As it happened: Rochester, Seymour and Yea residents ordered to evacuate; Bendigo warned over significant flooding

Thank you for joining our live coverage of the Victorian floods, that will be it from us tonight.

The blog will return on Tuesday morning, as the flood emergency continues to evolve throughout the state.

Here is a look at some of the major news from Monday:

• Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Rochester, Seymour as fast-rising water threatens to inundate homes and trap anyone who stays behind.
• For much of Yea, it is now too late to leave and people are being urged to seek shelter on high ground if possible.
• In Rochester, which experienced devastating floods in October 2022, about 35 homes are at risk of above-floor flooding and another 250 could see overland flooding.
• In Seymour, nearly 200 homes are at risk of flooding, with 50 homes immediately at risk of seeing over-floor flooding and another 140 that could see flooding below-floor level.
• Rainfall records were broken across central parts of the state; Heathcote recorded a whopping 184mm in 24 hours. That’s three months’ worth of rain in a day. Rochester, also broke a 120-year daily record, recording 125mm and in Bendigo there was 92mm in 24 hours, the most amount of rain in 90 years.
• The SES responded to 1200 calls for help, and emergency services carried out 38 water rescues. They urged Victorians not to drive through floodwaters, warning it could be the last decision they make.

Our live blog will continue to be free for all readers due to the importance of this information.
Please stay safe and we will see you all in the morning.

The Australian Red Cross has launched a service offering psychological first aid and support to communities impacted by the floods, and a service to help family members reunite.

Australian Red Cross Victorian emergency services manager Fyowna Norton said being separated from family and friends is one of the most stressful things a person can experience during an emergency.

“Not knowing where your loved ones are, and not being able to contact them by phone or email adds to that anxiety. The register-find-reunite service helps find and reunite family, friends and loved ones during a disaster,” Norton said.

The service matches registrations from people affected by an emergency to inquiries made by their loved ones searching for news. Where a match is made, with consent, the person who made the inquiry will be notified.

If you are impacted by the flooding in Bendigo, Rochester and other communities, you can register through the redcross.org.au website.

If internet access isn’t available, people can register in person at the Bendigo Showgrounds Emergency Relief Centre at 42-72 Holmes Road Bendigo, and the Echuca Relief Centre at the Echuca South Sports Pavilion on High Street.

A warning has been issued for a landslide near the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road at Ferny Creek, in Melbourne’s east.

The landslide is 40 metres wide and 70 metres long, according to the VicEmergency website.

The Mount Dandenong Tourist Road is closed between Churchill Drive and Mast Gully Road.

Some power lines have been downed and there are fallen trees and branches, with people urged to avoid the area if possible.

The emergency warning for Seymour has been updated, with authorities now saying they expect major flooding slightly higher than the 1993 flood level.

Waters are rising quickly and properties in the following streets are expected to be flooded: Emily Street, Tierney Street, Lesley Street, Tallarook Street, Wallis Street, High Street, Elizabeth Street, Butler Street, Alexander Street, Edward Street, Station Street, Tristan Street, Hanna Street, Jubilee Street, Industrial Court. Kings Park and local river caravan parks will be impacted.

Emergency services say anyone in those areas should evacuate immediately.

Residents have been told to stay with family or friends away from flood. A relief centre is open at Seymour Sports & Aquatic Centre at Chittick Park. The safest evacuation route there via Anzac Avenue.

An evacuation order has just been issued for Rochester.

“If you live, work or are holidaying in this area, you should evacuate immediately,” the alert says.

“Floodwaters are continuing to rise and will continue overnight.

“Flooding is expected to impact the Rochester township tonight and into tomorrow morning with a number of properties predicted to be inundated above floor level.”

The alert says that some properties in the area may not be flooded, but anyone who stays behind may become trapped by floodwater.

A small army of sandbaggers prepares for flooding in Rochester on Monday.Credit: Jason South

The central Victorian town is still recovering from devastating floods in October 2022.

Locals have spent today trying to prepare for the rising waters by sandbagging properties.

Age photographer Jason South has been out there. Here are some images he’s sent through.

Locals lend a hand sandbagging shops in Rochester. Credit: Jason South

Luke Ryan and Robert Seabrook sandbagging shops in Rochester on Monday.Credit: Jason South

Residents in Rochester brace for more flooding, as people prepare to sandbag.Credit: Jason South

Rainfall records have tumbled across the state, with several towns recording their highest ever daily total.

Here’s data from the Bureau of Meteorology:

Rochester broke its daily record going back 120 years, with 125mm falling.

Heathcote recorded a whopping 184mm in 24 hours. That’s three months’ worth of rain in a day.

Redesdale recorded 117mm – this was a daily record for any month, from over 120 years of data.

Bendigo recorded 92mm – the highest daily figure from 90-years worth of data.

Ash Bridge recorded 153mm in 24 hours.

Avalon Bridge had 136mm fall in 24 hours.

Warrambool recorded 74mm.

Seymour had 70 to 80mm in the area.

*Totals in the 24 hours to 9am Monday.

Residents in central Victoria are doing what they can to prepare as the floodwater rises.

Here’s some footage Age photographer Jason South has sent through of people filling sandbags to sure-up homes in Goornong, near Rochester.

Sadly, they have some experience with this after floods devastated the area in late 2022.

The Age revisited Rochester a few months ago and found people there were still putting their lives back together.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan spoke to reporters earlier this afternoon.

She said the state government would hold a security and emergency cabinet meeting this evening.

“That will also guide the advice to government on what other supports that will be activated for households who have been particularly affected,” she said.

The premier said it was a “significant weather event”, and the authorities were still in the emergency response phase.

“As the weather starts to clear as we get roads reopened and be able to go in, and the response teams can go in [to those areas] and do those important impact assessments,” she said.

She said they would be methodical, and would go through town by town, house by house to assess the impacts on the floods.

Parts of Victoria are experiencing major flooding.

Here’s the state of play as record-breaking rains cause serious flooding in parts of Victoria.

• Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Rochester, Seymour and Yea as fast-rising water threatens to inundate homes and trap anyone who stays behind
• About 4pm on Monday, residents in parts of Yea were told it was too late for them to leave and should instead seek shelter as high as possible.
• In Seymour, nearly 200 homes are at risk of flooding, with 50 homes immediately at risk of seeing over-floor flooding and another 140 that could see flooding below-floor level.
• In Rochester, which experienced devastating floods in October 2022, about 35 homes are at risk of above-floor flooding and another 250 could see overland flooding. The river is expected to reach the minor flood level Monday evening, rising to moderate levels overnight and may exceed the major flood level on Tuesday morning.
• Flooding is expected to hit Shepparton and Wangaratta in the middle of this week.
• Daily rainfall records have been broken in Heathcote, Rochester and Bendigo.
• Up to 16 people were rescued from floodwaters in the Bendigo area, which experienced record-breaking rainfall of 92mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.
• Emergency services have rescued 38 people across the state, and have urged Victorians not to drive into floodwaters. The SES have responded to 1200 calls for help.

Residents in parts of Yea are now being told it is too late for them to evacuate.

Vic Emergency has just issued the alert for people in the town’s west on Mulqueeny Lane, Clarence Way, Newberry Chase and Buckland Court, and in the town’s east on Miller Street, Loan Street, Whatton Place and Court Street

“It is now too late to leave. Stay where you are and shelter in the highest location possible,” it says.

“Be aware that you may be isolated by floodwater for a significant amount of time”.