Australia

Victoria’s flood crisis could last for weeks

several towns and cities in the firing line of Flood crisis in Victoria On Saturday night, officials were battling rising waters as they warned the state could experience “some of the largest displacements we’ve ever seen.”

From Shepperton to Echuca, communities came together on Saturday to selflessly do what friends and strangers could do to help their neighbors.

In Rochester, residents anxiously waited for the waters to subside so that a massive rebuilding of the town of 3,000 could begin.

Locals also mourned the death of a well-respected community member Kevin Wills A 71-year-old man, who was found in his backyard on Saturday, was the first to die in the flooding emergency that hit the state.

Campuspe Mayor Chrissy Weller said Rochester residents will unite to repair the damage caused by the floods.

“We will get through this together,” she said.

“It takes a journey to get our town back together, but I am extremely proud and grateful for the amazing ways our community has come together and helped each other.It is also how we get out of this.”

Residents given two hours to move out

Residents of Shepperton, Kiara, Oval and Moorupuna were given a short two-hour evacuation period on Saturday night.

People in those areas were previously told it was too late to leave.

But an SES spokesperson said the change in advice meant there were “additional windows” for people to evacuate before local roads were closed by 11 p.m.

Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sulli said the area was an “unfortunately divided community” after the Peter Roth Edwards Causeway, the main road connecting Shepparton and Moorupuna, closed Saturday night around 7 p.m. I said yes.

Another road connecting Shepperton and Kiara residents to Moorupuna on Watt Road was closed earlier in the day as the Goulburn River continued to rise.

Cr Sali was helping direct traffic as a line of cars collected sandbags from the Shepperton Showgrounds late into the night.

Cr Sali said the closure of the causeway would pose a “significant challenge” to rescue operations.

“Flooding is happening and people can see the water levels rising, but we will do our best to support as many community members as possible.

About 100 people were staying at the Shepperton shelter in the Mackintosh Center Saturday night.

“Why is this still happening?”

SES Bendigo used social media to warn drivers of the danger and appeal to the community to stop driving through dangerous flood waters.

84 people were rescued at one location in the picture, frustrating emergency services that continue to warn travelers about driving on water.

“The first three photos are of the motorway between Bendigo and Heathcote and the last one is from near Ballarat. All taken today,” the Facebook post read.

“Imagine being submerged in one of these and having to call for help.

“Imagine a loved one in your car who is in this situation because of your decision.

“Last night, 84 people were rescued at one location.

“Let’s just let it sink in a bit. Eighty-four rescues.

“In just one place. Why is this happening now?”

“We are not outside the forest”

As the Melbourne cleanup effort began, Mullibenon locals expressed concern that a wall around the controversial Flemington Racecourse had exacerbated the flooding.

Hundreds of millions of people are expected to be affected by the floods, at least 434 people have been rescued, and six more towns have been evacuated.

Prime Minister Daniel Andrews warned that the threat of an emergency in Victoria was not over yet, adding Wills’ death in Rochester highlighted just how dangerous the situation was.

“We are not out of the woods. We are far from it,” he said.

“While we stand with the family and all those affected by this, we are all acutely aware of the seriousness of this.

“This is potentially very dangerous.

“Although the rains have eased, water levels are rising and reaching peaks, inundating homes and stranded communities due to these floods.”

SES Chief Operations Officer Tim Wiebush said people in flood-affected areas should be prepared to leave as soon as they receive an official warning.

“When you issue an evacuation alert, you can’t overemphasize how serious it is,” he said.

Around Rochester, 160 people had to be rescued after officials said they ignored previous evacuation orders.

Victoria Police Assistant David Clayton urged people to “heed these warnings and evacuate if asked.”

“In the coming days, we expect to see the largest evacuation we have ever seen,” he said.

He said police are standing by in all evacuation areas to prevent looting.

“There are no reports of looting and any looting will not be tolerated,” he said.

Further evacuation warnings were due to be announced for the Campaspe River region of Echuca, but the Murray River is expected to peak again by mid-to-late next week.

“You have to pay attention to your situation. Don’t assume that just because you’re a kilometer or two away doesn’t mean you’re immune,” said Wiebusch.

The Victorian Energy Authority said continued rising water levels in the Goulburn and Avoca rivers threatened critical power infrastructure, prompting hundreds of Moorupuna and Charlton residents to run out of power for some time. I warned you that you could lose

“If a major flood hits one of our substations, this could pose a significant safety risk, so we want to protect communities and reduce the risk of long-term damage to infrastructure. You may need to turn them off to protect them,” Powercor said.

“If we have to take this action, customers may be without power for an extended period of time, as the site can only be powered when the water is safe to recede.”

Nearly 350 roads across the state were closed Saturday morning and emergency road repairs were already underway.

The state government has asked contractors for the Big Build project for temporary assistance.

Farmers said it could take weeks before the true extent of damage to crops and livestock becomes clear.

Raising prices for lamb and beef was not ruled out as farmlands such as Shepperton and Rochester were flooded.

Olivia Lawson of the Australian Cattle Council said: “No one knows. It also depends on how long the water has been standing.”

first published as Flood crisis in Victoria: ‘We’re going to see the largest displacement we’ve ever seen’

Victoria’s flood crisis could last for weeks

Source link Victoria’s flood crisis could last for weeks

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