Winds damage houses in Echuca

Victoria was hit by gale force winds last night but the damage was less than anticipated.State Emergency Service regional duty officer Wayne Grincais said while the damage wasn’t as bad as expected, Echuca was the worst hit town with reports of houses losing parts of roofs. SES workers were called to 400 incidents across Victoria, with 20 callouts in the north-west region.“We were certainly prepared for it to be busier,” Mr Grincais said.“We had staff on standby for the night but they weren’t required”.Minor damage was experienced in other areas including Gisborne, where trees were uprooted and Swan Hill where water damage was reported.The forecast for the rest of the week is expected to be calmer with no further weather warnings for the north-west district.

Were you affected by the winds last night? Email pics and details to cos@bendigoadvertiser

As residents begin to clean up WorkSafe Victoria have warned employers they have an obligation to ensure safety standards were in place, while workers also had to work carefully to reduce risk.“Early reports are that there has been considerable damage, however the extent of that damage in workplaces may not be known for some hours," WorkSafe Victoria general manager for safety, Lisa Sturzenegger said.“Strong winds can occur at any time of year in Victoria and must be anticipated. That means uncompleted structures and scaffolds must be secure at all times.”