By KATRINA BRANDON
LAST Thursday marked 12 months since the Mirboo North superstorm.
The freak storm event tore through like a cyclone, destroying virtually everything in its path and reducing the usually quiet small town in the hills to ruins.
Support for the township and surrounds over the last 12 months has come from far and wide and from within, varying from helping clean up fallen trees and tarping roofs, to helping create events for people to take a break from the severity of the storm.
As the one-year mark came around, memories of the event became fresh, but the Mirboo North community stepped up to hold an event to help spread positivity.
Mirboo North local Katrina Foster told the Express: “Overall support has been incredible. The council were awesome. They struggled because it was such a big event, and like many other organisations, it wasn’t clear how big it was”.
“You could drive through town and know there were trees on the main road, but when you went off, it was absolutely devastating. So, it wasn’t so obvious to some. It took a lot of time and manpower to address the damage, and mother nature needs to mend itself as well.”
According to Mirboo North and District Community Foundation Executive Officer, Ruth Rogan, tens of thousands of trees fell, and many houses were damaged during the storm.
She also said that feelings around the storm’s anniversary have been different. Some are still struggling because they cannot be in their homes. Some locals are now based out of town and have different rental accommodations in nearby areas.
“Each person’s journey to recovery is different, and a year on the community’s journey to recovery continues. We can still see the storm’s impact as trees and native bush slowly regenerate,” she said.
“Anniversaries can be very challenging as they are often a point when we assess what progress has been made and possibly compare our progress. I feel for those still working to return to their homes. There is positivity in the community around the opening of key recreational assets like the Mirboo North Pool in December 2024 and the resurfaced Grand Ridge Rail Trail in January 2025.
“This was a natural disaster on a micro level, with all of the impacts that this brings. It has been a very challenging year, and the journey to recovery continues. However, we are proud of how the community has supported each other through the highs and lows.”
Ms Rogan told the Express there would be further focus on preparedness for future storm events, and part of that would involve considering whether they would do things differently.
“We have two events planned currently – an Insurance Preparedness session and an Energy Resilience session (which will look at how to use a generator in your home safely). There is also a project to document the process of setting up and operating the storm cell volunteers so that in future those who can jump in to help will not have to reinvent the wheel,” she said.
The Insurance Preparedness session is being held tomorrow (February 20) at Baromi Centre from 5.30pm.
TAKING time to remember the events of February 13, 2024, Mirboo North held a Storm Proof Soiree last Saturday in memory of the storm event.
The event was not to mourn but to celebrate the positives in the aftermath of the horrific storm, such as heightened community connections and support.
About 200 people and Mary M Mannequin attended the event, sharing memories through music, dancing, conversations, and food.
The free event featured the band Borderline, which helped locals groove and enjoy the evening while children enjoyed face painting, cotton candy, games from Gippsport, and other recreational activities.
Due to poor weather conditions, the event, which was to be held at the pool as a ‘Blessing of the Pool’ event, was moved to the Mirboo North Shire Hall.
Local representatives included state Nationals leader and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, and Member for Monash Russell Broadbent.
“Only in Victoria do you have 35 degrees one day and 12 two days later,” Mr O’Brien commented.
“Who would have thought after all that work, $6 million and years and years of getting the pool back to scratch again, that you would have to come back and do it again? Mirboo North will and does understand that the pool is the heart of this community.
“The tragedy of last February, just having gotten the pool back to a beautiful state from a very big investment by the shire, the state and the federal government, was that the storm came and knocked it again. But it also brought out the pool’s glory. It brought out what this community is already.
“It is wonderful to be here and to have the pool reopened as the heart and important part of this community. I know there are still scars within the community, whether it be houses with tarps on them or trees that have been scared for a very long time. We all acknowledge that it will bring pain for many people, but it should come with the satisfaction of what a wonderful community this is and will continue to be going forward.”
In his speech to those at the soiree, Mr O’Brien praised the community’s efforts from the first hour of the incident and other Gippsland citizens who raced down to Mirboo North to help clear what they could.
Returning to Mirboo North, Mr Broadbent also spoke at the event, praising the community and local shire for their efforts and commenting on the lessons learned from the storm.
“There are lessons to be learnt. There are serious lessons to come out of this, of that quick storm,” he said.
“Even when you try to explain it, you can’t describe what happened or the landscape of what happened. The miracle of it was that there weren’t hundreds of lives lost and that we aren’t mourning them this day. It was sad we lost one, but it could have been far worse from the damage.
“The trees will grow back, and the beautiful surroundings that call people back to Mirboo North just to go to the pool and sit there in that surrounding theatre of nature will return and return quicker than you know.”
