A family in Geelong's western suburbs has described a terrifying ordeal as a freak storm ripped through the area, smashing windows and tearing roofs off homes. The Sullivan-Boutkan family was woken by the sound of tiles being pulled off their roof, and a neighbour's evaporative cooler crashed through their living room window. They fled outside, joining other neighbours in the street amid the chaos.
The State Emergency Service (SES) Victoria responded to 177 requests for help, including up to 60 homes with significant roof damage. The damage was concentrated in Waurn Ponds and Mount Duneed, with four homes deemed uninhabitable due to extensive roof and window damage. SES crews were brought in from as far as Gisborne, Castlemaine, Benalla, Bendigo, and Melbourne.
Residents reported hearing loud winds and explosions. Waurn Ponds resident Chris was woken at 1:11am by very loud wind, and later found a fence down and four houses with large holes in the roof. Marissa Vrbovac from Mount Duneed heard a sound like a shotgun at 2:00am and saw debris everywhere. Her backyard was struck, destroying a $2,000 outdoor oven, and a neighbour suffered about $100,000 in damage.
The Bureau of Meteorology said a strong cold front moved across Victoria on Tuesday, creating severe thunderstorms. Three severe weather specialists are assessing the damage to determine if a tornado caused the destruction. Senior forecaster Christie Johnson noted that a tornado requires rotating winds and frontal cloud, which is not yet confirmed.
