MELBOURNE: Severe storms lashed eastern Australia on Tuesday, causing widespread devastation, including the loss of one life and leaving 174,000 homes and businesses without power.
Victoria bore the brunt of the wild weather, experiencing heavy rain and wind gusts exceeding 150 kilometres per hour (90 miles per hour), according to state government and emergency services.
Tragically, a 50-year-old man lost his life in Darlimurla, southeast of Melbourne, after being struck by debris while working on his property, Victoria police confirmed.
The ferocious winds exacerbated bushfires in the Grampians region, resulting in the destruction of an unknown number of homes in Pomonal, as reported by the state’s Country Fire Authority. Lightning strikes sparked “multiple fires” across Victoria, further escalating the crisis.
At its peak, over half a million properties suffered power outages, with 174,000 still affected by Wednesday afternoon, leaving authorities facing a monumental task to restore electricity.
The extensive damage, including fallen trees, damaged roofs, and toppled electricity pylons, underscores the severity of the storm, described by Victorian Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio as one of the state’s largest outage events.
The disruption extended to infrastructure, with the shutdown of Victoria’s largest electricity generator, Loy Yang A, due to fallen transmission towers. Efforts to reconnect it to the grid were underway, although full restoration may take days or even weeks.
Despite the challenges, Victorian authorities are mobilizing resources to address the aftermath, including restoring power and assessing the extent of fire damage. As warnings subside, the focus shifts to recovery and rebuilding efforts in the affected communities.
