Victoria floods: Echuca residents build sandbag walls during evacuation order as flooding continues
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Poignant photos have shown dozens of regional Victorians struggling to build walls made of sandbags to protect their cities from devastating floods.
The death toll from the state’s recent flood crisis has risen to two as communities affected by the harsh weather have been offered more funding.
An evacuation order was issued Wednesday afternoon in the northern Victorian town of Kerang, with the town expected to be closed once Patchell Bridge on Murray Valley Highway closes at 7 p.m.
It is one of four active community evacuation orders in the north of the state.
At Echuca, in northern Victoria, there are concerns that the river level will be 95 meters higher on Friday than during the floods of 1993.
Despite the evacuation orders, the city is bustling with activity with countless residents who have spent the past few days building a makeshift 2.5-kilometer flood wall of sandbags to protect thousands of homes and businesses.
Residents in the regional Victorian town of Echuca build sandbag walls against ongoing flooding (photo, residents build the wall outside a local pub)
Dozens of residents have built walls to protect homes, shops, pubs and McDonalds from ongoing flooding (photo, locals walk past shops with sandbags)
A house in Echuca is littered with sandbags as floodwaters continue to rise
Photos show locals struggling to pile up the heavy sandbags, while others use construction equipment to erect earthen fences.
Firefighters were also seen helping build the mounds with residents working to protect pubs, businesses, homes and the local McDonald’s.
However, the wall has split the city in half, leaving property and people on the wrong side prone to flooding.
A resident told AAP she was grateful that the causeway had been built, but was very concerned if water would spill over the gravel wall, allowing private houseboats parked along the Murray to enter her property.
A huge sandbag wall was built along the outside of Echuca’s McDonalds (above) to protect it from flooding
Other residents used construction equipment to build huge mounds of earth (above) as part of the effort to protect the city from more flood damage
Chief Operating Officer of the State Emergency Service Tim Wiebusch defended the wall, but agreed that there were some risks.
“Yes, that may also affect a small number of properties outside that levee,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, the body of a 65-year-old man was found in flooding on Paynes Road near Nathalia near Shepparton.
A search began around 10 p.m. Tuesday when he failed to return home and his empty tractor was found in floodwaters.
His death follows that of a 71-year-old Rochester man on Saturday.
As towns along the swollen Murray River system prepare for thunderstorms, the Australian and Victorian governments announced a jointly funded aid package.
Victorian floods have claimed the lives of two men, a 65-year-old man and a 71-year-old man (pictured, residents in Echuca walking past shops with sandbags)
The state government has announced a $73.5 million aid package to help farmers and entrepreneurs recover from flood damage (photo, a sandbag wall in Echuca)
It means that homes and businesses that have been destroyed or damaged will be able to clear the properties of hazards free of charge and the first phase will be coordinated by Emergency Recovery Victoria.
“The first step in rebuilding is to ensure that properties are made safe and that hazardous waste does not endanger families – it is a huge job but we will be there with the Victorians every step of the way,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
As the floods hit key agricultural areas, the state government has announced a $73.5 million aid package to help farmers and entrepreneurs clean up, including $10,000 in subsidies to primary producers.
“It’s pretty overwhelming to think about what’s happening and has happened in some of these communities. So all the support we provide is very important,” Prime Minister Daniel Andrews told reporters.
Water in parts of the state, such as Shepparton and Rochester, continues to recede, and the threat of heavy rain during the predicted thunderstorms in the coming days has eased slightly.
Walls built around Echuca (above) have split the city in half, leaving property and people on the wrong side prone to flooding
Firefighters (above) were seen helping build the mounds to protect Echuca from more flood damage
Isolated showers and thunderstorms are now expected in the northern districts on Thursday.
On Friday and Saturday, widespread showers will generally total two millimeters to 10mm, but higher falls of 30mm can occur in north-central and northeastern parts of Victoria.
“We will keep a close eye on those thunderstorms and issue warnings of more of a sudden flood risk rather than heavy rainfall over a wider area,” Kevin Parkin, senior meteorologist at Bureau of Meteorology, told reporters.
Evacuation warnings are in place for Echuca and the smaller towns of Barmah and Lower Moira.
There are also flood warnings for towns along the Loddon, Campaspe and Goulburn rivers.
On Wednesday, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake shook near Mansfield, with no reports of damage.