observed in the six hours to 3pm at nearby Mount Cowley. The Great Ocean Road was closed in both directions from Skenes Creek to Fairhaven, with only emergency services allowed to pass. Transport Victoria warned of 'extreme weather, flooding and possible land slips'.
Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, described the footage from Wye River as 'terrifying'. 'I’m thinking of the community and campers along the Great Ocean Road tonight,' she said in a statement. The local Foodworks grocery store in Lorne was forced to close due to flooding, while the Lorne Community House opened its doors to those needing shelter.
