November 16th 2024.
Residents living near the iconic Great Ocean Road in Victoria have been asked to evacuate their homes as firefighters battle to control raging bushfires that are putting small communities at risk. This morning, authorities issued a "leave now" warning for residents in Chapple Vale, Crowes, Gellibrand Lower, Johanna, Johanna Heights, Lavers Hill, Stalker, Wangerrip, Wattle Hill, Yuulong, and Wattle Hill on the Great Ocean Walk. The fire, which is moving along Lavers Hill-Cobden Road in Chapple Vale, is heading in a southerly to south-westerly direction towards the Great Ocean Road, according to Victoria Emergency.
The situation is constantly changing, and residents are advised to visit www.emergency.vic.gov.au for the latest updates and warnings. For those who have already evacuated in Chetwynd, Connewirricoo, and Kadnook, it is still not safe to return to their homes. Firefighters are currently working to control bushfires burning at Casterton-Edenhope Rd, Kadnook in the blue gum plantation, but the fire has spread across the Glenelg River and continues to burn in the area east of the Chetwynd River north of Chetwynd.
Road closures have been put in place in the affected area, and an evacuation center has been opened at Lavers Hill. Residents who have already evacuated should not return until authorities issue a "Safe to Return" notice. For those who have not yet left, it is advised to stay where they are and avoid any dangerous bushfire or tree hazards. It is also important to check if they have enough food, drinking water, and medications. If not, they should call triple-zero for assistance.
Emergency relief centers have been set up at the community center on Elizabeth Street in Edenhope and at the Town Hall on Henty Street in Casterton. Meanwhile, a severe weather warning has been issued for other parts of the state. People in the North East and parts of Central, East Gippsland, Northern Country, North Central, and West and South Gippsland Forecast Districts have been advised to expect heavy rainfall and damaging winds this morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of strong winds with speeds between 50km/h to 60 km/h and gusts up to 90 km/h in the Dandenong Ranges. In the northeast and central ranges, winds with speeds of 55km/h to 65 km/h and peak gusts of up to 110km/h have been recorded. The Bureau attributes these conditions to a strong cold front moving across central Victoria, which will combine with moisture from the north, resulting in heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding in the northeast of the state.
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