Jan Rilloraza recently followed on from fellow Ararat SES unit members Geoff and Donna Dunmore and travelled to Gippsland to help with the region's recovery from the flood.

John Grayling went to Hepburn to help clear the damage caused by storms earlier in June.

Mr Grayling travelled to Hepburn on Friday, June 11, along with fellow Ararat SES member Dylan West. He led a team that primarily worked clearing fallen trees between Daylesford and Trentham.

Mr Grayling said there was no shortage of work as the extent of the damage was profound.

READ MORE:

"It was all chainsaw and tree removal work. We were tasked to work on properties with restricted access," he said.

"It was intense. I would be pretty confident in saying that down some roads, every second tree was fallen over.

"The average tree was probably 600-800mm in diameter across the trunk, and the biggest tree that had fallen had a diameter of more than six feet.

"The first tree we cleared was right across a person's driveway. So there was no way in or out for them.

"The whole road between Trentham and Daylesford was blocked. It's a 100Kmh road and we were basically rolling down it at 10Kmh per hour because section of trees had been cut down and pushed out of the way with a machine just to allow vehicle access."

OTHER NEWS:

Mr Grayling said he had been eager to help when the opportunity arose.

"SES put out a request for assistance. I put my hand up straight away, because that's why I volunteer: to help people out," he said.

People's readiness to volunteer has been crucial due to the widespread damage in Victoria.

Mr Rilloraza served as the task force leader in Gippsland, where flash-flooding on Thursday, June 10, caused considerable damage.

MORE NEWS:

"We were clearing up access to properties so people can get in and arranging some supplies with council and other support agencies," he said.

"I've done a lot of different deployments but not in this capacity. It was interesting to be leading crews from different regions and to be helping them deliver supplies that had been cut off for about a week."

Mr Grayling said while it was harrowing to see the extent of the damage caused by the weather, he was heartened by peoples response to the situation.

"It's great to see how the community comes together," he said.

"Everyone gets together to help people out."

While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.