Victoria floods as it happened: Waters rise at Echuca, Kerang; Road to Falls Creek closed due to landslide; Why the Murray is flowing the wrong way at Barmah

Before we bring our live flood coverage to an end, here are a few updates to the warnings around the state:

Emergency Management Victoria has 64 warnings active and is reporting 78 incidents as of 8pm.

Among these warnings, there is one emergency alert telling residents to evacuate immediately in:

• Parts of Echuca and Echuca Village – on the Murray River in northern Victoria.

The Murray River may reach around 94.80 during Saturday and the level is similar to the October 1993 event, according to the VicEmergency app.

Only one area is under an emergency warning that says it is not safe to return:

• Bunbartha – north of Shepparton on the Goulburn River.

It is also too late to leave in two areas issued with emergency warnings:

• Kerang – in north-west Victoria on the Loddon River.
• Barmah and Lower Moira – on the Murray River upstream, to the north-east of Echuca.

To keep up to date, please check the VicEmergency app and stay safe if you’re in a flood zone.

Heavy rains have caused cracking near a slow-moving landslide and authorities have closed a key road near Falls Creek.

From 8pm this evening the Bogong - High Plains road will be closed because of the slow-moving landslide on Bogong High Plains Road above Bogong Village.

“Potential flash flooding has been forecast which could result in imminent failure which could pose a threat to life of road users,” the warning on VicEmergency reads.

The road will be closed to all traffic except for emergency vehicles until noon on Saturday.

The road may be re-opened to residents, essential services and emergency crews tomorrow after an inspection.

The people of Kerang, a town accustomed to major floods, are becoming increasingly confident they will beat this one.

Country Fire Authority Commander Michael Masters, having spent the past week co-ordinating Kerang’s flood defences, said the town was better prepared than it was in 2011, when a surging Loddon River inundated 47 properties.

“Generally, people have a good sense of what is coming towards them,” he told The Age. “They are confident that the township of Kerang will be protected, and the outlying areas are taking appropriate action.”

To understand the volume of water coming towards Kerang, you need only visit the Appin South home of Clancy and Sally Watts.

The Loddon River is normally about 500 metres away from their front door.

On Friday, only sandbags and a water pump separated it from their gravel drive.

Read more about how Kerang is preparing for the flood.

For days, people have come down to the bank of the Murray River in Echuca’s port precinct to watch the river and photograph its progress.

Inexorably, it rises. By 4pm on Thursday, an engorged Murray had risen to 94.48 metres above sea level, more than 1½ metres higher than it was the same time a week ago.

By 4pm on Friday, an engorged Murray had risen to 94.63 metres above sea level, almost 2 metres higher than it was the same time a week ago.

The main street of Kerang was almost deserted on Friday afternoon as remaining residents of the northern Victorian town waited to see how high the Loddon River would rise.

People who live in Kerang were advised to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon and a bridge on the Murray Valley Highway to the west of town was closed to traffic on Wednesday evening.

Some residents choose to leave after those alerts warned the town could remain cut off for up to a fortnight.

A “too late to leave” alert for the town was issued by authorities on Thursday.

However, The Age’s chief reporter, Chip Le Grand – who is in Kerang – says there is a growing confidence the town will avoid major flood damage, with local emergency services buoyed by the news that the tiny township of Appin South has remained above water.

The above video of the quiet main street of Kerang was captured on Friday afternoon by Age photographer Eddie Jim.

If you’ve been wondering why the Murray River is flowing the wrong way at Barmah, I have found out the answer.

According to Bureau of Meteorology hydrologist Sarah Main, the river is flowing backwards at a point known as the Barmah Choke.

It’s a “small or more compressed” part of the river system and only a certain amount of flow can get through it, she said.

“When it reached that threshold of allowable flow it will start flowing backwards, and the overflow will go into the Edwards River in NSW,” the hydrologist explained.

The amount of flow that can get through the point is at 7,000 megalitres a day, and is the lowest flow at any stretch of the Murray.

The water would be flowing the wrong way likely into next week, Main said.

A severe thunderstorm warning with heavy rainfall has been issued for people in Victoria’s southwest, and parts of the Wimmera and central districts.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning on Friday afternoon for severe thunderstorms that are expected to produce heavy rainfall and could lead to flash flooding.

Areas which could be affected include Hamilton, Warrnambool, Portland, Colac, Casterton and Lake Bolac, the bureau said.

The SES has advised people to avoid travel if possible, but if the driving conditions are dangerous to pull over away from trees, low-lying areas and floodwater.

Water levels in Kerang are at its peak, submerging wheat crops at a 3000 hectare farm.

The waters are flowing from two main sources, the Loddon River and the Banagher Creek, according to farm owner Tania Sutherland.

“It is pretty sad after all the hard work you put in as well as the money invested. They were looking so good too, [now] it is not salvageable,” Sutherland said.

Flooded farmland near KerangCredit: Tania Sutherland

Her farm is 18 kilometres south of Kerang, along the Loddon Valley Highway.

The farmer is relieved she can move 2000 head of Merino sheep and 150 cattle to safety, however, is nervous about the weather system in the coming days.

“Memories of 2011 [floods] are not our favourite ones, that is what was predicted for us.” she said.

Good afternoon, I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’m taking over the flood blog from Lachlan Abbott.

Residents still in flood zones have been urged to evacuate while they can with a reprieve for towns along the Murray River.

The worst of expected flooding is now forecast to hit on Sunday and could rise to match 1993 flood levels.

Towns further north along the Murray such as Swan Hill and Mildura have been warned floodwaters will reach them over coming weeks.

The Patchell bridge ( Loddon River ) on the Murray Valley Highway in Kerang is closed due to the floods. Credit: Eddie Jim

Isolated thunderstorms could deliver up to 30 millimetres of rain for already drenched parts of northern Victoria on Friday.

Jenny Panos, who co-owns a caravan park along the river at Barmah, said 13 of 60 units there had already been inundated.

“We are feeling pretty tired right now, and still quite nervous as there are a lot of mixed messages about how high the peak will be and what day it will arrive,” Ms Panos said.

“The waiting is frustrating, it is creating many sleepless nights and tiring days.

“The anxiety levels are running high. We are feeling very much over it and just want it to hurry up and come so that we can assess the damages and start the cleanup.“

AAP

Emergency Management Victoria has 48 warnings active and is reporting 31 incidents as of 2pm today.

Among these warnings, there is one emergency alert telling residents to evacuate immediately in:

• Parts of Echuca and Echuca Village – on the Murray River in northern Victoria.

Only one area is under an emergency warning that says it is not safe to return:

• Bunbartha – north of Shepparton on the Goulburn River.

It is also too late to leave in two areas issued with emergency warnings:

• Kerang – in north-west Victoria on the Loddon River.
• Barmah and Lower Moira – on the Murray River upstream, to the north-east of Echuca.

Finally, two additional emergency warnings asking people to move to higher ground are active for:

• Loddon Weir to Kerang on the Loddon River – in north-west Victoria, including the towns of Boort and Wedderburn.
• Campaspe River downstream of Rochester – a largely rural area between the flood-prone Rochester and Echuca, including the town of Strathallan.

The flooded town of Rochester on the Campaspe River between Echuca and Bendigo was downgraded overnight from an emergency warning to an advice warning as the clean-up begins and after a visit from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Thursday. However, the SES warned this afternoon that storms could cause moderate flooding again in coming days.

Murchison East – just south of Shepparton – was also downgraded to a watch and act this morning and is now in line with the surrounding area. A large advice message was also issued for the Wimmera River catchment in Victoria’s west this morning as storms develop.

That’s all from me today. Caroline Schelle will be taking over this afternoon. Thanks for your company.

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