Flood crisis in Victoria: Shepperton, Moorupuna, Kiara, Rochester and Echuca still at risk

The Mickleham Quarantine Facility will open from Tuesday to provide protection for people in Victoria whose homes have been destroyed by flooding that has hit parts of the state.

A total of 250 beds will be available, and food and support services will also be provided.

Prime Minister Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday, along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, that the facility would be used as a “crisis response facility”.

The center will be run by former quarantine staff and service providers who have operated the facility for several months.

A support fund will also be established to provide immediate payments of $500,000 to the 24 most flooded municipal areas.

With 6,000 properties still without power across the state, this funding will enable local governments to begin restoring local facilities and services.

Northeast flood crisis

Shepperton is expected to face record flooding sooner than expected, and SES is advancing warnings for the peak of the Goulburn River.

Deputy Incident Manager Ray Jasper said, based on the latest weather information, the Goulburn River will reach 12.2 meters at 4 a.m. Monday, breaking a record set in 1974.

Thousands of homes have already been submerged in Shepparton, neighboring Moorupuna and Kiara as floods continue to rise.

Nearly 8,000 homes were flooded, according to unconfirmed reports, and SES said the situation in the area was “complex.”

SES Chief Operations Officer Tim Wiebush said one of the biggest challenges facing emergency services is the fact that it’s a “blue sky flood.”

“The rain may stop and you may see strange showers, but the heavier the rain, the more obvious[the risk]will be for people,” he said.

“So we are admonishing people. Heed the warning.”

Mr Wiesbusch said more than 450 people had been rescued in Victoria since the floods began.

Residents of Shepparton, Mooroopna, Murchison, Orrvale and Kialla West have been told it is too late to leave town.

Many businesses in Murchison have been saved from flooding in the past due to “amazing efforts” by local residents.

Nicholls MP Sam Birrell said parts of Murchison were severely affected by the floods, which reached higher levels than the 1974 flood, but communities rallied to minimize the damage.

The embankments and “furious efforts” of the local population to pile up sandbags and pump water from Main Street were effective.

“According to my information, this seems to have saved the business on Main Street, but unfortunately there were flooded homes and a winery that we all love incredibly, Murchison Winery,” he said. Told.

Birrell called for urgent federal funding to help rebuild flood victims.

Shepperton locals were stunned as they gathered on the main road into town from Melbourne and Nagambie on Wyndham Street on Sunday morning after floodwaters from the Goulburn River rushed onto the road, inundating the foreshore of Victoria Lake Park.

The Herald Sun understands that the situation is getting worse for Kiara, with floodwaters hitting the door of a house near Guthrie Street

The Peter Roth Edwards Causeway, the main road connecting Shepparton and Mooroopuna, was closed at 7pm last night.

Residents of Shepparton, Mooroopna, Orrvale and Kialla West were given advance warning to evacuate and were told it was too late to leave.

“Extensive flooding is currently occurring in Shepperton and a large peak of around 12.2m above the 1974 flood level of 12.09m could occur early Monday morning,” VicEmergency warned at 7 a.m. read out at times.

“At Shepperton, water levels are likely to exceed 12.10m by 6pm Sunday, and will likely peak at around 12.20m early Monday.

“The massive flood peaked at Murchison at around 12.00m, significantly higher than the May 1974 flood.”

Those who have not evacuated are asked to evacuate to as high a place as possible.

Meanwhile, in Echuca, sandbags failed to keep water out after the Campaspe River breached its levee.

Dozens of homes have been flooded, and some locals are working to save properties that have not yet been flooded.

A long sandbag tax was installed on the Kampazpe Esplanade, but it failed to hold back the water.

Residents of Echuca, Echuca Village, and Charlton Township have been advised to evacuate due to rapidly rising flood waters as of 12:00 pm Sunday.

“Floods are expected to affect residents around the Kampaspe River from Saturday night,” VicEmergency said. “Residents of Echuca Village are expected to be affected in the coming days.”

Also, paramedics are struggling to get food to disaster areas in Rochester.

Some residents who were staying in town have already started tearing up carpets and ruined furniture.

However, the town’s supermarkets remain closed and roads are severely disrupted by flood waters.

Rochester SES unit controller Tim Williams said the crew feared returning people would be stranded on the road.

“We are trying to find a way to bring toilet and shower facilities and food here,” he said.

“The road from Rochester to Rockington to Elmore is now open and you can get food there.”

Williams said river levels are still above the height of the massive floods, and people will have to delay returning to town.

Paramedics were also about to secure the skip and begin loading debris.

Introducing the new rain system

Bureau of Meteorology Brie McPherson said a remaining high pressure system in the southeast of the country was keeping much of Victoria “pretty dry”.

“A weak cold front passed through the Melbourne area overnight, and we saw a little less precipitation,” she said.

“It’s just a few millimeters, so you don’t have to worry about the river.”

Flood-affected areas in northern Victoria have escaped that extra rainfall and will continue to do so for the next few days.

“It looks like Monday and Tuesday will be pretty good weather for most states.”

But Wednesday saw rain, raising fears that the flood crisis could last for weeks.

“The computer model is still settling for an answer, but we’re looking at it closely, so we’re not too sure exactly where the heavier falls are,” McPherson said.

“However, it looks like showers and storms are possible in the northwestern part of the state starting Wednesday.”

first published as Shepperton faces historic flooding, with up to 8,000 homes in the area already submerged

Flood crisis in Victoria: Shepperton, Moorupuna, Kiara, Rochester and Echuca still at risk

Source link Flood crisis in Victoria: Shepperton, Moorupuna, Kiara, Rochester and Echuca still at risk

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