By Lia Bichel
WHILE many saw the flash floods as a chance to go looting, hooning or playing in dangerous water, others lent a helping hand to needy neighbours.
Long-time Narre Warren residents Ian and Lyn Pickering said they had seen a lot of shocking behaviour during the weekend storms, but believed the floods also brought out the best in many people.
The couple, who have lived on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road for 40 years, said the storms brought their neighbouring community together.
“There were a lot of people checking out the streets and sharing their stories – even sightseers wanted to have a chat,” Mrs Pickering said.
“We met a lot of people and had some lovely conversations.
“There were a lot of neighbours helping neighbours.”
Mrs Pickering said her house escaped major damage, with only the gutters overflowing, causing minor water damage to the inside of the house.
A neighbour helped the couple remove the gutter guards.
While she was impressed with the community spirit, Mrs Pickering said there were a lot of people who did not take proper precautions during the storm.
“(There were) hoons coming down the hill at high speeds and all they could see was the green light at the bottom of the hill. The fact that there were flashing lights and a large truck blocking the road did not seem to be of concern,” she said.
“I was shocked by the actions of some of the drivers.”
Mrs Pickering also witnessed parents watching children playing in a blow-up dinghy near a drain, adults encouraging teenage girls to walk in waste deep water to stranded horses and people walking barefooted through potentially dangerous water.
“The danger of unknown debris floating around and impacting on these flimsy craft was a concern,” she said.
“There are snakes in this area, and the rising water would have seen them moving to higher ground.”
Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road was one of the hardest hit roads in Casey, with the road still closed on Tuesday due to flooding.
