Victorian Floods 2022: Thousands displaced in ‘one in 50 year flood’
People living in Murchison should evacuate immediately as the flood crisis worsens in the Goulburn Valley, with Wangaratta residents also facing a nervous wait. Read the latest.
Leader
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leader . Followed categories will be added to My News.
FOR THE LATEST COVERAGE BY REGION, SCROLL DOWN :
SEE MORE: Community spirit on show as floods impact Victorian towns
Residents in Murchison should evacuate immediately as the Goulburn River is expected to exceed the major flooding level of 10.7m on Friday evening.
Emergency services have warned the river may reach around 12m by Saturday afternoon.
Flooding above floor level of a single-story home us likely to occur.
The safest evacuation route is by the Goulburn Valley Highway, and residents have been urged to stay with friends or family in a safe location or travel to a relief centre at the Shepparton Show Grounds.
It comes as Wangaratta residents are tonight nervously awaiting the full impact of the flood crisis as rivers continue to rise around them.
About 60 locals attended a community meeting held by the SES, Wangaratta Council and local authorities at St Patrick’s Hall on Friday.
SES Wodonga incident controller Brendan Corboy said water levels for the Owens River were tipped to peak at 12.5m at some point on Saturday.
He said residents with properties and farms in the Whorouly area, 30km outside of Wangaratta in the next 12-24 hours, could be at risk and to activate their flood plans.
But he said the city of Wangaratta appeared to have “dodged a bullet” and escaped a major flood emergency, apart from flooding in the King River from Docker Rd, which was threatening livestock.
Mr Corboy said four residents had to be rescued by SES volunteers at 9am after attempting to drive through flood waters.
Wangaratta Council director of community and infrastructure Marcus Goonan said minor flooding had also been recorded in backyards of homes near the One Mile, Three Mile and 15 Mile Creeks.
Impacted people can apply for emergency financial assistance from the state government. 1500 people have already applied for the funding which is $500 for adults and $260 for children.
Almost 5000 homes are without power across the state, with Apollo Bay the area with the most power outages.
Here’s the latest, statewide:
FRIDAY 6.40PM: An evacuation order for Wedderburn and Skinners Flat was withdrawn at 6.20pm, with emergency services saying the threat of the flash floods has passed.
At about midday, residents were urged to flee as emergency services raised fears the Skinners Flat reservoir was likely to breach.
It is now safe to return although the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning advises there may still be hazards in the area.
Woman rescued from flood waters
A woman trapped in flood waters in central Victoria has been rescued by a quick thinking local police officers.
Emergency services were called to the Pyrenees Highway in Newstead about 2.50pm on Thursday after reports a woman in her 70s was trapped in flood waters.
Police said the local member from Newstead braved the flood waters and managed to float a rope to the woman.
The woman secured the rope to a tree and herself while two Superintendents from Mildura and a member from Maldon continued to talk to the woman and keep her calm.
Swift Water Rescue Team units were soon on the scene and the woman was removed from the water.
Superintendent John O’Connor said that without the actions of local members the situation could easily have ended in tragedy.
A man was also rescued after ignoring a roadblock and driving into flood waters in Newbridge Friday morning.
It is believed a man drove a Toyota Landcruiser into flood waters on Lyons St just before 10.45am.
His vehicle was washed down stream a short distance before colliding with trees.
The man was rescued by police about half an hour later after climbing onto a branch.
UPDATE FRIDAY 4:45PM: Maribyrnong residents have been told to leave now as flood waters rise quickly and threaten properties across a dozen streets including Burton Crescent, Chifley Drive, Clyde Street, Duffy Street, Ensign Street, Leopold Street, Navigation Street, Newstead Street, Oakland Street, Raleigh Road, The Esplanade and Van Ness Avenue.
Mickleham quarantine facility could be used as flood relief centre
The state government is prepared to open the Mickleham quarantine facility as a flood relief centre.
“This is a really important option to have,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
There have been over 2000 emergency service people deployed in flood response so far.
FRIDAY 2.45PM:
About 500 homes have been flooded across Victoria with another 500 isolated, according to Premier Daniel Andrews.
He warned Victorians to be prepared for six to eight weeks of flooding impact across the state and said as many as 4000 homes could be isolated or flooded over the weekend.
Mr Andrews said “money is not the issue” when it comes to fixing Victoria’s roads affected by the weather.
He said once the road is laid it needs good weather to allow it to properly dry otherwise cars driving over it will just rip it up.
”It is not a lack of money, it is not a lack of will,” he said.
FRIDAY 11.45AM: Residents in northern and central Victoria remain on high alert, as eight areas are being urged to evacuate on Friday morning.
Emergency Services have directed residents in the flood-affected areas of Murchison, Wedderburn, Rochester, Benalla, Carisbrook, Seymour, Benalla and those near the Maribrynong River in Melbourne’s west to leave.
There are 92 emergency warnings in place across much of the State, including directions for people to move to higher ground, including in Barndown, Euroa, Laanecoorie and Charlton.
The Campaspe River continues to rise rapidly and is expected to peak on Friday afternoon.
The Goulburn River peaked at 2am, reaching 8.2m on the gauge at Seymour, before dropping back to 7.9m at 6am on Friday.
Evacuation centres have been set up in Wycheproof, Wedderburn, Echuca, Seymour, Skipton, Creswick, Shepparton and Maryborough.
FRIDAY 10.35AM: Victorians affected by the floods will be offered one-off emergency payments from 9am on Friday morning.
Premier Daniel Andrews said adults could apply for the $560 payment, while $260 would be allocated for children.
He said Maribyrnong, Benalla, Wedderburn, Seymour, Carisbook and Rochester are the areas of biggest concern to authorities.
People can apply for the one off payment via: emergencypayments.dffh.vic.gov.au
FRIDAY 10.02AM: Strathbogie near Euroa in the state’s northeast has received the most rain with 221.6mm falling since 9am Wednesday.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Keris Arndt said the rain had generally cleared across Victoria with only scattered showers expected for Friday.
“The system has moved away – we are left with some isolated showers coming through today but any rainfall totals are going to be much smaller than what we have seen,” he said.
“The flood situation will continue to evolve over today and the coming days as we see floodwaters move downstream.”
FRIDAY 9.28AM: While the rain is expected to ease off on Friday for much of Victoria, emergency services say residents should heed warnings on the VicEmergency App as water flows downstream and rivers begin to peak.
Emergency relief centres have been set up near Echuca, Carisbrook and Seymour.
Watch and Act alerts urging people to stay indoors are widespread across much of Victoria.
The wet weather began to clear out over western Victoria on Thursday night and the Bureau of Meteorology predicts conditions will improve for central and eastern Victoria on Friday.
Despite this, large volumes of water are yet to make their way downstream.
Rain has cleared VIC with scattered showers to follow today; mainly over southern & mountain districts. Snow showers across the Alpine peaks, with isolated thunderstorms in the southeast. Totals through the rest of today generally less than 5mm. Highest totals: pic.twitter.com/WHymdpo2KD
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) October 13, 2022
FRIDAY 7.30AM: Thousands of people have spent the night in evacuation centres or bunking in with family and friends after residents of Rochester, Seymour and Carisbrook in Victoria’s north and central regions were rushed out of their homes overnight.
Maribyrnong and Benalla residents were also told to evacuate last night.
Orders for evacuated towns have now been upgraded to “too late to leave” as roads are all closed due to the flooding.
In the last 12 hours SES Victoria have received 567 calls for help, 307 calls related to flood assistance.
Since 9am Thursday morning there have been 119 rescues from flood waters.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued major flood warnings for 11 rivers including the Avoca, Barwon, Broken, Campaspe, Goulburn, Loddon, Maribyrnong, Ovens and King, Wimmera and the Seven and Castle Creeks and Mt Emu Creek.
The bureau has cancelled its severe weather warning with rainfalls today not expected to exceed 5mm for the rest of today.
“Rain has cleared VIC with scattered showers to follow today; mainly over southern & mountain districts,” it said this morning.
Northern Victoria
FRIDAY 6.40PM: An evacuation order for Wedderburn and Skinners Flat was withdrawn at 6.20pm, with emergency services saying the threat of the flash floods has passed.
At about midday, residents were urged to flee as emergency services raised fears the Skinners Flat reservoir was likely to breach.
It is now safe to return although the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning advises there may still be hazards in the area.
FRIDAY 5.40PM: Residents in Murchison are being warned to evacuate immediately as the Goulburn River is expected to exceed the major flooding level of 10.7m on Friday evening.
Emergency services have warned the river may reach around 12m by Saturday afternoon.
Flooding above floor level of a single-story home is likely to occur.
The safest evacuation route is by the Goulburn Valley Highway, and residents have been urged to stay with friends or family in a safe location or travel to a relief centre at the Shepparton Show Grounds.
It comes as a watch and act advice message has been issued for Euroa. Flooding will extend downstream with major flooding likely at Kialla West on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile Wangaratta residents are tonight nervously awaiting the full impact of the flood crisis as rivers continue to rise around them.
About 60 locals attended a community meeting held by the SES, Wangaratta Council and local authorities at St Patrick’s Hall Friday afternoon.
SES Wodonga incident controller Brendan Corboy said water levels for the Owens River were tipped to peak at 12.5m at some point on Saturday.
He said residents with properties and farms in the Whorouly area, 30km outside of Wangaratta in the next 12-24 hours, could be at risk and to activate their flood plans.
But he said the city of Wangaratta appeared to have “dodged a bullet” and escaped a major flood emergency, apart from flooding in the King River from Docker Rd, which was threatening livestock.
Mr Corboy said four residents had to be rescued by SES volunteers at 9am after attempting to drive through flood waters.
Wangaratta Council director of community and infrastructure Marcus Goonan said minor flooding had also been recorded in backyards of homes near the One Mile, Three Mile and 15 Mile Creeks.
FRIDAY 2.47PM: Linton CFA commander Gavin Ross says Skipton is in a “fair bit of strife” as flood waters take over the town.
“Pretty much I think they’ve sort of given up, can’t do much more with it now,” he said.
“I think it’s beaten the pumping, beaten the sandbags … Just trying to do the best they can from what I can gather.
“It’s up around the toilet block. It’s well surrounded by water at the moment.”
At a community meeting on Friday at midday, it was announced that Skipton would be under threat of a “major flood” and would be divided in half if predictions proved accurate.
FRIDAY 1.15PM: A community meeting is being held at St Patricks Hall in Wangaratta at 4pm.
BENALLA: The Benalla Recreation Reserve has literally been turned into a river. And to think, the town’s local ag show was meant to be happening here today as well. #vicfloods@LeaderOnline@theheraldsunpic.twitter.com/P3mH8oYCBC
— Kiel Egging (@keggs87) October 14, 2022
FRIDAY 12.58PM: Coliban Water customers in Echuca should boil their drinking water until further notice.
The Department of Health has advised consumption of unboiled water can cause gastro-like symptoms.
The advisory has been issued following excessive stormwater entering a treated water storage tanks.
This may compromise the safety of the drinking water and the tank has been isolated.
FRIDAY 12.46PM: An evacuate now alter has been issued as emergency services believe the Skinners Flat reservoir near Wedderburn is likely to breach.
This will result in approximately three feet of strong fast moving waters through the Wedderburn township.
This EVACUATE NOW - DAM FAILURE is for Skinners Flat in Wedderburn
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) October 14, 2022
The Skinners Flat Reservoir is likely to breach. If you live, work, or are holidaying in Wedderburn you should evacuate now.
More details at https://t.co/RP7Qsf1njB... pic.twitter.com/M8JEHZEXZ0
FRIDAY 12.21PM: People in low lying areas around Benalla are being urged to evacuate immediately as floodwaters are rapidly rising.
Flood levels are expected to reach 4.5m with flooding above the floor level of single-story homes likely to occur.
FRIDAY 12.08PM: A large sinkhole has opened near an Echuca school on Friday morning.
208 Echuca Primary School posted a photo of the gaping hole, which appears to be about 8m by 6m, at 8.30am on Friday.
The car park, which can be accessed via Anstruther St, is closed.
Fences have been erected around the area and people are being warned to keep their distance.
FRIDAY 11.44AM: People in Murchison are being told to evacuate immediately.
Major flooding has peaked at Seymour above the record flood from May 1974 of 7.64 metres. Major flooding is expected at Murchison from Friday evening and at Shepparton late Saturday morning.
FRIDAY 11.10AM: Moderate flooding is likely at Orrvale with major flooding possible overnight on Friday.
Downstream of Casey Weir, the Broken River is currently at 5.57m and rising. It is expected to reach 7.2m by Friday afternoon and may reach the major flood level of 7.9m overnight.
Strong river rises are being observed upstream of Benalla, leading emergency service to urge residents to move to higher ground.
FRIDAY 10.48AM: Moderate flooding is likely at Quambatook late Friday morning
In the 24 hours to 8:00am Friday, rainfall totals of up to 45mm have been recorded in the Avoca catchment. No significant rainfall is forecast for the remainder of Friday.
A community meeting is being held at Skipton Relief Centre, located at the Football Club on Smythe St.
The bottom of High Street in Seymour this morning. #vicfloodspic.twitter.com/nBZK78WUQM
— Olivia Condous (@oliviacondous) October 14, 2022
FRIDAY 10.25AM: Major Flooding likely at Benalla from Friday morning and residents are being urged to evacuate immediately.
Strong river rises are occurring in the Broken River and its tributaries upstream of Benalla. Moderate flooding is occurring at Benalla, where major flooding is likely from Friday morning.
Flood levels are expected to reach 4.5m.
In the 24 hours to 5:00am Friday, widespread rainfall totals up to 110mm have been observed across the Broken River catchment. Rainfall is expected to ease from Friday morning.
FRIDAY 9.47AM: Major flooding is occurring along the Campaspe River, between Barnadown and Rochester.
The River is currently at 11.45m and rising, with flooding in Rochester expected to reach 115.5m overnight Friday. This will exceed the flood event in January 2011.
Anyone along the Campaspe River from Barnadown to Rochester is being urged to move to higher ground.
Flooding in #Rochester in Victoria's north is now expected to exceed the 2011 flood event, with the Campaspe River exceeding 115m overnight Friday. #vicfloods STORY > https://t.co/HqE6inavJBpic.twitter.com/VXOh6RYU2K
— Liam_Beatty (@LiamBeatty3) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 5.35PM: Rochester residents are being evacuated from the town as floodwaters continue to rise.
All Rochester residents were sent a text message just after 5pm Thursday telling them to evacuate to a relief centre at the United Football Netball Club in Echuca.
Emergency services are also calling landline phones to inform residents and the emergency siren is sounding to alert residents they need to evacuate.
It is expected to reach minor flood levels from 9pm and major flooding from 10am Friday.
THURSDAY 3.53PM: Roads in Shepparton are closed due to flooding.
Council urges all people to be safe, and to not drive through a flooded area.
Roads in Mooroopna which are closed include: Watt Rd, MacFarlane Rd, Lenne St between Toolamba Rd and Howe St, Howe St between Toolamba Rd and Lenne St.
In Kialla Raftery Rd is closed as well as the path around the southern end of Kialla Lakes near Kialla Lakes Dr. Angle Rd in Murchison between Basin and Orr roads is closed and Bridge Rd in Toolamba is closed at Newnham Rd Arcadia and 95 Bridge Rd Toolamba.
THURSDAY 3.30PM: Prairie farmer and former Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey said the rising waters presented a range of immediate and short-term issues for farmers.
These included moving livestock to dry and protected areas due to risk of drowning and future health concerns, to crop loss and damage, weed growth within crops and roads failing to be graded due to ongoing wet weather.
“There have been a lot of warnings and we are as prepared as can be,” he said.
“But some people cannot do everything at once and sometimes there is not a lot you can do.
“People have no control over the cropping and the roads. There’ll be flooded out crops and yield damage. A lot of stock was isolated in the 2010 and 2011 events and there will likely be some stock isolated this time.”
THURSDAY 3.14PM: About 120 volunteers have turned out to the Rochester SES sandbagging stations.
The group has managed to fill 17,000 sandbags for collection and distribution, located at the town’s recreation reserve.
Meanwhile, a major flood warning has been issued for the Kind River at Docker Rd Bridge, in Wangaratta.
THURSDAY 3.04PM: Volunteers have turned out in huge numbers to secure homes and businesses in Rochester, including some from Bendigo who have now had to dash home to protect their own properties.
Lee and Daniel Hamilton, a Bendigo-based physiotherapist, was busily sandbagging his brother Adam’s Rochester house, when the call came through warning that Bendigo was under threat.
THURSDAY 2PM: The Shamrock Hotel in Rochester has closed its doors but other pubs in the town remain open.
THURSDAY 11.59AM: A minor flood warning has been issued for the Broken River Catchment.
Minor flooding is likely at Benalla on Thursday afternoon and Casey Weir overnight Thursday and into Friday.
Strong rises are occurring in the Broken River and its tributaries upstream of Benalla.
Areas of flooding may extend downstream of Casey Weir during Friday.
Forecasts will be provided for locations downstream of Casey Weir once upstream gauges have peaked.
According to VicEmergency, the Broken River at Benalla is currently at 2.12m and rising, below the minor flood level.
The Broken River at Benalla is likely to exceed the minor flood level (2.5m) Thursday afternoon.
The Broken River at Casey Weir is currently at 0.93m, below the minor flood level but may reach the minor flood level (2.1m) overnight Thursday into Friday.
THURSDAY 11.55AM: The Echuca stadium has been turned into an evacuation centre.
In a post to Facebook, the Echuca and Moama Basketball Association urged locals to “stay safe and look after each other”.
THURSDAY 11.32AM: Roads in Romsey are completely underwater, as the Deep Creek floods.
James Rodgers posted a video to Twitter, remarking “there is a road under there”.
Deep Creek, Romsey, there is a road under there pic.twitter.com/TlP1eWnlHw
— James Rodgers (@Melbrodgers) October 12, 2022
THURSDAY 11.26AM: A boil water alert has been issued for residents in the Echuca region.
Those using Coliban Water in Echuca have been told to “boil their water until further notice”.
A text message to residents read said excess storm water had “entered one of our treated water storage tanks, which may compromise the safety of drinking water”.
THURSDAY 11.18AM: Parts of the Midland Highway between Ascot and Rochester are quickly going underwater and are likely to soon be unusable.
Water is completely covering the road and verges in many places, making it an increasingly treacherous crossing.
#floods in #Rochester. @VicSES is warning people not to drive through flood waters. #floods#WeatherUpdate#rain@vicemergency@BOM_Vicpic.twitter.com/b140TIUXOM
— Brittany (@media_brittany) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 10.47AM: Greater Shepparton City Council has advised a number of road closures are currently in place due to the conditions.
They include:
– Angle Rd, Murchison between Basin and Orr Road
– Bridge Rd, Toolamba between Newnham Road Arcadia and 95 Bridge Road.
– McFarlane Rd, Mooroopna closed from the end of the bitumen to state forest.
– Watt Rd, Shepparton-Mooroopna
– Raftery Rd, Kialla-Kialla West
THURSDAY 10.42AM: Floodwaters have begun to rise in Echuca.
Natayla Dicker posted this video to a local Facebook page.
#Flood waters rising in #Echuca. #victoriaflooding#floodwatch#floods#VicSES
— Brittany (@media_brittany) October 12, 2022
🎥Natayla Dicker pic.twitter.com/zJK5l840Ot
THURSDAY 10.11AM: A major flood warning has been issued for the Seven and Castles Creek to Euroa, with residents urged to “act now and move to higher ground”.
Major flooding is likely at Euroa from Thursday evening.
Moderate flooding is currently occurring at Strathbogie and minor flooding is occurring at Telfords Bridge, Galls Gap Rd and Euroa.
THURSDAY 10.06AM: A major flood warning has been issued for Deep Creek. The level of the Deep Creek at Darraweit Guim is expected to peak around the Major Flood Level around midday Thursday.
Major flooding in the Deep Creek and Maribyrnong River catchment is expected to cause extensive disruptions in the rural and/or urban areas, traffic will likely be affected, and some properties may be isolated.
THURSDAY 9.25AM: A flood warning has been issued for the Campaspe River with major flooding likely to occur in Barnadown on Thursday and Rochester from Friday morning.
In the past 24 hours rainfall totals of 40-80mm have been observed across the Campaspe River catchment.
THURSDAY 8.37AM: Rochester Secondary College has suspended its school bus runs on Thursday morning and said they will be running a “modified” program for students so they will not have to enter flood waters on their way to or from school.
WEDNESDAY 7.36PM: Rochester residents have been told to prepare for a one in 50 year flood, at a town hall meeting on Wednesday night.
The town is being told to brace itself for the level of water to rise to 115.5m above sea level.
WEDNESDAY 4.25PM: Rochester residents have been told to prepare for an early evacuation rather than take their chances in rising floodwaters.
A steady stream of residents have lined up in their cars since early Wednesday morning at the Rochester Recreation Reserve to collect sandbags to prepare their homes.
Workers downed tools at the town’s coffee shops, earthworks and fertiliser companies to lift large quantities of sand into sacks and into the backs of vehicles.
Judith Gledhill, a volunteer of 13 years with the Rochester SES said she was overwhelmed by the show of support.
“We have filled about 9000 bags so far,” she said.
“It’s heavy work and everybody has worked hard on it. The community support is really terrific.”
Ms Gledhill urged residents to make their way to the reserve and collect their sandbags before the rain started and it became too late.
“There’s no threat now and it’s best to prepare early. There are roads in Rochester that will flood early. We encourage people to prepare their properties and self evacuate early.”
Ms Gledhill said that if an evacuation order was given it would be widely broadcast over SMS, social media and emergency channels.
Central Victoria
FRIDAY 11.48AM: Residents around the Macedon Ranges are being advised of new roads to avoid due to flooding.
These include:
– High St in Woodend, Chisholm Dr in Lancefield, Chauncey St in Lancefield
– Mollison Street in Malmsbury, Konagaderra Rd and Havelock Rd in Clarkefield
– Heaths Ln in Clarkefield, Boggy Gate Road in Clarkefield, Mollison St in Malmsbury, Barker St in Malmsbury
– Baynton Rd in Kyneton, Buckleys Ln in Romsey, McMasters Ln in Lancefield, Youngs Rd in Lauriston (near Lauriston Road)
– Tattersall Rd in Kyneton, Mitchell St in Kyneton and Campaspe Dr in Woodend.
High St in Lancefield has reopened.
FRIDAY 10.42AM: A major flood warning has been issued for Tallarook at Sunday Creek with people in the surrounding areas being told to move to higher ground.
River levels along the creek have peaked and are falling.
FRIDAY 10.09AM: A major flood warning has been issued for the Goulburn River between Lake Eildon and Seymour.
If you are located in low lying areas, Emergency Services advise leaving now is the safest option before conditions become too dangerous.
Major flooding is occurring along the River and it’s tributaries, which peaked at 8.26m around 3am on Friday in Seymour, but is currently falling.
The Goulburn River at Seymour is likely to remain above 7m throughout Friday and into the weekend but it is not expected to exceed the 3am peak.
FRIDAY 9.45AM: Residents in Woodend could have power returned by Friday afternoon after Powercor said they would connect a generator. Full repairs are expected to take a number of days.
Residents in Gellibrand could also see power returned by Friday afternoon as Powercor works to clear trees off of powerlines.
Powercor crews are working to restore power to about 322 homes and businesses in southern and western Victoria impacted by wild weather.
Falling trees have damaged power infrastructure in Woodend South and Gellibrand, impacting 98 and 76 customers respectively.
Power was safely restored to 9,800 customers in the Castlemaine zone just after 11pm last night after flood waters dropped significantly.
FRIDAY 9.02AM: Seymour’s town centre has flooded overnight, with shops on Station Street inundated by water.
Business owner Jane Fletcher said the Station Street roundabout would normally be busy with traffic at 8am, but on Friday morning the floods had rendered it still.
“It is a little bit confronting … we haven‘t had floods this bad since 1974,” Ms Fletcher said.
“There’s not much we can do about it … hopefully we’re not getting too much more rain today.”
FRIDAY 8.05AM: Seymour has been cut off with record flood levels along the Goulburn River recorded.
The river was at 8.20m at 5am is expected to peak near 8.50m – well above the previous record flood from May 1974 of 7.64m and still rising.
FRIDAY 7.24AM: More than 60 people have been displaced by flood waters in Seymour, sheltering at a relief centre at the local recreation centre overnight.
The emergency status for the township was changed at to “too late to leave” at 6:30am on Friday morning, after an evacuation order was made at about 8pm on Thursday evening.
A 25 kilometre stretch of the Goulburn Valley Highway, between Trawool and Yea, and other main roads leading out of Seymour are also closed.
THURSDAY 11PM: Almost 5000 homes and buildings in the Castlemaine area are currently without power as floodwaters continue to rise.
Residents say the waters have engulfed the Castlemaine Zone Substation on Elizabeth St, with citizens expecting to be without power until about 6pm Friday.
As of 10pm Thursday, over 2500 residents in the Ballarat area are also in the dark, as are those in the Otways and central Victoria.
“Due to flooding at the Castlemaine substation, we have had to de-energise the entire site for safety purposes,” a Powercore notification to affected residents read. “Be aware that there may be significant delays in water subsiding before we can restore power.”
THURSDAY 7.30PM: Emergency warnings to evacuate the townships of Seymour and Carisbrook have just been issued.
People in Seymour have been told to evacuate immediately due to rapidly rising floodwaters.
The emergency warning recommends people should travel to safe locations — either the relief centre at Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre or to a family or friend’s house located away from flooding.
The safest evacuation route is via Anzac Ave.
Meanwhile, people in Carisbrook have also been told to evacuate immediately to unimpacted areas or the relief centre set up at Maryborough Sports and Leisure Centre.
The safest evacuation route is via the Pyrenees Highway.
People are reminded to take pets, mobile phones and medications when evacuating and to never enter floodwaters.
THURSDAY 6.31PM: Mitchell Shire council chief executive Brett Luxford said more than 200 homes across the shire could be affected by rising flood waters on Thursday evening, as heavy rain continues to fall.
“There may be approximately 115 properties impacted with water over floor and 103 properties impacted to a lesser degree.”
Mr Luxford said the Goulburn River was expected to reach 7m, the major flood level, by this evening.
“There has been significant rain across Mitchell Shire which has led to widespread flash flooding across rural and urban areas of the municipality, especially in Seymour,” he said.
The council has set up a relief centre with a capacity of 250 people at the Seymour Sports and Aquaric Centre in Chittick Park.
“Toilets, showers, emergency accommodation and basic food is available for those who require it. We also have some power to help charge your devices and free Wi-Fi,” Mr Luxford said.
He said the council were monitoring water levels and closing roads as needed, but warned that some flooded roads may not have signage.
“Many roads are closed throughout the municipality and there is water over road in many other places,” Mr Luxford said.
“As the water recedes, council will be working to re-open roads as quickly as possible but there may be significant damage in some places.
“Our thoughts are with those people who are badly affected.”
Mr Luxford urged residents to not enter floodwaters or pass road closed signs.
“We will work with community to support relief and recovery.”
THURSDAY 5.04PM: More streets around the Macedon Ranges area have been closed as the region continues to be hit by heavy rain.
The most recent of these include: Pohlman St in Woodend, Stockdale Rd in Darraweit Guim, Settlement Rd in Clarkfield, Bolinda-Darraweit Rd in Darraweit Guim, Baringo Road, Baringo, Govans Lane, New Gisborne, Walkers Road in Woodend, Bawden Rd Woodend, Quarry Rd in Woodend and Russells Rd in Woodend North.
Macedon Ranges Council is advising to avoid those areas.
The CFA have said Mahoneys Road in Woodend and Slatey Creek Road in Woodend are also closed but have not been able to access them with signage.
THURSDAY 4.34PM: A major flood warning has been issued for Seymour as the Riverine flood looms, with residents urged to move to higher ground.
The town is bracing for the worst of the rainfall on Thursday evening, as a relief centre has been set up at the local leisure centre.
The Goulburn river and connecting creeks are rapidly rising, with peak levels expected to reach the major flood level of seven metres.
In the 24 hours to Thursday morning, the Goulburn River catchment received up to 80mm of rain.
Residents located near low lying areas or close to waterways should move to higher ground now.
THURSDAY 4.33PM: Residents in Wangaratta are being urged to avoid the flooded areas of the King River at the Docker Road Bridge.
THURSDAY 4.18PM: Residents have watched on as Wybejong Park’s walking track and park were overrun with water after heavy rain all day as Riddells Creek flowed.
It did not stop one man from trying to kayak in the stream as residents watched him navigate the current.
Victorians have been urged to stay out of floodwaters, be they in cars, on foot or in kayaks.
Residents have watched on as Wybejong Park’s walking track and park were overrun with water after heavy rain all day as Riddells Creek flowed.
— Adam Daunt (@_adammmD) October 13, 2022
It did not stop one man from trying to kayak in the stream as residents watched him navigate the current. #vicfloodspic.twitter.com/MHFwPyjt2i
THURSDAY 3.15PM: SES Kilmore Unit are asking for volunteers to help fill sandbags. If people are able to help they are being asked to head to 24 Green Street in Kilmore.
THURSDAY 2.45PM: Seymour Big 4 Holiday Park, located on the banks of the Goulburn river, has been ordered to evacuate.
Co-owner Nola Ricketson said the water had risen “very quickly” over the last couple of hours.
“We’re still trying to get people out, they won’t move.” Ms Ricketson said efforts were made by the CFA to pump water out of the property, but the heavy downpour at lunchtime worsened the flooding.
“Everyone has to be out in half an hour,” she said.
The Gisborne SES have been kept busy for the past two days as they helped provide sandbags and respond to requests for assistance.
“We’ve had over 100 calls for assistance so far, mostly for localised flooding to premise, some for road closures due to flooding and some trees down and some minor landslide jobs,” Gisborne SES sector commander Michael Bagnall said.
“This is kind of as predicted today and it’s predicted to go for the next couple of days.”
“We opened up a sandbag collection point two days ago. We now delivered out 2,500 sand bags and the community have come and collected (as well) so it’s over 25 metres of sand.”
The Gisborne community have been supporting the SES station and volunteers with regular food drop-offs.
“We’ve had Coles drop off some support, we’ve had Mary-Anne Thomas, the Health Minister, drop off some food for as well as a number of local residents.”
THURSDAY 2:30PM: Macedon Ranges Council is advising Glenfern Road, Romsey, Burke and Wills Track, Baynton (Annek Lane), Falloons Road, Ashbourne (South of Ashbourne Road), Boundary Road, Woodend, Waterloo Flat Road, Bullengarook, Ashbourne Road, Ashbourne, Lawson Road, Macedon and Clancys Lane, Woodend North are all closed.
THURSDAY 2.00PM: Power is out in areas around the Macedon Ranges, including Macedon, Riddells Creek and Gisborne, according to Powercor.
Estimated to have power back by 2.30pm.
Sandbagging has resumed at the Gisbourne SES facility after halting efforts this morning.
Seymour CFA and SES volunteers sandbagging #vicfloodspic.twitter.com/K3z2XMCWhC
— Olivia Condous (@oliviacondous) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 1.40PM: Seymour SES health and safety officer Nytara Buckley says the unit has already performed two water rescues from residents who had driven into floodwaters on Thursday.
“We currently have two SES crews out on jobs and with the help of the CFA we’re managing to keep on top of everything,” Ms Buckley said.
“Quite a lot of flooding has been happening around Seymour, we’ve been on the go since 5am this morning.
“Best thing we can advise is just stay out of the rain.
“If you need assistance, call us, we’ll come out.
“If you can come into to collect sandbags for your own purpose, come and collect them as soon as possible.”
THURSDAY 1.01PM: Major flooding is expected in Seymour on Thursday afternoon and minor flooding in Shepparton.
THURSDAY 12.46PM: SES Seymour unit controller Christine Welsh said river levels were already reaching their predicted maximum for the week on Thursday afternoon.
Ms Welsh said the river levels were predicted to reach a maximum of 6.6m over the weekend, but were already nearing 6m.
“If it gets to 6.6m, which is the prediction, 60 houses will be impacted.”
She said volunteers had already handed out 2000 sandbags, more than 40 tonnes, to local homes.
“They’re going out as quickly as we can make them, they’re just going straight away,” she said.
Ms Welsh said the unit had made a request to DELWP for more volunteers.
The unit has received 43 requests for assistance from residents for fallen trees and sandbag deliveries.
“We’re concerned about the riverine flooding, if that comes up.”
THURSDAY 12.32PM: A watch and act, prepare now warning has been issued for the Yea River.
VicEmergency is telling people to prepare for flooding now.
THURSDAY 12.29PM: The Yea CFA has posted to Facebook, urging motorists to take care on the roads.
“Floodwaters have risen above many roads around Yea,” they said.
“If possible try to avoid travel in any direction out of Yea.
“Floodwaters are rising rapidly and there is still a lot more rain to come.
“We have warnings in place and we need everyone to listen to these warnings.
“Please do not drive through floodwaters and check the VicRoads website for road closures.”
THURSDAY 12.12PM: Seymour resident Murray Stark, who lives metres away from the rising Whiteheads Creek, said he wasn’t planning on evacuating his home.
“The water’s gone down a bit [since] … this morning,” he said.
Mr Stark said residents were more prepared after the town had major floods in 1974.
“I’ve been in this house for 12 years … if it comes up this far, there will be a lot of people in trouble.”
THURSDAY 12.03PM: A moderate flood warning has been issued for Sunday Creek. Moderate flooding is already occurring along the Sunday Creek at Tallarook, but the VicEmergency app says further rises are possible with the forecasted rainfall.
The advice to prepare for flooding and “take steps to protect your life and property”.
THURSDAY 11.39AM: Whiteheads Creek in Seymour has not quite reached the bridge but has flooded significantly.
The water is flowing about 2m below the bridge.
Flooding at Whiteheads Creek in Seymour pic.twitter.com/PMiqVYYKhY
— Olivia Condous (@oliviacondous) October 13, 2022
Meanwhile Whimble St has flooded.
Flooding at Whimble Street in Seymour pic.twitter.com/tuxPf1Hx3f
— Olivia Condous (@oliviacondous) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 11.21AM: The road to Yea from Melbourne has been flooded.
#vicfloods in Seymour. Wimble Street is experiencing closures close to the SES unit.#floods#rain#Victoria#WeatherUpdate@BOM_Vic@vicsesnews@vicemergencypic.twitter.com/VYQkKqwXf4
— Brittany (@media_brittany) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 11.09AM: There have been a number of closures across Seymour due to the flooding.
– Victoria Street Kindergarten, Seymour closed today
– Flowerdale Kindergarten, closed today
– Kilmore Customer and Library Service, closes 5pm (instead of the standard 6pm).
– Wallan Youth Centre, closed today
THURSDAY 10.58AM: St Mary’s College Seymour principal Wayne Smith has advised parents to come and collect their children.
Mr Smith said the school would switch to home schooling for the remainder of the week.
“Whiteheads Creek is rising rapidly and weather conditions are expected to become more severe as the day progresses,” he said.
“The College also has numerous staff who are unable to travel to school due to flooding and road conditions.
“Due to the likelihood of more roads closing both in town and out of Seymour the College will be closed Friday.”
THURSDAY 7am: A woman has been rescued from floodwaters in Nulla Vale overnight.
SES and ambulance crews were called to the scene, just outside of Heathcote about 4am Thursday morning.
Her vehicle was filling up with water and she had to be rescued.
An SES spokesperson said the vehicle was towed to safety and ambulance services were not required.
The Bendigo unit was the busiest in the past 24 hours with 24 calls to their unit. Bendigo was followed by the Seymour unit who had received 20 calls.
The unit with the third highest amount of calls was the Ballarat unit who received 16 calls for help.
Central West Victoria
FRIDAY 2.49PM: Emergency Services have urged Charlton residents to evacuate immediately as flood waters rapidly rise.
Major flooding is expected to impact the Charlton township by 8am on Saturday.
The duration of the flooding event is expected to last three to five days.
Residents have been told to stay with friends and family in a safe location or attend the relief centre at Wycheproof P-12 College.
FRIDAY 11.08AM: Major Flooding is expected in Charlton town from Friday evening.
Residents have been urged to move to higher ground before it’s too late, further rises in the Avoca river are likely as upstream peaks arrive.
In the 24 hours to 8am Friday, rainfall totals of up to 45mm have been recorded in the Avoca catchment.
FRIDAY 10.18AM: A final flash flooding warning has been issued for Beaufort, the threat has been reduced.
A moderate flood warning has been issued for Downstream of Inverleigh. Minor flooding is likely from Friday morning along the Barwon River at Geelong, with moderate flooding possible at Geelong from Friday afternoon.
Moderate flooding may occur along the Barwon River downstream of Inverleigh.
The Barwon River at Geelong is currently at 2.12 metres and rising, below the minor flood level.
FRIDAY 9.43AM: An emergency warning for people in Laanecoorie to Loddon Weir. VicEmergency is urging anyone located in this area to move to higher ground.
THURSDAY 5.06PM: A watch and act order has been issued for Beaufort with reports of flash flooding are also coming through.
Residents are urged to stay inside.
Flash Flood - Watch and Act for Beaufort. You should Stay Indoors. For more info: https://t.co/bhgw83HM2S#vicfloods
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 4.25PM: A community meeting will be held in Skipton at 5pm.
The meeting — which follows a moderate flood warning being issued — will be held at the Skipton Football/Netball Club, Smythe St.
THURSDAY 4.14PM: People are reminded not to enter floodwaters after two laughing children diving into the murky water, as their mother looked on, were scolded by a passer-by and pulled from the water at Strathfieldsaye Recreation Reserve.
The SES has repeatedly warned people against entering floodwaters due to the danger.
THURSDAY 4.13PM: Ballarat SES divisional commander Cameron Maher said the region received 30ml of rain overnight.
“That rain has saturated our catchments and seen healthy flows into our creeks and drains,” he said.
“Today we’ve seen a further 15ml since 9am.”
Mr Maher said the Yarrowee Creek was “fast-flowing” but still within its banks, requiring another metre of water until it overflowed.
He said Canadian Creek had burst its banks, and Pennyweight and Specimen Vale Creeks were at capacity, with the latter flooding footpaths.
As of about 3.30pm, the Ballarat SES had 40 outstanding requests for help.
THURSDAY 3.56PM: The soccer pitch in Bendigo is completely flooded.
Phillip Berry, President of Strathfieldsaye Soccer Club, says the club’s pitch has been “inundatedâ€. #vicfloods#victoriafloodspic.twitter.com/UhHC7R9EfQ
— Hayley Elg (@hayleyelg) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 3.35PM: The Ballarat SES Unit has advised drivers to avoid Ballarat-Carngham Road near Haddon-Windermere Rd, and to stay away from Victoria Park.
THURSDAY 3.12PM: Parents of children at Ballarat Specialist School may have trouble picking their kids up.
School principal Sam Sheppard has been in touch with parents about the closure of Gillies St — where the school is located — from Sturt St.
“You can still access the aquatic centre car park,” he said.
“The path is under water between the aquatic centre and Gillies already but there is high ground, but it is turf so very damp.
“Unfortunately we don’t have an alternative unless Gillies St is re-open[ed].”
He said parents wishing to pick their kids up early should phone the school office or classroom staff directly.
Ballarat Council have advised the Yarrowee Trail between Ainley Street and Springs Road in the Ballarat East/Brown Hill area is closed due to flooding.
THURSDAY 3.11PM: Homes in outer Bendigo have flooded as the rain continues to hammer down.
Mandurang resident Laura has lived in the area for 10 years and said she had “never” seen anything like it.
“It has been raining for about 24 hours.
“This morning we woke up and our paddocks were underwater and then over the next couple of hours it has come up to the house.”
The flooding is the result of the nearby Sheepwash Creek flooding.
She had an army of volunteers helping her redirect the water and fill sandbags in an attempt to secure her home from further damage.
“Everyone’s chipping in so we’re feeling okay. We are all safe.”
THURSDAY 3.00PM: Emergency services will provide meals to flood-affected residents at the Creswick Doug Lindsay relief centre from 5pm onwards.
Hepburn Shire mayor Tim Drylie said Thursday’s rain was less severe in comparison to the January floods in Creswick.
“The creek has certainly risen a lot,” he said.
“It hasn’t overflowed, but it depends really if we get another 50ml, there could be some concern around that.
“There was quite a bit of overflowing at some parts of the creek along walking paths, but nothing in the immediate township.”
If Creswick Creek were to overflow, Cr Drylie said it would “change the dynamics”.
“If we need to start evacuating people, then that will need to happen at that point.
“Obviously things are being monitored quite closely by various agencies at the moment.
“There will be things put in place around that, obviously within our capacity to do that … There is an overwhelming amount of water across the state, so there’s only so much that we can do at this point.”
Residents in Creswick seemed unanimous in their desire for improvements to be made to the creek’s capacity to handle floods.
Cr Drylie said the council was seeking money from the state government for a flood study to figure out the next best steps in that regard.
“Let‘s face it, drainage across the nation is probably going to have to be revisited to some extent in terms of the design and capacity if these events are just the new normal. And that’s a major, major piece of work.
“On a more local scale, there are several things that we’re looking at to address some of those issues.
“Cleaning out the creek is obviously high on some people’s agendas locally, and we’re certainly looking at that as a real issue too, factoring in that we’re one agency among others who are involved with the creek.”
THURSDAY 2.30PM: Flooding in Bendigo continues to worsen. People are taking to social media to show the floodwaters rising, with #Bendigo now trending on Twitter.
Strathfieldsaye flood update: ovals are now completely submerged! #flooding#vicfloods#bendigopic.twitter.com/11EYZks7oo
— Joel Bramley (@joelbramley) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 2.15PM: Goldfield’s 7 Rugby match has been cancelled. It was due to be held at the Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve in Bendigo this weekend.
Rugby Victoria said “we apologise for the inconvenience caused to competing teams. We will work through viability of rescheduling the tournament later in the year.”
THURSDAY 1.26PM: Bendigo residents have taken to Twitter, posting videos of the flooding around their homes.
This is our front gate today There is a bridge under that!! #vicfloods#bendigo#weather#floodspic.twitter.com/I0DNUdEHIb
— Sujokat (@sujokat) October 13, 2022
Bendigo Creek near Lily Street from Creek Street North this morning.
— weatherboard (@ThisiPhone1) October 12, 2022
Sound up! pic.twitter.com/4HyKYi81ek
THURSDAY 1.09PM: Water is getting very close to the Calder Freeway south of Bendigo as rain continues fall.
THURSDAY 12.22PM: Gisborne SES has closed its sandbag facility temporarily but expect to update with an reopening time later today.
They are waiting for more sandbags before reopening.
Meanwhile, several areas in and around Macedon are closed including Mount Macedon Rd (Turritable Rd), Baynton Rd in Lancefield, Croziers Road in Newham, Joyces Road in Monegeetta and Three Chain Road in Carlsruhe.
THURSDAY 12.11PM: Rain is coming down hard on the Calder Freeway and drivers are urged to take care.
The wind has picked up and the Campaspie River near Kyneton has flooded nearby farmland.
THURSDAY 11.28AM: Back Creek, at Hargreaves St in Bendigo is rising.
Deb Ross posted a video to Facebook showing the rushing water.
BENDIGO: Footage from resident Deb Ross of rising waters from Back Creek, at Hargreaves St near the tram depot this morning at 7.30am #VicFloods#Bendigo@leaderonline@theheraldsun@thebendigonewspic.twitter.com/bs9Yn5yeBN
— Kiel Egging (@keggs87) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 11.17AM: A community meeting will be held in Creswick at 12pm Thursday to provide an update on the current severe weather and flooding.
Victoria State Emergency Service incident controller Alistair Drayton and operations officer Andrew Murton will be attending.
THURSDAY 11.13AM: Flooding has blocked homes from the roads on Ashbourne Road in Woodend.
THURSDAY 11AM: CFA members attending a home in Beaufort have warned about poor conditions on Beaufort-Lexton Rd leading out of the town.
THURSDAY 10.53AM: Jody Smibert’s Woodend property has already flooded overnight.
“It’s a nightmare and we have 72 hours left of this,” she said, as she piled sandbags into the tray of her ute.
Ms Smibert said all of the dams on her property had already overflowed and were causing water to flow into the town.
She was at Woodend SES station picking up sandbags for an elderly neighbour aged in her 80s, whose property she was helping to prepare.
It comes as local SES volunteers have been out responding to calls about flooding throughout the night.
WEDNESDAY 6.33PM: Creswick Motel owner Luke Franklin said that, his hotel having flooded in January, he was now “waiting for it to happen again”.
“A few phone calls I’ve had have made me worried,” he said.
“From what I can get out of talking to locals, the creek here should be cleaned out … it’s full of silt, trees, and crap.”
Customers remain at the motel, but Mr Franklin said he had warned his patrons about what could happen overnight.
He also “pretty much blocked out” bookings for the next two days in anticipation of flooding so that nobody booked online and “turned up to a friggin’ nightmare”.
WEDNESDAY 5.08PM: The Horsburgh family in Creswick — consisting of two adults, three children, two dogs, and a cat — was out of its home for three months after the floods in January.
They stayed in a caravan park for more than a month after the storm did $40,000 of damage to their home, and were then put up in a motel.
“It came straight through the house straight off the road,” Mr Horsburgh said.
“We’ve been asking for years for this drain to be fixed, and we gave up a few years ago.
“We’re just a little anxious about the kids.
“The young bloke, he’s five. He’s petrified now. Absolutely petrified of the rain and storms.”
On Wednesday they collected sandbags prepared by the SES, in the hope they could protect their home from flooding again.
Far West Victoria
THURSDAY 4.36PM: Rain is still falling heavy in Mildura.
Although there is no major flooding, the area around apex park is experiencing some minor flooding.
There are also reports of a tree down near at Nichols Point.
THURSDAY 3.59PM: the Grampians have been put on flood watch.
Flood Watch – Advice for Grampians Region. You should Stay Informed. For more info: https://t.co/A7bnA71B1P#vicfloods
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 2.20PM: The Bureau of Meteorology has advised rain is set to ease to showers for western Victoria on Thursday night and the rest of Victoria is expected to follow suit on Friday morning.
A spokesman said those living on or near rivers, creeks and streams, in low lying areas should stay up to date with the latest weather warnings.
THURSDAY 1.45PM: Rain has been consistently falling over Mildura since Wednesday night.
The Mildura show has been postponed over safety concerns.
In the 24 hours to 11am, the SES has received 30 calls for help in Swan Hill area, mostly due to flooding. Around 75mm of rain has fallen since 9am Wednesday.
It’s been rain since around midnight last night in #mildura#vicfloodspic.twitter.com/Lcc3hgt3Q3
— Sam Dirkis (@DirkisSam) October 13, 2022
THURSDAY 1.43PM: A landslide has occurred in the Separation Creek area on the Great Ocean Rd near Wye Rd.
VicEmergency is advising people to stay away from the impacted area to allow access for emergency vehicles.
The landslide has caused soil and rock debris to fall onto the road.
One lane on the Great Ocean Rd has been impacted.
THURSDAY 12.15PM: Residents in Warrnambool are sheltering from the rain in their houses.
Parks are turning into swampland and the surf is up.
Over the past few days, Warrnambool Victoria has had a down pour of rain, keeping the streets quieter than usual. #vicfloods#warrnambool#weatherpic.twitter.com/YdWVVxd5EG
— Jack Franco (@JackFrancoCol) October 13, 2022
WEDNESDAY 4.33PM: Residents in the state’s west have been issued a severe weather warning, with emergency services expecting a severe thunderstorm to hit the area over the next few hours.
“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours,” a tweet from the SES said.
“Locations which may be affected include areas south and west of Horsham.”
Eastern Victoria
FRIDAY 10.22AM: Major flooding is occurring along the Yea River at Devlins Bridge. River levels have peaked and are now falling.
FRIDAY 9.30AM: Flood Watches remains in place for most of eastern Victoria, centred around the Goulburn, Mitchell, Macalister, Mitta Mitta, Snowy and Latrobe Rivers as heavy rain in the State’s north is expected to make it’s way downstream.
A Watch and Act alert was issued shortly after midnight for the Yarra and Watts Rivers around Warburton and the Yarra Ranges National Park.
The Watts River at Healesville has exceeded the minor flood level and is expected to peak at about 3.2m early Friday morning.
The Yarra River at Coldstream is expected to peak around at a Moderate Flood Level of 5.1m by Saturday evening.
THURSDAY 12.59PM: The Thomson River has been placed on a flood watch.
Isolated minor flooding is possible in parts of Gippsland.
Catchments that will likely be affected are the Mitchell River, the Mcalister River, Thomson River, Latrobe River and South Gippsland Rivers.
VicEmergency is telling resident to monitor the local conditions and stay alert.
Major flooding is occurring along the Yea River at Devlins Bridge. Further rises are possible with forecast rainfall.
THURSDAY 12.27PM: Ongoing rainfall has caused changes in parking arrangements at the Australian MotoGP, set to take place on Phillip Island from Friday.
Motorcycles will still be able to park at or around the circuit and accessible parking will now be located at will be available at Patton’s Carpark on Back Beach Rd.
WEDNESDAY 4PM: Moderate flooding is occurring at Corowa as a flood warning has been issued for the Murray River downstream of Hume Dam.
Downstream along the Murray River, moderate flooding continues at Corowa, Torrumbarry and Barham.
Further rainfall is forecast from Thursday into Friday which may cause renewed rises.
The Murray River at Corowa is currently at 6.06m and is expected to remain above the moderate flood level for the rest of the week.
Already the Avoca Cup has been cancelled, for the third year in a row.
Rochester resident, Larna Tarrant sent me this video of the town’s community getting ready for flood. pic.twitter.com/14gmqwfZ8y
— Warwick Long (@Warwick_Long) October 12, 2022
This story will be regularly updated with everything you need to know as the weather event unfolds in regional Victoria.
More Coverage
Join the conversation
Before and after photos reveal McCrae landslide home destruction
Property records have revealed a Mornington Peninsula home wiped out by a landslide sold just two years ago, as local agents reveal a neighbouring home’s sale is now in limbo.
Read more
Residents near Bendigo take Fosterville Gold Mine to court
A mining giant in regional Victoria is hauled before the court over claims excessive noise from its operation is making life miserable for nearby residents.
Read more