Updated January 15, 2026 — 6:04pm,first published 2:36pm
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Hundreds of holidaymakers have been stranded on the Great Ocean Road after flash-flooding hit the Wye River and Lorne areas on Thursday.
The raging torrents sparked by huge downpours inundated riverside campgrounds, forcing panicked campers to run for their safety, and swept at least three cars out to sea at Wye River.
Flooding at Wye River on Thursday.Rebecca Scott
Numerous people were rescued after flooding hit early afternoon, including a man stranded on a roof at Cumberland River who was winched to safety by police. Several people climbed on Wye River’s general store roof as shelter, cars have been left submerged under bridges and floodwaters trapped some holidaymakers in their caravans.
Floodwaters at Lorne claimed several tents and was lapping around caravans, with SES crews and residents seen carrying children out of the water to safety.
The Great Ocean Road was blocked between Skenes Creek and Fairhaven, about an 80-kilometre stretch that takes in Lorne and Wye River. There were no reports of injuries.
Footage received by this masthead shows sections of the Wye River Big4 holiday park underwater in surging floodwaters, cars being swept into the ocean, and at least four cars crashed against the Cumberland River bridge by surging floodwaters.
About 1500 people have been evacuated from Wye River caravan park, and local emergency services estimate about 400 people will not be able to retrieve their cars and need to be bussed out of town.
The owners of a few properties at Separation Creek – just north of Wye River – also fled after their lower storeys were flooded.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 175 millimetres of rain in the Mount Cowley area near Lorne in six hours.
Lorne campground on Thursday afternoon.Nine News
Wye River’s CFA captain, Andy Hack, first learned of the rising waters from his daughter, who works at a local cafe.
“She called home to say ‘we’re evacuating the cafe because water’s all of a sudden come up out of nowhere and it’s in the cafe’. I looked out the window and I saw two cars just floating out to sea,” Hack said.
“It just came up incredibly quickly, so people weren’t prepared.”
Premier Jacinta Allan summed up the mood of the state in labelling the footage from Wye River terrifying.
“I’m thinking of the community and campers along the Great Ocean Road tonight. I am keeping across any emerging updates,” she said.
The SES is still warning of flash flooding for the Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River and Lorne areas as of 7pm.
No one in vehicles swept out to sea, police say
On Thursday afternoon, police said their local officers and the Air Wing responded to several incidents in the area.
“Of immediate concern were reports several vehicles had been swept out to sea, however we believe no one was inside any of the vehicles at the time,” police said.
“No one was sighted in the vehicles, and we currently don’t have any reports of missing people.”
“The Air Wing winched a man, aged in his 60s, from a roof in Cumberland River and we’re aware of reports a number of people sought refuge on the roof of the general store in Wye River; however, as water has now receded, they’ve been able to make their way off the roof.”
There has been flash flooding in Wye River and some cars have been swept out to sea
Police are also coordinating evacuations from caravan parks in Cumberland River and Erskine River.
The flash flooding occurred as Victoria continues to battle major bushfires that have burned more than 400,000 hectares across the state.
Alex Kelly was among those who evacuated the Wye River caravan with her partner and two children park on Thursday. It was just six days after the family had to evacuate Castlemaine as the Ravenswood South bushfire threatened their home.
“We went to Melbourne on Friday and then moved again because we already had Wye River booked,” she said. “Lots of our friends are impacted in Harcourt.”
“I’m feeling very angry. And what I’m feeling most angry about is we’re not putting an end to the fossil fuel industry.”
Otways Shire Mayor Jason Schram told 3AW much of the local emergency personnel were still working on blacking out the major Otways bushfire near Colac.
“It was only six days ago that they were evacuating Kennett River and Wye River because of the threat of the fires,” he said.
“They’ve been allowed back in, and we’ve been hit with this surprise, big thunderstorm and rain event, and it’s just absolutely devastating.”
The flash flooding has also come just a few weeks after Wye River commemorated 10 years since serious bushfires that destroyed 116 houses.
Wye River witnesses describe frantic scenes
Rebecca Scott was camping at the Wye River Big4 park with her daughter when the river broke its banks about 1pm.
“Suddenly, the water was just coming up,” Scott told this masthead. “You know that feeling, that moment in time when you’re like, ‘this is a flood’. This is dangerous waters.”
Scott described a frantic scene as campers attempted to unplug electrical equipment and save essentials. She was forced to abandon her tent, bedding, and camp kitchen to flee in her car as the park’s playground became a “reservoir”.
“We’re driving past campsites submerged, people running towards their campsites in shock,” she said.
Scott’s exit was eventually blocked by rising water, forcing her to abandon her vehicle and evacuate on foot to the Wye River pub.
Michelle Mackenzie, who is holidaying in Lorne and was at the Wye River pub for lunch when the flooding became serious, described seeing eskies and chairs washed away as the pub became “chockers” with people evacuated from the campgrounds.
Mackenzie said there were multiple fire trucks stationed in the town and the main bridge crossing the river had been closed.
“The caravan park has essentially been shut down and people will have to get out of town,” said Wye River’s CFA captain Andy Hack.
“At this stage, we’re estimating there are maybe 400 people that won’t have access to vehicles and so Colac Otway Shire will have to organise buses to take people to Apollo Bay. The cars have been pushed up against each other or been parked on the grass and it’s too boggy to drive out.”
“This deluge that’s come down the [Wye River] goes through the effluent field of the treatment plant, so there might some hazardous material in the water, so we’ve got to be careful about managing that situation so it’s safe [for people to return to the caravan park].”
‘I’ve never seen anything like it’
Lorne has effectively been cleaved in two by the flooding, with the road closed to traffic in both directions between Lorne and Cumberland River.
3AW breakfast host Ross Stevenson, who is holidaying in Lorne, reported that the bridge at the entrance to the town near the Foodworks had been shut due to debris and rising water.
“The main street of Lorne is now a complete traffic jam because no one can get across this bridge,” Stevenson told 3AW.
“It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it”.
Stevenson described “rampaging” water pouring through the local caravan park and camping site. “It’s really, really moving,” he said. “I’m seeing on the … northern side of that bridge… that water’s got up really significantly.”
Emergency services have moved crowds back from the river as the surge threatens to impact the main street. Stevenson noted that while rainfall in Lorne itself had been light, the river was likely responding to heavy falls further upstream.
Residents have been urged to park cars undercover and away from trees, and to contact family members and neighbours.
The SES warned that floodwater can rise quickly, and heavy rainfall has increased the risk of landslides in the Otways. Drivers have been urged not to enter floodwater and to call Triple Zero (000) in a life-threatening emergency.
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Rachael Dexter is a journalist in the City team at The Age. Contact her at rachael.dexter@theage.com.au, rachaeldexter@protonmail.com, or via Signal at @rachaeldexter.58Connect via Facebook or email.From our partners