ADF deploys vehicles and personnel to assist SASES as Murray flooding hits 1931 levels | Emergency levee in Mannum main street completed
Defence has deployed vehicles and personnel to support the state’s SES as River Murray flooding reaches the height of the 1931 floods, and residents of low-lying areas have been told to evacuate.
SA News
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The streets of Loxton rumbled on Friday as the Australian rolled in to town to help with flood relief efforts.
A total of four high clearance vehicles and 19 personnel have been deployed to the river to work alongside the State Emergency Service during the unfolding emergency.
Two of the trucks and their crew will be based at Berri, with the other two trucks and crew concentrating on the lower stretches of the river and basing themselves in Murray Bridge.
All personnel are part of the 1st Combat Service Support Team, based at Edinburgh.
The high-clearance vehicles will be used to deliver critical supplies to isolated or flooded households, transport evacuated people, reconnaissance and the transport of Swiftwater rescue crews and boats.
“The ADF assistance of personnel and trucks is greatly welcomed and will add to our significant response capability, particularly in the area of Swiftwater rescue,” SASAES chief of staff Graeme Wynwood said.
Operation Flood Assist 22-2 was established in October as part of the federal government’s response to flooding in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.
The vehicles and personnel, usually based in the Edinburgh defence precinct, will initially be based at Murray Bridge and Berri during their deployment.
“Our volunteers and personnel have been doing a fantastic job over the past months working side by side with communities and supporting agencies to assist people prepare and take action in their response to the River Murray flooding,’’ Mr Wynwood said.
“The ADF assistance ... will add to our significant response capability, particularly in the area of Swiftwater rescue.
“As we head into the predicted flood peak in coming weeks, public safety remains our primary concern,” he said.
While River Murray flooding has already reached the height of the 1931 floods, forecast flows remain well below the 1956 levels, authorities say.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said overall flooding was likely to look “most like” levels reached in 1931, after the entire Walker Flat community was effectively evacuated overnight.
“We are now starting to see evidence that the river is in excess of 1931 flood levels,” Mr Malinauskas said.
The premier said most recent flow modelling remained at a peak of 190Gl/day to 220GL/day, likely to hit around Christmas.
Premier Peter Malinauskas, Emergency Services Minister Joe Szakacs, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, SES Chief Officer Chris Beattie and DEW Executive Director Ben Bruce deliver a flood update:
Flood watch and act message issued
The SES has issued a third flood emergency warning in less than a day with residents in Younghusband, Mannum, Caloote, Pompoota, Mypolonga the latest to be told to prepare for evacuation.
A Flood Watch and Act message was distributed around 2pm on Thursday and warned there is a high risk of flooding for low lying parts of the area, due to rapid river level rises.
“Regardless of your property’s ability to withstand flood impacts there is a chance you may become flooded or isolated,” the alert said.
“If you remain in the area you may become trapped without water, power and other essential services. You should now prepare to evacuate.
“If the situation worsens it may not be safe to leave. It may be too dangerous for emergency services to assist you.”
#FLOOD Watch and Act Prepare to Evacuate issued for Younghusband to Mypolonga. There is a high risk of flooding which may threaten your safety. There may be a need to evacuate. More info: https://t.co/eqOP7aHk51 ID:440/1
— SASES (@SA_SES) December 15, 2022
The emergency service advised to follow personal emergency plans, move items of value to a safe place and prepare for evacuation, but to only leave if the path to a safer place is clear.
A similar message was issued for Caurnamont, Purnong and Bowhill on Wednesday evening.
Earlier on Wednesday, an urgent evacuation alert was issued for Walker Flat.
Walker Flat residents forced to evacuate
Walker Flat residents were forced to evacuate overnight after an emergency warning was issued by the SES, over risks that the Angus Valley and Rob Loxton Rds into the community would become inundated.
Just one resident elected to stay at Walker Flat, with 15 evacuated on Wednesday and a “large number of other residents” already having left the 92-person township.
“This demonstrates the level of preparedness that has been applied, and now it is being called upon in a way that is delivering results,” Mr Malinauskas said.
Australian Defence Force (ADF) support has not been ruled out as flooding heightens, with the discussions ongoing with the Commonwealth over co-ordination of recovery efforts, the premier said.
SES chief officer Chris Beattie said crews had responded to a number of levee failures over past days, including Crescent, south of Renmark, Clements Rd and Napas Ln, out of Barmera, and Port Mannum.
On Tuesday, significant defects in the levee around the caravan park at Kingston On Murray were identified and all remaining visitors and residents were relocated, with three requiring emergency accommodation.
Mr Beattie said prepare to leave messages had been issued for Caurnamont, Purnong and Bow Hill, with residents likely to be impacted over the next two to three days.
“It’s really important for people living in those areas that they initiate their plans now, secure their valuable and make (accommodation) arrangements,” Mr Beattie said.
SES volunteers have been brought in from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia to man swiftwater crews and assist with the final deployment of flood barriers.
NSW has also provided a rescue helicopter and crew that will be based at Pallamana, near Murray Bridge.
Department of Environment and Water executive Ben Bruce said November has historically high rainfalls had been recorded across large areas of the Murray-Darling Basin, which was reflected in higher flows, but rain was set to ease into December.
Mr Bruce said authorities were expecting floodwaters to recede “reasonably shortly” after peak waters hit, getting to 150GL/day per mid-January and a “quicker recession” after that.
Premier Peter Malinauskas acknowledged that discrepancies between images of flow heights on social media and predicted flow rates were causing “anxiety” in the community, but said there was “not much we could do” aside from close monitoring.
“It’s fair to say there is a degree of frustration around what’s happening with height levels compared to flow levels, but this is the first time in 50 years we’ve seen this volume of water coming our way,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“It’s hardly surprising the river is performing differently today. Think about how different our state looked in 1956 – all of those changes inform how the river performs in respect to heights versus flows.
“This is very much an unprecedented situation. Floods have a precedent, but floods in the modern era don’t. So we have to monitor it closely and prepare for all eventualities.”
An emergency flood levee stretching down the main street of Mannum was completed on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the Mid-Murray Council said the levee is complete up to the Pretoria Hotel car park.
The spokesperson explained those final works will be completed by the end of next week so the hotel can remain open for as long as possible.
Construction for the state government-funded structure began about a week ago, with crews racing against the clock as river levels are expected to peak in the township within three weeks.
The 500m wall has been built to withstand flows of up to 250GL per day, but will only protect homes and businesses on one side of the road.
Riverside properties will inevitably be inundated by the flood waters.
Mannum resident Roland Carr is also now trapped on his houseboat and relying on locals to bring supplies.
“I’ve got onto the SES, they can’t do nothing, council don’t want to do nothing,” Mr Carr told 7NEWS.
“You just need more help than what we are actually getting now.”
Mr Carr is unable to access emergency accommodation because he has two pets.
Earlier this week, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced an additional 22,000 overnight bed stays were secured along the river for residents whose homes have become unliveable.
In addition to the pre-booked accommodation, 16 fully self-contained Humanihuts are being erected at the Riverland Exhibition Centre and can house 64 people.
The state government has also acquired 35 Minderoo recovery pods, which can be deployed as required to properties.
Meanwhile, the SA SES has issued an emergency warning following defects identified in a levee at the Kingston On Murray Caravan Park.
SA SES state duty officer David O’Shannessy told ABC Radio Adelaide the levee was privately built, but said it doesn’t mean residents were “out with shovels”.
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