By Evelyn Leckie
WITH at least 80mm of rain across much of the Mitchell Shire late last week, the State Emergency Service received 26 requests for assistance for blocked roads, flooded streets and building damage.
Kilmore and Seymour SES units each received 13 requests for help.
Bureau of Meteorology figures show Wallan/Kilmore Gap received 68.2mm up until 9am Thursday and then a further 18mm in the following 24 hours.
Strath Creek recorded 70mm, Romsey 81.6mm, Lancefield 92mm and the Goulburn River at Seymour 75.2mm.
Kilmore SES member Terry Kift said volunteers attended Ferguson Plarre in Wallan who had water pouring through their roof.
“Their gutters were full of water so we cleared the drain. We also attended to two or three trees that had fallen on the road between Kilmore and Broadford,” Mr Kift said.
“Kilmore Primary School came close to being flooded, with water threatening to come into the premises, we were able to pump water out of their drains.
“A resident next to Kilmore Old Gaol also needed sandbags to prevent flooding that had came in from the car park next door.”
The SES volunteer said police also attended flooded roads to warn vehicles from entering flood patches at high speeds.
“From Heathcote Junction to South Morang there was a particularly dangerous part of the road that was flooded, these flooded areas aren’t obvious to drivers so police had to warn drivers,” Mr Kift said.
He said the events were a timely reminder to clear house and business gutters and to drive carefully on the road.
In the Macedon Ranges, nine calls for assistance was logged and 529 calls for help were made state-wide.
Northbound lanes of Melbourne-Lancefield Road were closed between Kilmore Road and Kettlewells Road, following heavy storms which caused minor flooding and damage to roadworks.
