The Rev. Andrew Smith of St. Michael’s Church in Kalorama said he knew five families who had sold their properties and left since January.
He said others were struggling with their insurance companies and were facing long waits to rebuild their homes as the construction industry struggled with labor and material shortages.
The Rev. Andrew Smith with donated goods that he will distribute to the people of Kalorama. Credit: Joe Armao
“Most of the properties are still under tarpaulins,” Smith said. “They’re full of black mold.”
The church, which served as a relief center after the storms, continues to provide emotional support and food to the surrounding community.
“I know families where kids are really traumatized and they don’t sleep,” Smith said. “They have problems when the weather is bad.”
Kalorama resident Thomas Corbin and his wife, Samantha, decided to stay despite the trees breaking part of their roof and destroying their car during the storm. But he said it was tempting to leave, and he knew from eight households that they had made that decision.
Thomas Corbin away from home in Kalorama. Credit: Joe Armao
Strong winds still trigger anxious memories for Corbin, especially at night.
“There are times when I can’t sleep, and maybe at 2 in the morning I think it would be nice to live in the Murray,” he said.
Wendy Berry is unsure if she will return to her Kalorama home, although she has promised to rebuild it after a tree crashes through the bedroom next to her.
“Part of me just wants to be home again, but other parts are afraid to move home,” he said.
The Australian Insurance Council declared the June 2021 storms in Victoria an insurance catastrophe. Credit: Joe Armao
On 13 June last year, the Australian Insurance Council declared storms an insurance catastrophe. In May this year, more than 34,000 claims had been filed, with losses estimated at $ 302.9 million. These costs continue to rise.
An insurance council spokeswoman said the difficult terrain had hampered the recovery from the June storms, as well as a shortage of labor, trade and building materials.
Mount Dandenong Preschool remains closed after trees crashed into the building. Educator Jo Dixon said it was unclear whether the preschool would be rebuilt or relocated.
“We’re still feeling trauma and pain for a job we love so much,” he said. “My kids went there themselves.”
Lyn Osborne lived in Kalorama for over 40 years before the storm caused her difficult decision to sell. Credit: Joe Armao
However, the local real estate market has remained strong; Average home prices in Olinda rose 27.7 percent last year to $ 1.2 million, according to the Victoria Real Estate Institute.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Jim Child said many people in the community were in different stages, both in their emotional recovery and in rebuilding their homes.
However, he said the June storms were one of many natural disasters the community had endured, including Black Saturday and Ash Wednesday fires.
“Each of these events we’ve had at Yarra Ranges has always galvanized the community,” he said.
For Osborne, the storm came after her husband, David, died in 2020.
She and David had lived in Kalorama since the late 1970’s and raised two children in the house, which had previously belonged to David’s great-aunt and great-uncle.
Now the house is full of buckets to catch the rain from the roof with leaks. The four-week deal on the sale ends later this month and Osborne will soon move to the more suburban neighborhood of Mooroolbark.
She said part of her was glad David hadn’t seen the house in a “sorry state.”
“He loved this place. We both do,” he said.
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