Gannawarra Shire Council is responding to recent storm damage in Cohuna.
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Supplied
Gannawarra Shire Council was out supporting residents following torrential rain and strong winds last night at Cohuna, which tore agricultural structures down.
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The isolated storm swept through the area about 10pm on Thursday, February 26, damaging power lines and bringing down trees in the town and on its outskirts.
Farmer John Keely said he got up from bed to check on the rain, only to see chaos unfolding in his backyard.
“Between the house and carport, there’s tin flying through the barbecue area,” he said.
“We've seen wind blow like mad before, but nothing like what it did last night. It was just crazy.”
In about 30 minutes, the tin roofs on Mr Keely’s machinery and hay sheds were torn off and scattered around his property.
A footing from the hay shed was thrown an estimated 140m into a field, and his wife’s car sustained damage from the storm.
Fortunately, no-one was hurt at the property, and Mr Keely’s corn crop was still standing after the havoc, which he said was about two weeks from being harvested.
Meanwhile, Echuca SES unit controller Judi Cantwell said the station only received one call overnight locally, which came as a surprise.
John Keely's carport was littered with tin roofing the following morning. Photo: Supplied/Facebook.
Some residents in Moama weren’t so lucky, with reports of up to 50mm of rain falling in about half-an-hour at an estate near Rich River Golf Club.
Moama SES unit controller Bill Kuluris said three callouts were received, and he had “never seen so much water lying around” the morning after the storm.
North-western areas of Moama were the most heavily impacted, with reports of downed trees and property damage.
Hail came down as well, and properties along Perricoota Rd were temporarily left without power.
Gannawarra Shire Council chief executive Geoff Rollinson said further potentially damaging thunderstorms were forecast early next week and encouraged residents to stay up to date with weather warnings.
“Residents and visitors are advised to take care when travelling throughout impacted areas due to debris that is yet to be cleared and works occurring to remove these items,” he said.
The carnage left behind from the Cohuna storm at John Keely's property. Photo: Supplied/Facebook.
Gannawarra residents can dispose of green waste, including fallen tree limbs, for free at the council’s transfer stations.
Emergency warnings and road closures can be found via VicEmergency, Bureau of Meteorology, VICSES and VicTraffic online channels.
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