Ferntree Gully Belgrave
Girl starts life saving eye surgeries fundraiser
Kokoda campaign anniversary honoured
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Tuesday, 9 August, 2022
Mail Cockatoo Station rebuild at a halt
Students unite for School Spectacular
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A Star News Group Publication
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
12496493-NG22-21
Wild winds arrive By Tyler Wright VICSES Emerald crew members were out overnight on Tuesday 2 August until 7:00pm on Wednesday 3 August attending calls for help from residents as damaging winds swept across the eastern ranges. The damaging and destructive winds occurred across much of Victoria, starting in the Grampians at midnight on Tuesday 2 August and moving through Melbourne after 1:00am on Wednesday 3 August. VICSES volunteers received 592 requests for assistance across the state over a three-day period; 441 for fallen trees and 60 for building damage. The busiest SES units were Emerald, with 92 requests for assistance (RFAs), followed by Upper Yarra (38 RFAs) and Pakenham (36 RFAs). “The majority [of calls] were tree-down traffic hazard or tree-down on driveway or powerlines,” Emerald SES Unit Controller Ben Owen said. “We had about ten or 15 damaged buildings; thankfully, nothing severely damaged.” Six members of the Chelsea and Craigeburn SES units also came out to assist the 20 Emerald unit volunteers working over the 24-hour period. Mr Owen said the expertise of other crews was needed to attend the building damage calls that were outstanding. “It was manageable; this type of thing we sort of get used to in small scale severe weather events, nothing like June or October last year,” he said. “So 80 to 100 calls spread over a period of time we can manage generally; it all depends on the type of job.” The main problem areas for Emerald SES were from Emerald through to the Belgrave,
The SES Emerald unit attended 85 calls after rough winds swept through the Dandenong Ranges on the evening of Tuesday 2 August and into Wednesday 3 August. Picture: SUPPLIED Selby and Upwey localities. “We ring all the calls back and some of them were certainly nervous and affected in different ways; not having power, not being able to get out of your driveway... those type
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of things obviously has effects on people differently,” Mr Owen said. On Wednesday 3 August, the highest wind gusts recorded overnight were 128km/h at Mount Hotham, 122km/h at Mount William,
113km/h at Mount Buller and 104km/h at Fawkner Beacon. Essendon Airport was the site of the highest wind gust recorded for metro Melbourne, hitting 89km/h overnight on Wednesday 3 August.
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