VIC:Vic escapes major storm damage

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2011
VIC:Vic escapes major storm damage

EDS: Changes keyword from Weather Vic to Storms Vic



MELBOURNE, Dec 19 AAP - Victorians are drying off from a big weekend soaking that drenched
northwestern parts of the state, causing minor damage from a rush of flash flooding.

The thunderstorms were some of the heaviest since Victoria's floods in January, with
the weather bureau reporting nearly 100 millimetres of rain fell near the Grampians National
Park in 48 hours.

A weather station in the township of Stawell, about 240 kilometres northwest of Melbourne,
recorded a torrent of 32mm of rain in only 20 minutes during the peak of the storms on
Sunday evening.

Councillors from the Northern Grampians Shire spent Monday morning assessing the damage
during briefings with emergency crews.

"Luckily, there wasn't a lot," said the manager of a local bakery. "The main street
is on a hill, so all the water just went away."

The Stawell police station experienced minor flooding while some residents are reporting
minor inundation on their properties.

The full extent of the damage is expected to be known later on Monday.

The State Emergency Service (SES) took 300 calls for help and is moving into clean-up mode.

Melbourne escaped the worst of the storms as they spread south across the state.

"The winds were damaging, but not dangerous," SES spokesman Lachlan Quick told AAP on Monday.

"And flash flooding tends to come and go fairly quickly."

Mount Macedon recorded 23mm of rain in just 30 minutes, but by the time the storms
hit Melbourne late on Sunday night much of the force had dissipated.

The forecast is for light showers and clearing skies in Victoria over the rest of the week.

AAP sbl/gfr/mp/jmt

KEYWORD: STORMS VIC UPDATE (CHANGES KEYWORD)

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