The floods we have witnessed over the past week in Victoria are a sobering reminder of how our lives are constantly subject to natural forces beyond our control; their devastating and long-term impact is inexorably capable of altering lives and territories.
In the Melbourne metropolitan area, citizens have already begun taking stock of the damage; sweeping the thick mud out of bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms, and it’s still hard to understand how it was all possible. Last Thursday's rain wasn’t so relentless, many people thought.
Yet, as soon as darkness fell, the Maribyrnong River quickly rose from its banks, and muddy water began to engulf the streets, more than 240 homes and numerous businesses.
After peaking at 4.22 metres AHD last Friday, as of Tuesday, the river level dropped again to 0.444 metres AHD. In particular, the Flemington Racecourse ― notably criticised for its 'protective wall', installed in 2007 to protect the area from flooding ― is in remarkably good condition, despite the emergency.
Images from two satellites in polar orbit, positioned by the European Earth Observation Program, show how the weather event caused the banks of the Goulburn, Murray, Maribyrnong, Campaspe and Avoca rivers to burst: In Port Phillip Bay, in the Melbourne metropolitan area, torrid waters of the Yarra River can even be seen flowing into the ocean.
“The water level in Maribyrnong rose dramatically in a very short time, so we went to pick up my father, who is 86 years old and no longer has the same mobility he used to have,” said Richard Baronessa, son of Emanuele, a resident of Navigator Street, a road section that was severely flooded and damaged by the disaster.
“Unfortunately, at least 80 per cent of the house has been lost, and we are not sure if the insurance will cover the costs. The house is currently full of mud and has a terrible acrid smell.”
An aerial shot of the flood-affected town of Seymour in regional Victoria in recent days.
“It’s not the fact that the house or the furniture has been damaged. Rather, it’s the memories, the photographs, the precious objects collected over time, now lost, that have deeply saddened us,” he continued.
“My father is a huge football fan, and during my two years spent in Italy, I had bought a collection of books and newspapers telling the story of the Azzurri's victories in the World Cup. He is saddened to have lost that important piece of his great passion.”
The home of Emanuele Baronessa, covered in mud after the floods of recent days.
Part of the suburb of Ascot Vale was also rocked by heavy rain and subsequent flooding. The popular Riverside Golf Course, a meeting point for thousands of citizens of the metropolitan area, was completely flooded, with up to two metres of water from the ground floor.
“Fortunately, the restaurant on the first floor was spared,” said manager Xavier Dimattina.
“As soon as we received the evacuation notice, we fled and abandoned everything. Unfortunately, the offices, the warehouse and the cold storage rooms were completely destroyed.”
The owner and staff are already assessing the damage, with the assistance of the Moonee Valley City Council, which will take care of the reconstruction of the car park, as the land is municipal property.
"It was really scary, but the citizens have shown generosity that is unparalleled; so many have already come to our rescue,” Dimattina continued.
One side of Navigator Street in Maribyrnong affected by the emergency; along the street residents abandon damaged or destroyed furniture.
In Shepparton, meanwhile, the impact of the flooding of the Goulburn and Campaspe rivers is becoming increasingly evident. According to the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES), up to 7300 properties in the area ― including Mooroopna and Kialla West, Rochester and Tatura ― have been affected by the emergency, with more than 550 rescues having already been carried out. As many as 4725 homes have been without electricity since last Sunday.
"The insurmountable difficulties were concentrated in a single day, but during the previous two days it was impossible to sleep because of the worry of sudden flooding," said Hannah Mammone, a resident of Shepparton.
“At midnight last Sunday, the water level began to rise, and we decided to leave home and move in with my in-laws. Fortunately, we had started to prepare suitcases and bags with our medicines. It was definitely surreal.”
The Monterosso family from Rochester also responded to the emergency promptly, immediately leaving their home at the evacuation alarm:
"We only managed to get one car; the other one was lost. Our house is uninhabitable,” they said.
“It was really scary. We still have nightmares about floods, about being submerged in water; it's terrible.”
An employee of the Riverside Golf Course in Ascot Vale returns to the completely damaged building.
More than 9290 people have already applied for the funding allocated by the Victorian Government, as part of a 351 million dollar package aimed at providing immediate support to affected communities in the state. Up to 15 million will be earmarked to provide support with housing, medical examinations and financial and legal advice, while the Foodbank, OzHarvest, Second Bite and FareShare charities will each receive up to 750,000 for extra food.
An additional 165 million dollar fund will be reserved for repairing and paving damaged road surfaces, and rebuilding bridges and culverts, particularly in the west.
Furthermore, to ensure that students in areas directly affected by the floods do not lose their right to education, the Andrews Government announced a two million dollar grant to allow three- and four-year-olds to go to kindergarten for free during the year’s fourth term.
And while there are still 509 roads closed in the state, the community of Echuca has begun rallying to build a 'great wall' of sorts to protect homes from the impending floods; the Murray River is expected to peak at 95 metres AHD later this week. So far, the embankment, made of tons of soil, stretches almost three kilometres long and two metres high.
Giovanni Oliveri, owner of a fruit and vegetable shop in the area, is among the so-called 'flood warriors' who are tirelessly and voluntarily working to rescue their fellow citizens in danger.
"I leave the shop every day, trying to save what I can, and I head into town to help build the 'wall', or I go to my dear friend John's 'Black Pudding Cafe’ to support him in protecting his business," he said, particularly shaken.
"We are racing against time, but the response of the whole community has been, and continues to be, admirable.”
