Rain batters Victoria, Kerang residents told to evacuate
An emergency evacuation warning has been issued for parts of Echuca as the Murray River hits record levels. While storms are set to lash the state.
Victoria
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An emergency evacuation warning has been issued for parts of Echuca and Echuca Village on Saturday night amid record flood levels.
Anyone in the area has been told to leave immediately, with major flooding occurring at Echuca and Moama.
Authorities are warning of a flood peak of about 95m is possible by Sunday evening.
The Murray River has flooded at Echuca, Moama, Torrumbarry and Barham, and is already at 94.8m – higher than the previous record of 94.77m set in 1993.
Moderate flooding is continuing along the Campaspe River at Echuca, which has reached 94.5m.
Meanwhile, Victorians in areas around Mallee, Northern Country and Wimmera are being warned that severe thunderstorms will develop this evening.
The Bureau of Meteorology said damaging winds, large hailstones, heavy rainfall and flash flooding events are likely to materialize over the west of the state in the coming hours.
Ouyen and Walpeup were listed as areas that may also be affected.
The Bureau has pointed to a humid airmass, currently hanging over the state, as the likely catalyst for the forecasted thunderstorm conditions.
Residents are advised to avoid travel if possible and remain updated on all weather warnings and forecasts.
Residents of Kerang have been urged to evacuate immediately before the Loddon River peaks on Sunday.
Authorities have door knocked around 20 homes surrounding the river, urging them to leave before it is too late.
State Emergency Service boss Tim Wiebusch said floodwater from the rising Loddon River had breached the Kerang flood levee near Taverner Rd on Saturday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the Loddon River at the Murray Valley Highway Bridge was now not expected to peak until Sunday.
“Now that the peak has been delayed, people in Kerang are able to evacuate to Swan Hill via one of two routes, depending on their location,” the emergency warning said.
Authorities have warned people in the area who do not evacuate on Saturday risk being isolated for at least 24 to 36 hours once the Loddon River peaks.
One road in and out of Kerang is currently open, but it is expected to close later on Saturday.
The road closure will completely cut the town off.
“Kerang is largely isolated at the moment,” Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said on Saturday.
Dozens of city police were on Saturday flown to Swan Hill and Kerang to help with the flood effort.
Victoria Police deployed 28 officers from metropolitan police regions to Kerang while 10 officers were conveyed to Swan Hill.
“The officers are there to assist the community, as they prepare to be significantly impacted by rising waters,” a police statement said.
Werribee residents told to move to higher ground
Residents along the Werribee River catchment are being urged to move to higher ground after a moderate flood warning was issued late on Saturday afternoon.
Water levels on the Werribee River at Ballan are expected to rise over two meters, peaking above the minor flood level on Saturday and Sunday.
A Victoria Emergency spokesperson said residents in the Werribee River region should “act now” and continue to check the Vic Emergency website to stay updated.
Residents have been cautioned not to travel through flood waters when moving to higher ground and be aware of any road closures.
Mould danger warnings amid state’s wet spring
Mould is creeping through Melbourne homes and cars amid the city’s wet spring.
Victorians have been warned torrential rain and wet weather has provided prime damp conditions for mould, fungi and mildew infestations, turning suburban houses into biohazards.
Latest Airtasker data indicates taskers have been inundated with requests for cleaning up water damage and mould that is festering under carpets, on walls and in furniture.
Residential cleaning tasks listed on the local services marketplace have doubled in the last month, compared to the same time last year.
Requests for cleaning mould on walls, cupboards, clothes and cars has also jumped by 53 per cent, with bills costing anywhere from $20 to $6000.
Painting services requests following the clean up of the dirty, dust-like spores had also spiked by 33 per cent.
Some jobs have been so bad that civil and geotechnical engineer Steven Constantinou, who uses Airtasker as a side hustle, has had to wear a hazmat suit before entering properties.
He reported suburban houses so overrun with mould that whole sections of kitchens and bathrooms have been cut out and thrown away.
“Because of the deluge of rain, I have had jobs recently out in areas around Flemington and Kensington,” Mr Constantinou, 32, said.
“I did some external cladding removal and also removed a plaster section that was water damaged, rotten and mouldy.
“We had to remove a cabinet and the back wall was covered in mould, so we cut it out and got rid of the whole thing.”
Mr Constantinou said as the weather conditions ease, more and more jobs are likely to be requested.
Other requests have been made to clean mould from inside cars that have been inundated with water.
Airtasker chief executive Tim Fung said the recent flooding had prompted the number of wet weather clean up tasks to surge across the platform.
“With unprecedented wet weather conditions, Australians struggling to keep their homes free from mould are turning to Airtasker for help,” Mr Fung said.
He said bob listings for general handy-work and housing upkeep had also risen by up to 39 per cent, with mowing and garden maintenance experiencing a 45 per cent increase.
It comes as reports mould-killing products are being stripped form supermarket shelves as people try to clean and detoxify their homes.
The Victorian Health Department warned of the health risks posed by mould growth and urged residents to take extreme caution when cleaning it.
“Mould can trigger nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, wheeze and respiratory infections and worsen asthma and allergic conditions,” a department spokesman said.
The department advised children under 12, pregnant women, people over 65 and people with asthma or allergies to stay away from clean-up sites.
Wild weather puts Melbourne on flood alert
Emergency authorities have warned flooding alerts could be issued in some parts of Melbourne on Saturday after the city was lashed by a rain bomb.
SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said Melbourne Water had indicated it was likely to issue minor warnings for some communities along the Yarra and Werribee Rivers.
Mr Wiebusch said minor flooding was expected around Abbotsford and Heidelberg, while in the west, Ballan could also be impacted.
“At this stage, Melbourne Water is indicating that there are no further warnings expected for other catchments across the metropolitan region,” he said.
Significant rainfall lashed the state on Saturday morning, with 85mm of rain dumped around the Geelong region.
Mr Wiebusch said Victorians should brace for more intense rainfall in several parts of the state, warning heavy falls would continue on Saturday and last into Sunday.
There are 70 emergency warnings across the state.
Since the state’s flood crisis began, emergency services have responded to 8300 calls for assistance, including 750 flood rescues.
Authorities have again pleaded with motorists to steer well clear of floodwaters.
“We know the single largest killer of flooding in Australia is people attempting to drive through floodwaters,” Mr Wiebusch said.
A band of showers and thunderstorms is expected to continue over parts of the state on Sunday.
Thunderstorms and showers are forecast for Victoria’s north and east.
“Possible severe thunderstorms could reach the northeast ranges on Sunday afternoon,” meteorologist Mark Anolak said.
There is a high change of showers for Melbourne’s metropolitan areas but rainfall in the metro area is expected to peak at a single figure, Mr Anolak said.
Monday is shaping to be the wettest day, with rain and storm activity becoming more extensive, with the potential for falls of more than 20mm.
An emergency warning to evacuate immediately is still in place for Echuca, with the Murray River currently the biggest risk.
The river levels are at 94.77m, and is expected to reach 95 on Sunday.
Flash flooding in Geelong
The Geelong and Hamilton areas were hit with flash flooding overnight.
The highest rainfall total over a 24-hour period was 86mm in She Oaks.
Within the same time period, 46mm of rainfall hit Geelong and caused flash flooding in the suburbs west.
Victorian SES crews attended 100 requests for flood assistance — the most notable being a two-person rescue.
An SES spokesman confirmed two drivers and their vehicles were rescued after becoming stuck in flash floodwaters on Friday night. The incidents took place in Altona South and Penshurst.
No one was harmed.
Melbourne Airport recorded the highest rainfall total at 41mm.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Miriam Bradbury said the intense rain could lead to flooding conditions in parts of the state.
“It’s really clear that it (the rain) was due to the thunderstorms,” she said.
“We are back in minor flooding in the Leigh River and Moorabool River. It’s also triggered Riverine flooding.”
Social media reports said Point Cook and Werribee regions temporarily lost power.
A resident posted on social media that a lightning strike hit a power substation, producing a “green glow”.
This EMERGENCY WARNING - RIVERINE FLOOD - Move to Higher Ground is for Loddon River Loddon Weir to Kerang.
— VicEmergency (@vicemergency) October 22, 2022
Leaving now is the safest option, before conditions become too dangerous.
More details at https://t.co/C82k2nc5yCpic.twitter.com/VqqX1YXuXT
Deluge hampers Shepparton’s clean-up efforts
Shepparton has also had a wet night with more than 16mm of rain falling from 2am to 9am.
The Bureau is forecasting more showers and a possible storm throughout Saturday, and similar conditions on Sunday.
The weather is set to hamper clean-up efforts in Shepparton and surrounding towns, but is not expected to make the existing floods worse.
According to Shepparton’s incident control centre, 116 homes in the Shepparton and Mooroopna area still have flooding above floor level.
In Mooroopna, a huge community clean-up led by the town’s football and netball clubs is under way this morning.
The town was cut off from nearby Shepparton for five days until Thursday with its major road links closed due to the floods.
Residents near Mooroopna’s Recreation Reserve still have water through their streets, while in Shepparton, a footy ground near the Goulburn River remains submerged.
Access to Shepparton’s main gym and pool near the swollen Victoria Park Lake, Aquamoves, is also cut off.
Emma St resident Jett Cooper, 20, said while water hadn’t gone through his house, his street remained flooded with an abandoned car at one end.
“We’ve been lucky, but some people (in Mooroopna) have been absolutely smashed by it (the floods)... especially closer into town.
“They’re hurting big time, some will have astronomical bills” he said.
“We evacuated on Saturday afternoon (the 14th), and a bloke in that first house on the right, he was already ripping out carpets.”
Echuca residents nervously await rising river
Defiant Ray Power is vowing to stay at his Echuca home as floodwaters rise.
If things get too dangerous, he has planned an escape route via tractor.
“If the water gets too deep for the tractor then I’ll take the boat,” Mr Power said.
The tough 82-year-old is no stranger to dealing with floods. He recalls three inches of water swirling across the ground floor of his rural home in 1993.
So when water started dripping out of holes in his drains and pooling on the road at the front of his rural property, he wasn’t worried.
Mr Power, who once ran a small electrical business, said he had three pumps running to suck the water away from his two-storey house.
And an army of volunteers rolled in with shovels and sandbags this week to build a wall to protect his house from the floodwaters.
After his worried wife phoned the local bowls club, about 100 people rallied around to build up his garden beds and sandbag around the property, completing the job in two hours.
Echuca residents remain on high alert, the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting the Murray River to peak on Saturday, causing widespread flooding into Sunday and Monday.
Meteorologist Michael Efron said the river level was expected to reach about 95m AHD at Echuca Wharf, similar to October 1993.
On Friday night an emergency evacuation warning remained along the Murray River for communities stretching from Barham and lower Moira into Echuca.
“We’ve said numerous times this is the most serious warning that we can issue and we are asking people to take action now,” Mr Efron said.
“At this stage, the bureau’s forecasting that the Murray River will breach the major flood level of 94.8m on Saturday.”
Water will flow to Torrumbarry and also to areas near Cohuna and all the way through to Swan Hill.
Flood peaks are expected to hit Swan Hill by the end of the month and this to flow to Robinvale and Mildura by the middle of November.
“We’ve still got quite a way to go for those communities on the Murray River,” SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said.
Authorities were also closely watching the Loddon River at Kerang which was expected to peak overnight Friday, isolating the town for at least a week.
In Mooroopna, residents began a massive clean-up.
Trevor Forsyth, owner of the Royal Mail Hotel, said he was not insured and faced a repair bill of about $50,000.
Mr Forsyth, who lives upstairs at the pub, said he came down on Sunday morning to find “a complete lake” through his venue with water 45cm deep.
“I walked down the main street (McLennan St) on Tuesday morning, I think there were only two shops that didn’t have damage, the rest you could see had water throughout, plaster off walls and furniture upside down,” he said.
Mr Forsyth said he’d spent this week ripping up carpet with the help of friends, and expected he could be unable to reopen his bistro for three months.
To add insult to injury, a looter took about $300 of alcohol from his bottle shop.
Despite the setbacks, he’s hoping to reopen his bar on Monday because he wants locals to come together again.
“It’s not just a place where you come to have a drink, it’s a place where people know where to catch up with people daily, weekly, it’s like a little community,” he said.
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