AMONG the first boots on the ground after a catastrophe storm flattened the town of Mirboo North last Tuesday was the State Emergency Unit with direct responsibility for the town, Leongatha.
According to Leongatha Unit Controller, Matt Saario, the unit had logged 1600 calls for emergency help by lunchtime on Sunday, many of them coming after Mirboo North got temporary mobile reception restored on Thursday and Friday.
“It has easily been the most number of calls for help we have received at Leongatha SES as a result of one incident,” said unit controller Matt Saario.
“We consistently had between 15 and 20 members there on Tuesday and Wednesday, then two crews of 10 on Thursday and one crew or five or six on Friday and Saturday.”
By then, SES incident command out of Warragul had taken over and crews started arriving in Mirboo North from all around the state.
“It was mostly damage to houses, cars and property, from the wind and also from trees, fallen trees, and helping people get access in and out of their homes.
“We had a number of houses where they completely lost their roofs or were extensively damaged. Trees had fallen right across roofs, on cars, shed and fences.
“There was a bit of water damage, but it was mostly the wind.
“An incredible amount of trees have come down, in and around the town,” said Matt.
He had nothing but praise for his team, who he said had contributed 100s of hours over the past week.
“We’re just tabulating that, but the effort has been fantastic.”
No bad from SES members who are volunteers and put off doing their own jobs to answer the call.
“A couple of good outcomes for us is that no one was injured and we have picked up a couple of young members as a result. We could do with more.”
Matt said the unit’s supplies of plastic for tarps, sandbags and other consumables including chainsaw chains and supplies, plus the unit’s fuel supply budget had been heavily taxed by the response and he would certainly be making application for special emergency evet response.
“It’s just been a magnificent effort by all involved, particularly the people of Mirboo North themselves who just got in there straight away,” said Matt Saario of the Leongatha SES.
