Cleanup begins after once in a decade storm lashes Victoria

More than 100,000 Victorians remain without power after freak wind storms lashed the state yesterday, bringing down trees, powerlines and wreaking havoc on hundreds of homes.

The winds – of nearly 150km an hour – were the strongest seen in Victoria in more than a decade, and left a path of destruction across much the state.

Authorities say many could be left without power for days, as emergency crews scramble to attend to all the calls.

READ MORE: Dramatic moment powerline and tree collide in Melbourne storm

Emergency services described the devastation as utter "carnage".

Victoria State Emergency Service (SES) Commander David Baker said there have been close to 5000 calls for help across the state since Friday morning, with a number yet to be tended to.

"We had about 4,800 jobs or requests for assistance over that period," he told Weekend Today.

"Many impacted areas are through the Bellarine Peninsula, the Mornington Peninsula into Gippsland and parts of the Dandenong Foothills.

https://twitter.com/VICSESEssendon/status/1454188835651215364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"We are down to about 12 to 1300 of those still outstanding, with a really focussed effort today into the morning Peninsula area to try and clear those jobs up."

At the height of the storms yesterday, more than half a million properties were without power.

READ MORE: Hundreds of thousands without power after freak storm ravages Victoria

At the peak of the storm, gusts reached 145 kilometres an hour.

A tree collapsed onto train tracks in Glen Waverley and another struck a bus in Narre Warren.

READ MORE: Woman narrowly avoids being hit by loose boxes as winds in Melbourne intensify

Mr Baker said that the SES are working in partnership with the fire agencies, councils and power companies to get help to people who still need it.

There are currently between 300 to 400 SES crews and firefighters on the ground working to clear away debris, but Mr Baker warned that "some of the more complex jobs may continue on through the weekend".

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