Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla facing historic floods, with 7,300 homes expected to be inundated
Battered Shepparton residents are bracing for the worst, with the swollen Goulburn River tipped to peak at a record 12.2m in the early hours of Monday.
Victoria
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Battered Shepparton residents were on Sunday night bracing for the worst as the swollen Goulburn River was tipped to peak at a record 12.2m in the early hours of Monday.
The northern Victorian city was awash with floodwater on Sunday, with authorities forecasting the highest water levels at 4am on Monday, potentially affecting more than 7000 homes across Shepparton and neighbouring Mooroopna and Kialla.
The towns on Sunday were cut off from each other as the main road link – the Peter Ross-Edwards Causeway – was closed.
Stunned locals gathered on the main road into town from Melbourne on Sunday after water from the Goulburn River washed on to the thoroughfare and inundated the Victoria Lake Park foreshore.
Hundreds of residents were evacuated to relief centres set up on the Shepparton Showgrounds to nervously wait out the rising waters.
SHEPPARTON #vicfloods LATEST: Residents in Community St and Legacy Ct are hoping for the best as floodwaters run through their streets and threaten their homes. Rescues are happening in Longstaff St almost 1km away. @LeaderOnline@theheraldsunpic.twitter.com/nNlFd9Crq2
— Kiel Egging (@keggs87) October 16, 2022
SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said one of the biggest challenges emergency services were facing was the fact it was “blue sky flooding”.
“The rain may have stopped and we might be seeing the odd shower but it’s more obvious (the risk) to people when there’s heavier rain,” he said.
“So we are advising people, please listen to the warnings.”
Mr Wiebusch said there had been more than 450 rescues in Victoria since the flood event began.
Residents in Shepparton, Mooroopna, Murchison, Orrvale and Kialla West have been told it is too late to leave their towns.
In Community St, Shepparton, Kelly McKenna said she was “overwhelmed”, while housemate Daniel Simpson said the street was “sc--wed”.
“It’s overwhelming and scary, you don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Ms McKenna said.
Next door neighbour Sue De Boer said it was “a very scary time” but would wait things out and hope for the best.
In nearby Legacy Ct, Dylan McCormack had his boat floating at the end of the court and was prepared to assist his neighbours.
Tom Wansleeben, 85, had lived at his home for 55 years, and remembered the last record breaking floods in 1974.
He stayed to protect his home and was optimistic he would be OK.
“I haven’t got my floaties, otherwise I would put them on,” he said.
In flood ravaged Mooroopna, a Powercor substation had to be switched off, with 5800 residents to be without power for days.
An “amazing effort” by locals had so far saved a number of businesses in Murchison from flooding.
Nicholls MP Sam Birrell said part of Murchison had been severely impacted by the floods, which reached a higher level than the 1974 floods but the community had rallied to minimise the damage.
A levee bank and “furious efforts” of locals sandbagging and pumping water from the Main St had been effective.
“That seems to have saved, from my information, the Main St businesses but unfortunately there have been some houses that have been inundated and a winery called Murchison Winery that we’re all incredibly fond of,” he said.
Mr Birrell called for urgent federal funding to help flood victims rebuild.
Update on #VicFloods from Shepparton’s main drag, Wyndham St, which is blocked off from the south, and floodwaters have spilled over from Victoria Park Lake and the foreshore. Locals gathering around here in shock. @LeaderOnline@theheraldsunpic.twitter.com/MgUwpoMuH7
— Kiel Egging (@keggs87) October 16, 2022
Many shops were closed along Shepparton’s trendy Fryers St strip.
Longtime local business identity Mat Innes-Irons, who owns The Milkbar, said he used a canoe for part of his trip along The Boulevard to check on his cafe.
“We made an easy decision to close today because everyone was looking after themselves and their families and friends,” he said.
“The community spirit around here is bloody sensational.”
While his cafe was safe, Mr Innes-Irons feared other traders would not be as fortunate.
“There’s going to be a lot of damage done, physically and financially,” he said.
“The clean-up in the next month is going to be dirty and tough, but the businesses here will bounce back as they always do.”
In flood-ravaged Mooroopna, a Powercor substation had to be switched off, with 5800 residents expected to be without power for days.
SES chief operations officer Tim Wiebusch said a big challenge for emergency services was complacency due to “blue-sky flooding”.
“The rain may have stopped and we might be seeing the odd shower but it’s more obvious (the risk) to people when there’s heavier rain,” Mr Wiebusch said.
“So we are advising people, please listen to the warnings.”
MORE TOWNS IN DANGER
Some communities living along the Loddon River may experience flooding overnight with VicEmergency predicting water to reach peak levels similar to the 2011 flooding event.
A stay informed alert has been issued for Loddon River downstream of Kerang and Bendigo and Bullock creeks, with major flooding likely at Appin South from Sunday.
Meanwhile, major flooding continues downstream Loddon Weir, with VicEmergency and SES services calling on those in the region to avoid flooded areas.
Moderate flooding is currently occurring at Downstream Laanecoorie Reservoir but in welcome news, water levels are easing Downstream Cair Curran.
Those residing near Bendigo and Bullock creeks are advised to keep an eye on VicEmergency warnings as water could reach elevated levels similar to the September 2010 event, potentially putting nearby communities at-risk.
Residents living along Seven Creeks downstream of Euroa are being advised to move to higher ground, following flooding in Kialla West.
While no significant rainfall is forecasted for the coming days, water levels at Seven Creeks are expected to remain above the major flood level into Sunday evening.
Currently, water levels at Seven Creeks at Kialla West is 7.21 metres but remains steady around a peak. However, this level is still higher than September 2010 floods which saw levels rise to 6.65 metres.
Meanwhile in Euroa, minor flooding is continuing to ease.
ROCHESTER DISASTER ZONE
Meanwhile, in Echuca, sandbags have been unable to ward off water, after the Campaspe River has burst its banks.
Dozens of homes have been flooded, with some locals still working to save properties yet to be inundated.
A long sandbag levy has been erected on Campaspe Esplanade but it has been unable to hold the water back.
Residents in Echuca, Echuca village and Charlton township have been advised to evacuate as flood waters rise rapidly, with the evacuation warning still in place as of 12pm Sunday.
“Flooding is expected to impact residents whose properties surround the Campaspe River from Saturday evening onwards,” VicEmergency said. “Residents in Echuca Village can expect to be impacted over the coming days.”
And emergency workers are struggling to get food deliveries into the Rochester disaster zone.
Some residents who stayed in the town have already begun ripping out carpet and ruined furniture.
However, the town’s supermarket remains cut off and roads have been badly broken up by the floodwaters.
Rochester SES unit controller Tim Williams said crews now feared that people returning would get stuck in the roads.
“I’m trying to find a way to get toilet and shower facilities and food brought in here,” he said.
“The roads from Rochester to Lockington and Elmore are currently open and you can get food there.”
Mr Williams said the river level was still above major flood height and people should delay their return to the town.
Emergency workers were also trying to secure skips to start loading up them with debris.
New rain system on its way
Bri MacPherson from the Bureau of Meteorology said a high pressure system lingering over the southeast of the country was keeping most of Victoria “fairly dry”.
“We had a weak cold front go through the Melbourne area overnight that has dropped a bit of rainfall,” she said.
“Just a few millimetres so nothing to worry the rivers with.”
The flood-affected areas in Victoria’s north were spared that extra rainfall and will continue to be spared over the coming days.
“It’s looking like a fairly nice Monday and Tuesday for most of the state.”
But a rain system will sweep across on Wednesday, raising fears the flood crisis could last weeks.
“There’s not a lot of confidence in where exactly the heavier falls might be because our computer models are still settling on an answer but we’re watching it closely,” Ms MacPherson said.
“But it does look like we’ll see showers and possible storms developing in the northwest of the state from Wednesday.”
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