Victorian floods: High alert as more homes and businesses are threatened by flood waters from bursting rivers
Hundreds of Victorians have been urged to prepare their homes and businesses for fresh flooding as rivers continue to swell after heavy rainfall.
Despite rainfall easing across the state, 30 flood warnings remained in force on Wednesday, with central and northern Victoria most at risk.
Watch and Act warnings have been issued for areas near the Loddon River, as well as the Bendigo and Bullock Creeks, north of Bendigo, and the Goulburn River between Shepparton, Seymour and Murchison.
Authorities have urged Shepparton residents to prepare for possible flooding as water levels are expected to continue to rise on Wednesday.
Residents between Seymour and Murchison and those near the Loddon River have been urged to ‘move to higher ground’ and evacuate if necessary.
The State Emergency Services (SES) confirmed that in Yea six houses were flooded, in Seymour up to ten houses were affected by above-floor flooding, while a further 140 homes suffered other flooding.
Hundreds of residents in central and northern Victoria have been urged to move to higher ground after heavy rain worsened rising waters (pictured)
Watch and Act warnings were issued to areas around Loddon River, Bendigo and Bullock Creeks, and the Goulburn River between Shepparton, Seymour and Murchison (pictured, Yea River)
The Goulburn River rose to 7.11 meters in Shepparton on Wednesday morning, with authorities urging residents to prepare for possible flooding amid fears the minor flood level of 9.5 meters could be breached.
River levels at Murchison remained steady at 10.38 meters on Wednesday morning – a moderate flood zone – but are expected to rise as more water flows from other sources.
The Murchison Fire Department reminded residents not to drive on flooded roads and that sandbags are available at the Murchison Community Centre.
Other areas around the Loddon, Yarra, Latrobe, Bunyip, Traralgon and Thomson rivers have been urged to ‘stay aware’ of the current emergency warnings.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), a total of 96mm of rain fell in the ‘Flood Watch’ areas on Monday and Tuesday.
“Widespread minor flooding, with isolated moderate to major flooding in the northern catchments, is likely to continue in parts of the Flood Watch area over the coming days,” a BOM statement read.
‘Existing flood peaks will continue to travel through river systems, with flood warnings updated as necessary.’
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, a total of 96mm of rain fell in the Flood Watch areas (stock image)
Some areas in regional Victoria are just beginning to recover after deadly floods devastated the area in October 2022, destroying hundreds of homes (pictured)
Floodwaters are expected to recede in some areas as no ‘flood-causing’ rainfall is forecast in watch areas in the coming days.
“The risk of showers and thunderstorms remains, but expected precipitation totals are not expected to significantly impact river and creek levels,” the BOM statement said.
In the areas around Rochester and Seymour, flood warnings were downgraded from “too late to leave” to “the threat has been reduced” on Wednesday as rising waters flowed downstream.
A spokesperson for the SES said they are ‘carrying out safety checks to ensure the area is safe when it is time for people to return’.
Of the more than 1,750 calls the SES has received since Sunday, 52 related to flood rescues.
The area was flooded just fourteen months ago, killing two people and inundating hundreds of homes.
Locals had reported that some residents had only just moved back into their homes.