Drawing The Hills community together in creative healing
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY | Mark Fergus
We would like to acknowledge that this story may be difficult for some readers, and contains content of an emotional nature. We believe that it is important that these stories are told, especially from the point of view of those directly affected.
As darkness fell across the Dandenong Ranges on June 9th, 2021, the night from hell was unleashed. An unrelenting storm lashed the region for the next 12 hours. 270mm of drenching rain was followed by destructive winds of up to 130km per hour, and in some parts of the Dandenong Ranges, record gusts exceeded that.
By 9am the whole mountain was reverberating with the crashing of massive trees, smashed to the ground or onto buildings. The roar of the storm was unwavering, and terrified families huddled in their homes without power, as the flattening of trees continued. Incredibly, CFA and SES volunteers, paramedics and police went out in the face of this maelstrom, risking their lives while rescuing people from damaged houses, and battling to cut access routes for emergency services.
Read the full article in issue 58 Winter 2024 here.
