Campers Flee as Flash Floods Inundate Great Ocean Road

A severe thunderstorm triggered sudden, dangerous flash flooding along Victoria's Great Ocean Road on Thursday, forcing hundreds to evacuate a popular camping ground at Wye River. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as rising waters swept vehicles into the ocean and carried caravans away.

'We've lost everything. You can see caravans floating away,' said one woman camping with her daughters. 'It's just heartbreaking. Strangers are hugging strangers.'

The emergency prompted an official warning for the Wye, Kennett, and Cumberland rivers in the Lorne area after more than 170 millimeters of rain fell in a matter of hours. The deluge closed the major tourist route and transformed the campsite into a fast-moving waterway.

Local authorities coordinated the evacuation as conditions rapidly deteriorated. The event underscores the volatile nature of summer weather along the scenic coast, turning a holiday destination into a zone of rescue and recovery. Cleanup efforts are expected to begin once the waters recede and the damage can be fully assessed.