Seymour told to evacuate, too late to leave for Yea as floodwaters rise

Locals in parts of Seymour have been told to evacuate immediately, while it is now too late to leave flood-affected parts of Yea, after record-breaking rain drenched central and northern Victoria on Monday.

In Seymour, about 104 kilometres north of Melbourne, residents were advised to prepare for flooding at the Goulburn River to exceed 1993 levels, given 180 millimetres of rain was recorded in parts of the catchment in the 24 hours to 9am.

A statement from VicEmergency at 11.50am warned Seymour residents living in flood-affected, low-lying areas to get out. Holidaymakers staying at caravan parks along the river were also warned of rapidly rising floodwaters.

Authorities believe at least 50 homes are at risk of flooding, with another 140 or so properties to be partially inundated or cut off from major roads.

People on flood-affected streets of Yea, south-east of Seymour, were advised to leave their homes at about 12.40pm but it is now too late to leave. A relief centre was set up at Yea Shire Hall after modelling showed more than five streets would be overwhelmed.

The warnings followed record-breaking rainfall across swathes of Victoria. Around the Heathcote region, between Bendigo and Seymour, 184 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours, the highest daily rainfall for that area since records began 120 years ago, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Michael Efron.

“That’s a daily record for any month with over 120 years of data,” he said.

Daily rainfall records were also broken in Rochester, which recorded 125 millimetres, and in Bendigo, which recorded 92 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9am.

High Street, the main road into Heathcote, was under water on Monday.Credit: Sam Christiansen

Residents of Rochester, a town devastated by the October 2022 floods, were advised that more than 30 homes could be flooded as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Efforts were under way on Monday to sandbag vulnerable properties.

Farmer Ian Meherall, who lives on the banks of the Goulburn River at Nagambie, north of Seymour, said he spent Monday morning moving pontoons, boats and seating to higher ground given his property was affected by the 2022 floods.

“We’ve had three significant rainfall events in the last three weekends,” he said. “So that’s where I’m a little bit concerned. It’s the culmination of all that water. The ground’s not taking it any more.

“We’ve got a wheat crop, which has been harvested, thank goodness, but the water is through the stubble [in that paddock], which I haven’t seen before.”

Meherall said his son-in-law had sent him a picture earlier on Monday that showed the main road into Heathcote, a town about 40 kilometres south-east of Bendigo, covered by floodwater.

“Apparently the roads between Nagambie and Heathcote are all underwater,” he said.

Seymour service station worker Raelene Clark said she drove to the banks of the Goulburn on her way home from an overnight shift on the Hume.

She watched from her car, stunned, as the water swallowed a picnic table.

“It came right up to the road, so I said, ‘Time to go’. It’s obviously burst its banks and there’s gonna be more to come. You can’t get down half the streets.”

Clark said she drove to a supermarket to stock up on food after witnessing the rising water.

“After the last floods they had here, you never know what’s going to happen.”

Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent said emergency services have so far rescued 38 people across the state, including people whose homes were flooded or who drove through floodwaters.

Severe thunderstorms were expected to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in parts of the north and north-east of the state later on Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning at midday, advising residents of Shepparton they could be affected.

The bureau issued a severe weather warning for Bendigo, Shepparton, Seymour, Kyneton, Wodonga and Wangaratta early on Monday morning, as a low-pressure system developed across the north-west of the state.

The bureau’s severe weather warning was expanded to include Corryong, Bright, Falls Creek and Omeo midmorning on Monday.

“Locally intense rainfall, which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding, is also possible during this period with six-hourly rainfall totals up to 100 millimetres,” the bureau said.

Flash flooding in central Victoria has led to several road closures, including the Wimmera Highway between Newbridge and Marong, and the McIvor Highway between Bendigo and Heathcote.

Travellers have been warned of dangerous driving conditions on parts of the Hume, with water pooling on roads between Broadford and Seymour.

Emergency crews have responded to hundreds of calls for help, including 26 flood rescues in Victoria in the 24 hours to 6am on Monday, bringing the state’s total flood rescue count to 46 since January 1.

There were more than 700 calls for assistance to VICSES over the same period for flooding, trees down and building damage.

“As at 10am today, in the last 24 hours we’ve received over 920 requests for assistance, including 503 for flood, 210 trees down, 118 counts of building damage,” VICSES said in a statement.

Redesdale, in the City of Greater Bendigo local government area, recorded 60 millimetres of rain in the three hours to 1.30am. Flowerdale, just 95 kilometres from Melbourne in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, recorded 60 millimetres over a six-hour period to Monday morning. Avalon, north-east of Geelong, observed 66 millimetres in three hours.

The Maribyrnong River catchment has recorded more than 50 millimetres of rainfall since 9am on Sunday and up to 15 millimetres was forecast for the catchment on Monday.

A top of 22 degrees was forecast for Melbourne on Monday, with the bureau warning of possible thunderstorms developing in the afternoon.

Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said rain was likely easing around the city; however, there was the chance of additional downpours.

“We’re expecting the punchier showers that give us heavier totals to continue through this morning and into the early part of the afternoon, trending back to patchy showers through the later afternoon and evening,” Bradbury said.

“In addition to the showers, there’s also the risk of thunderstorms given how warm it is. If we do see those storms developing again over the Melbourne area even higher falls are still possible.”

Bradbury said conditions in the central and northern parts of Victoria, including Bendigo and Shepparton, were expected to ease on Monday afternoon as the weather system moved east across the state.

Authorities issued a major flood warning for people living near the Campaspe River Lake Eppalock on Monday, urging people in the area to immediately move indoors and away from floodwater.

Rainfall totals of more 130 millimetres have been recorded across the catchment in north central Victoria since 9am on Sunday, causing river levels to rise above five metres.

Emergency services have warned the Campaspe River at Barnadown may reach around six metres late on Monday morning, similar to the November 2010 flood level.

For Gippsland and parts of the north-east district, the bureau forecast risk of heavy falls was persisting into Monday evening, after largely avoiding the heavy downpours over the weekend.

“It’s only starting to ramp up in Gippsland at the moment,” Bradbury said.

“We have seen some higher falls in the 30 to 50 millimetres range, but for the most part, we have seen much lower to moderate falls.

“But it is still raining, and the rain is moving east – so they’re likely to get more of that through the day.”

Bradbury said the wild weather was not limited to Victoria, with storms bringing heavy downpours across large parts of the country on Sunday.

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