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SES remains on alert as conditions ease

Sunday November 23, 2008 - 17:49 EDT

The SES has responded to almost 400 calls across Victoria. - ABC

The Victorian State Emergency Service (SES) says widespread rain and strong winds across the state have not caused as much damage as had been expected.

The SES has responded to almost 400 calls across Victoria, mainly within the metropolitan region, with damage to cars and buildings from falling trees the most common problem.

SES state coordinator John Parker says volunteers remain on alert in Gippsland, although major flooding appears unlikely.

"Monitoring of the water levels continues in and around the catchment and whilst the rain has eased - and there is no predicted threat to the metropolitan area - emergency services remain on alert in Gippsland area, however major flooding is no longer predicted at this stage," he said.

The driest October on record has been followed by drenching rains and swollen rivers on the wettest weekend for the year in Victoria's East Gippsland region.

Farmers in Victoria's high country have had more rain in the last two days than they have had in the wettest month.

The system dropped more than 150 millimetres on parts of the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, replenishing dams and soaking grazing land parched by 12 years of drought.

The rain will also temper some of the fears of an extreme fire season over summer.

More rain is forecast later in the week and some models are predicting another 50 millimetres.

Farmers are still being advised to move stock to high ground and beware of localised flooding until the rivers return to normal levels.

- ABC

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