Tourists and residents in Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River, and Lorne found themselves rushing to higher ground today as unprecedented rainfall struck the region.

In just under five hours, Victoria’s west coast was inundated with approximately 180mm of rain, leading to the rapid swelling of waterways such as the Wye, Erskine, and Cumberland Rivers.

Officials have issued warnings about the potential for landslides due to the intense flooding.

This flash flooding occurrence is located about 75 kilometers east of the recent fires in the Otways, which prompted emergency evacuation orders last week.

Neil Watson, a local resident, expressed his frustration: “Last Thursday, we had to evacuate because of the fire risk, and now, just a week later, we’re dealing with flooding.”

“Then we come back and a week later it’s flooding.”

Community shelters have been opened in the following locations:

The severe thunderstorm is expected to spread across to the Central and West and South Gippsland districts later this evening.