Cordon Bleu begins in Echuca, flood walls are installed to divide the town
The last time this level was reached was in 1870 when the river reached 96.2 meters.
The 2.5 km long embankment reaches AHD 96 m on most sections. But no one knows how the mud walls will affect the flow of rivers in the worst floods.
Shire Mayor Kampaspe said much of the town’s CBD and larger residential areas could be lost without the levee.credit:Steve Huntley/Riverlyn Herald
Accident Management Center Commander Greg Murphy said the levee is a tactical method to divert water flow and pumps are used to remove excess water from behind the levee walls.
“It supports critical functions of community infrastructure, including but not limited to things like sewage treatment plants,” he said.
Mr Murphy said the number of homes left behind was “significant”.
“We are aware of the impact on those homes. We understand that the people in those homes will be most upset,” he said. “But in times of emergency, there are decisions that must be made for the benefit of everyone.”
Kampaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller said much of the town’s CBD and larger residential areas could be lost without the levee.
“The Goulburn River flows into the Murray River, and that’s where it comes in,” said Weller.
“We need to try, because otherwise we would obviously lose residential and CBD areas.”
For those living in the lowlands of Echuca East, whose homes are on the other side of the levee, this is a painful message to hear.
Echuca East neighbors Julie Gorledge and Peter Mitchell are on the embankment under construction in front of their property. The embankment protects the house on the other side of the street, but may leave the house in “Murraypool”.credit:Steve Huntley/Riverlyn Herald
“Emotionally, it’s really frustrating,” said Julie Gorledge, whose Pakenham Street home is likely to be flooded.
“But logically, I understand why.”
“My floor level is 96 [metres]so we should be right,” said Barney Southern, whose home on the Pakenham Street embankment was heavily sandbaged. It’s split in two.
The homes most affected by long levees are on the Murray River side of Echuca East. They include sections of Pakenham Street, Goulburn Road, Moore Street, Mackintosh Street and Roberts Lane.
Lee Kavanagh says he and many of his neighbors who live near the Murray River are not insured against flooding in Echuca.credit:Steve Huntley/Riverlyn Herald
An evacuation order was issued for parts of Echuca and Echuca village on Monday.
Residents of the area around Kampasupe have been warned to evacuate the area immediately.
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But dozens of people packed their houses with sandbags, stocked up on food and supplies, and chose to stay.
Emergency management Victoria has warned that those who choose to stay in affected areas may be quarantined for several days and emergency services workers may not be able to assist them. increase.
A spokesman for emergency management told residents at a community meeting on Monday that they should be prepared for water to rise behind the embankment, dubbed “Murray Pool.”
That pool also includes dozens of properties.
Lee Kavanagh, whose family has lived in the home for only a few years, said many homes near the Murray River were not insured.
“A lot of people here don’t have flood insurance because it’s too expensive,” he said.
“It costs $15,000 more a year. That’s $150,000 over 10 years. People will do the math and decide it’s not worth it.”
The Kampaspe River is expected to peak on Sunday night, while the Murray River is forecast to peak on Thursday.
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Cordon Bleu begins in Echuca, flood walls are installed to divide the town
Source link Cordon Bleu begins in Echuca, flood walls are installed to divide the town
