Long clean up continues after monster storm Continued from Page 1 Resident Amanda Wrangles said a tree on her nature strip that had been reported and declared unsafe, but not removed, fell into her house taking power lines with it along with causing “significant damage”. “It’s Day 6 [Thursday 3 November] for us now without power [and] live lines are still all over the ground across the front of our property and street,” she said. “We’d really appreciate it if it could be made safe.” Christine Mellett said she would “feel safer” if the authorities removed the tree on her nature strip that keeps dropping branches “but the arborist says it is safe. Ha.” Deb Pierce said after six days without power: “Trees are leaning on my house. Trees on the nature strip are still falling. I would be happy if I felt like someone is helping but [it’s] not happening.” Sorrento SES Controller Mark Daw said hillside communities were at risk of further damage with many huge trees still standing after last week’s wild weather but “threatening” to fall at any time. He said SES “strike teams” at Red Hill were being backed up by reserves from NSW eager to help their southern colleagues. “We are still getting calls for help in dribs and drabs,” he said, adding that crews were “exhausted” after seven days of mayhem. “We’ve had 10 calls for help this morning and we are plugging along. We are in a clean-up phase. We seem to be clearing most jobs.” Sorrento SES has 45 members
Big job ahead: Sorrento SES members Anna Stephens and Doug Grant stand before two enormous pine trees blocking Main Creek Road in Red Hill. Picture: Supplied
but a core bunch of 15 volunteers working one or two hours each day. “Blairgowrie and Rye were also badly hit,” Controller Daw said. “There were many trees on cars and many threatening trees there.” Constant drizzle on Wednesday 3 November found many homes exposed with broken tiles causing leaky roofs. United Energy said Thursday it was still working to restore power to about 2000 customers – including a huge proportion on the Mornington Peninsula – on Thursday last week. “About 1200 customers have been off supply since Friday 29 October, with others losing power over the following days,” spokesman Jordan Oliver said. “A further 230 were im-
pacted by yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) weather. Mr Oliver said United Energy had restored power to more than 250,000 homes and businesses, with the hardest-hit areas mostly on the Mornington Peninsula. “We know this is difficult and frustrating for every customer who is still without power,” he said. “This is the biggest restoration program we have conducted in recent years. Major construction work is underway in Red Hill, Frankston, Sorrento and through other parts of the Mornington Peninsula. “Our crews are responding to more than 1800 different faults, including repairing 700 sites with fallen or damaged wires across the south-east-
ern suburbs and the peninsula.” He acknowledged some customers had “been frustrated by shifting estimated [power] restoration times”. “It has been difficult to estimate this with the extent of damage received to the network,” he said. Fallen power lines were still a problem late last week. They can be reported on 13 20 99. Red Hill Market was cancelled on the weekend over concerns it would attract too many visitors to the heavily impacted area. The police advised the shire’s Emergency Management coordinator that the market, scheduled for last Saturday (6 November), should not proceed because of the loss of power and water and the ongoing risk posed by unstable trees.
Desperate pleas after storm havoc By Stephen Taylor MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire received more than a thousand calls from residents reporting fallen trees after the Friday 29 October storm battering. SES crews, Fire Rescue Victoria, CFA and police met with the shire early last week to piece together a broad picture of the devastation and coordinate a recovery. Fire rescue crews were conducting assessments at properties requiring heavy machinery to remove trees endangering houses, and two CFA strike teams were conducting welfare checks on those considered vulnerable. Residents at about 260 properties requested assistance with building damage. A shire team was contacting them to assess the damage, determine their circumstances and answer questions regarding recovery. More than 50 houses were said to have suffered “significant” damage. The shire was sending out building and environmental health officers. The Victorian Council of Churches was visiting residents in special need. Shire arborists inspected 300 trees to assess their risk of falling or dropping branches and to prioritise works, focusing on those which had damaged homes, were blocking roads, or had fallen in public places. Dangerous trees at shire camping grounds are causing concern with the start of the camping season only weeks away. The shire had set up community hubs for residents at Red Hill Cricket Club and Mount Eliza Cricket Club providing showers, waste disposal of food, and power for charging phones. A free community barbecue was held at Red Hill Recreation Reserve Thursday night.
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Mornington News
9 November 2021
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