LIVE: Eastern Beach storm surge and Geelong waterfront response

Strong south-westerlies and a king tide are battering the Geelong waterfront. SES, VicRoads and the City of Greater Geelong are coordinating response. We're updating as we get information from the scene.

1. 11:42 AM AEST Latest

   Eastern Beach Road reopens to single lane

   VicRoads crews have cleared the worst of the debris from Eastern Beach Road and one lane is moving slowly past Cunningham Pier. Expect 20-minute delays. The bollards at the Steampacket Gardens are being inspected for damage.

   — Sarah Voller, reporter

2. 11:05 AM AEST

   SES: 84 calls for help across Greater Geelong

   Geelong SES says it has logged 84 requests for assistance since 6am, mostly trees down and minor building damage. Crews are prioritising Newcomb, East Geelong and Drysdale. No injuries reported.

   — Sarah Voller, reporter

3. 10:30 AM AEST

   Spirit of Tasmania sailings on schedule, port says

   GeelongPort confirms the morning Spirit of Tasmania departure left on time and inbound sailings are not affected. Pilots are watching swell forecasts ahead of this evening's tide.

4. 09:48 AM AEST

   Schools open, but check buses

   All public schools in the Greater Geelong area are open. Several bus routes through Lara and Corio are running 15 to 30 minutes late because of fallen branches. PTV has live updates.

5. 09:10 AM AEST

   Bureau: peak wind gusts ease by 2pm

   The Bureau of Meteorology has eased its severe weather warning from "severe" to "minor" for the Geelong district. Wind gusts to 95km/h are expected through to early afternoon before dropping back below 60km/h.

6. 08:25 AM AEST

   Power restored to most of Newtown

   Powercor reports power is back on for the bulk of customers in Newtown, Geelong West and Manifold Heights after a substation fault. About 400 properties around Highton remain off and crews are en route.

7. 07:50 AM AEST

   Waterfront carousel closed for the day

   City of Greater Geelong has closed the Geelong Waterfront Carousel and adjoining playground for the day after wind damage to fencing. The carousel will reopen tomorrow pending an engineer's inspection.

8. 07:05 AM AEST

   King tide overtops the promenade

   A king tide combined with a south-westerly swell has overtopped the Eastern Beach promenade in front of the sea baths. Council crews are sandbagging the lower car park.

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