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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

Lachlan Abbott and Caroline Schelle
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Why the Murray is flowing the wrong way at Barmah
Afternoon wrap: Updated Victorian flood warnings
Storms likely to bring flash flooding back to Victoria: SES chief
$77.3 million education and health flood recovery fund launched
Watch Back: Health Minister, Emergency Services Minister, SES provide flood update
Morning wrap: Murray exceeds major flood level; Rochester flooding could return
Kerang confidence grows as nearby town saved from major flooding
Echuca update: Murray breaches major flood level, but peak pushed back
SES callouts drop as flooding subsides
‘A bit of a reprieve’: Victorian, NSW SES give flood update

End of today’s coverage

By Caroline Schelle

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.

Road to Falls Creek closed due to landslide

By Caroline Schelle

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.

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“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.

It was 500 metres away, but now the Loddon River is on their lawn

By Chip Le Grand

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.

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Murray River starts to inundate Echuca

By Bianca Hall

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.

All quiet in Kerang as residents hopeful town can dodge major flood damage

By Eddie Jim

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.

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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.

Why the Murray is flowing the wrong way at Barmah

By Caroline Schelle

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.

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“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.

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Severe thunderstorm warning for state’s southwest

By Caroline Schelle

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.

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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.

Wheat crops ‘underwater’ in Kerang

By Gabriela Fannia

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 KerangTania 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.

Residents in flood zones urged to evacuate while they can

By Caroline Schelle

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. Eddie Jim
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Afternoon wrap: Updated Victorian flood warnings

By Lachlan Abbott

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.
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