Victoria, Australia Floods

[AussieMark]

Victoria on flood watch as storms approach
Friday September 3, 2010 - 19:14 EST
The SES is warning residents to be prepared. - ABC

The weather bureau is warning that approaching storms could be the most significant weather event in Victoria for the past 15 years.

The bureau says a low-pressure system could bring rainfalls of up to 150 millimetres across the north-west, north and north-east overnight and tomorrow, and could cause flooding problems for months.

Forecaster Scott Williams says the already-saturated ground provides ideal flood conditions.

"I think we will have a lot of problems lasting into Sunday, Monday and beyond and potentially flooding on the Murray going for weeks after this," he said.

The State Emergency Service (SES) is warning the threat of flooding could force thousands of people to leave their homes over the weekend.

SES spokesman Tim Weibusch says the centre of Ballarat could be flooded and residents must prepare.

"Also being prepared for being inside for a number of days, so having some fresh water and food and things like that in the case they do become isolated," he said.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau says widespread thunderstorms in South Australia will intensify tonight.

Many areas have had heavy rain and local flooding and the bureau says winds will become stronger as the system heads towards the south-east.

Leigh Creek in the state's north has had 71 millimetres of rain and it is still raining; 40 millimetres has been recorded at Elizabeth and 25 millimetres in Adelaide.

SES spokesman Matt Maywald says the service is prepared for the worst.

"We've had smaller hits that've given us significant damage, but I can't recall a 24-hour period where we've had the rain and the wind sustained like this," he said.

Around 40,000 ETSA customers have had power disruptions and about 13,000 are still waiting for supplies to be restored.

Source

[AussieMark]

Emergency alert system used for floods in Victoria

UPDATE 5.15pm: AN emergency alert system created after the Black Saturday bushfires was used for the first time today to warn Victorians of floods.

Residents in the state's northeast have been sent text and telephone messages detailing dangers presnt in the area as water continue to rise.

So far, the worst hit places are Creswick, Ballarat and Maryborough in the state's central highlands.

About 30 houses in low-lying areas around the Creswick River have been evacuated as floods wreak havoc on homes and businesses.

Police have requested army assistance to evacuate homes.

Initial reports of a human body being swept away in the fast-flowing Creswick River have been dismissed by police, although it is understood an animal may have been lost.

Elsewhere in the state, major roads are closed, houses and hospitals have been evacuated and emergency crews are preparing for the worst.

Residents are bracing themselves in the state's northeast, with towns such as Benalla, Euroa and Violet Town activating their emergency plans.

The Hume Hwy - the main route between Melbourne and Sydney - is covered in water in two sections and is expected to be closed at Violet Town and Euroa this afternoon.

Vicroads has also confirmed road closures at:

- the Goulburn Valley Highway, closed between Molesworth and Cathkin, detour via Whanregarwen Road to Alexandra

- Mount Buffalo Road, Mount Buffalo, closed from Park Entrance

- Tylden-Woodend Road, Woodend, closed 5km west of Woodend

- Western Highway, Middle Creek, closed 15km west of Beaufort.

The most rainfall hit Ballarat and Marysborough before noon.

There was reports of water knee-deep around Ballarat which forced the evacuation of the Ballarat Caravan Park. Several tenants had to be evacuated.

The SES received dozens of phone calls with reports of water entering houses; one farmer even feared his sheep would be swept away.

In Creswick, it's believed a hospital has been evacuated.

Residents in northeast townships should be prepared to evacuate, the SES says.

Incident controller Keith O'Brien told reporters today that rainfall between 75mm and 150mm was expected throughout the weekend.

All catchment areas in the state's northeast are at risk but no emergency alerts have yet been sent out to communities.

"People should be getting ready to go if they are in an at-risk areas," Mr O'Brien said.

"We intend to use emergency alert in the first instance to advise people that they're in an at-risk area.

"Should we need to advise people to evacuate from their properties then we'll use the emergency alert again.

"We are looking at already sending out the first emergency alert in the Strathbogies and Euroa area and we're also concerned about Benalla, we'll be advising them shortly as well.''

The Goulburn Valley Highway is closed between Molesworth and Cathkin and drivers should detour via Whanregarwen Road to Alexandra.

Mount Buffalo Rd is closed from the park entrance and the Omeo Highway between Tallangatta and Mitta Mitta Road remains open but debris and damage at several locations are restricting access.

"We've already seen stream rises as a result of the rain since early this morning and we have flood warnings out on a number of our catchments,'' Mr O'Brien said.

"The early indications are that we will see moderate flooding along some of those catchments by Saturday afternoon.

"There is the potential that during the night Saturday, and possibly Sunday morning we may see major flooding.''

Residents are being urged to take responsibility for preparations, particularly on rural properties in isolated areas, including a home emergency kit with battery-operated radios, medications and important documents, and moving valuables and electrical goods above floor levels.

Sandbags should be used in toilets and drains to prevent reflux into homes, Mr O'Brien said.

In Euroa, Seven Creeks Hotel manager Annie Mahon said it was business as usual at the pub but it was prepared if the floods eventuated.

The hotel is 50 metres from Seven Creeks, which is expected to burst its banks.

"We have got our plan in place of how we're going to sandbag and what we're going to do. We have pulled all the rugs up and we're ready to go, so really what else can you do,'' she said.

She said Euroa had experienced constant rain today but was still waiting for the downpour.

The last time floodwaters entered the hotel in 1993 they climbed almost half a metre, she said.

Euroa Hot Bread assistant Hayley Dowell said customers were expecting Seven Creeks to break its banks by 5pm.

There were no signs of flooding around the bakery but she expects that will change by the evening.

A community flood meeting scheduled for 8pm tonight is likely to be too late, she said.

"It's been raining since 4am,'' Hayley told AAP.

"When I leave work I'll probably move stuff out of the shed - that'll go under before the house, and sit and listen to the radio.''

Overnight, the state's northwest recorded heavy rainfall and the northeast is expected to receive more than 100mm by Saturday night, placing these areas on flood watch.

Victoria State Emergency Service commander John Parker said that while no forced evacuations had occurred yet, he was expecting things to escalate, particularly in the northeast region, as the day progressed.

"We're going to get major flooding at a lot of the catchments in the northeast region. We're going to see several hundreds of houses impacted and several thousands of people,'' he warned.

"This is a significant event, it's probably the biggest we've had in 15 years and we're working hard to ascertain and get that message out and see what the impact is.''

Mr Parker urged people in flood watch areas to monitor developments and take safety precautions.

People are being asked to avoid walking, riding or driving through floodwater and farmers should move machinery and livestock to higher ground.

At Mt Buller, gusts of up to 93km/h have been reported as steady rain falls.

For emergency aid call SES on 132 500

Source

[AussieMark]

[somethingfunny]

[vbhoutex]

Looks a lot like parts of Texas today.
Any further reports on casualties? That is awesome they have an alert system.

[AussieMark]

Desperate battle to fix Wangaratta levee while concern turns to Echuca

UPDATE 2.52pm: RAIN is thwarting efforts by Victorian emergency workers to strengthen a faulty levee bank protecting homes from floodwaters at Wangaratta.

It's feared the levee will collapse and inundate 60 houses and put in danger the lives of those residents who have refused to leave their homes.

State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman Lachlan Quick says the levee is a major concern for authorities.

"It's raining there and they can't get in to work on it," Mr Quick said.

SES incident controller Keith O'Brien told journalists in Wangaratta that the fault in the levee is being weakened constantly while there is floodwater in the Ovens and Kings rivers.

He said the breach could occur within hours, days or weeks.

"When that breach does occur the water will rush into the area inside the levee and, depending on the depth of water in the river, will jump two to three metres," Mr O'Brien said.

He said residents have been told that if the levee breaks there will be assistance but there may be a time delay.

"We won't necessarily know when it breaches - we'll respond as soon as we know but there's no guarantee that someone will be able to get there in time to save lives," Mr O'Brien said.

"If the levee breaks, in the first instance the water from the river will rush through the breach very rapidly and anyone close or near that will almost certainly be knocked off their feet with the risk of hitting their head and being drowned, or whatever the case may be."

The work on the levee is being held up due to rainfall, with up to 50mm of rain expected over the next 24 hours in the northeast.

Townships along the Murray River are preparing for the floodwater, with Echuca the biggest concern.

The levee near Wilson Rd has been under pressure since floods hit Wangaratta, population 17,000, on the weekend.

Authorities advised Wilson Rd residents to evacuate on Monday night.

They remain the only people allowed in the area, despite urged to remain away.

Mr Quick said: "Our role there is significantly reduced, but the levee in Wangaratta remains an area of concern’’.

Up to 20mm of rain is expected to fall in the Alpine region by 9am tomorrow.

Weather bureau forecaster on duty Terry Ryan said a further 10 to 15mm was forecast for the area by Saturday morning.

"Around Wangaratta, Shepparton 5 to 10mm is expected today and about 5 to 10 tomorrow,’’ Mr Ryan said.

"There could be some thunderstorms across the state today and the eastern half tomorrow.

"A bit of hail is also possible.’’

At Shepparton floodwaters are believed to have peaked and authorities are now turning their attention to areas downstream from there toward and including Echuca, and the junction of the Goulburn, Campaspe and Murray Rivers.

Echuca is likely to be affected tomorrow night, State Emergency Service (SES) acting director of operations Tim Wiebusch said.

"The areas of concern this morning now are upstream from Shepparton as we start to head toward Echuca and Echuca itself over the next couple of days as floodwaters come in there both from the Murray and Goulburn River,'' he told the Nine Network.

"So we're preparing communities right up along the Goulburn River with information and making sure that they're aware that they need to have their mobile phones charged, their landline cordless phone charged in the event that we need to issue an evacuation warning.

"Shepparton at this stage has peaked and is remaining steady. We've got around 650 homes that are isolated by floodwaters there at the moment.

"Twenty properties on the outskirts of Shepparton have been inundated by water, around 10 commercial properties have been inundated.''

A community meeting is scheduled in Echuca for Thursday.

Paul Gemmill’s café restaurant at Thompsons Beach on the Murray flooded after the river burst its banks.

Waist-deep water has engulfed the Cobram café.

Mr Gemmill said the café was evacuated on Monday after water levels started rising on the weekend.

"It’s The Beach Café Restaurant. It’s more like the island café at the moment,’’ Mr Gemmill said.

"It’s under the flood plains. We knew it was going to flood over, but not in our wildest dreams did we believe it would flood this year after the drought we have had.

"We are completely submerged.’’

Mr Gemmill said the Murray was expected to peak this afternoon at 6.7m.

"We built the structure knowing it would flood someday,’’ he said.

"Hopefully there will be no damage.’’

Authorities are watching for any sign a Wangaratta levee bank will collapse, inundating 60 houses and risking the lives of those who refused to evacuate, as more rain looms over Victoria.

Crews will begin trying to repair the eroding levee bank as up to 50mm of rain sweeps flood-bound Victoria on Thursday and Friday.

Water is leaking from the bottom of the levee which protects homes in Wilson Road, on Wangaratta's east side, from the Ovens and King rivers.

"Wangaratta the township itself is not directly under threat at this stage,'' Mr Wiebusch said

"We still have crews standing by there to ensure the safety for those workers and some of the residents that have chosen to return to their homes but water levels have dropped quite

significantly on that levy bank now.''

About 10 people had remained with their houses, defying an evacuation order while fine weather conditions in the past couple of days had encouraged others to return home despite the order.

The Ovens River peaked at 12.8 metres on Monday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 20mm to 30mm of rain across the northern parts of the state and up to 50mm of rain on the top of the Alps.

This may cause more minor to moderate flooding.

Source

[AussieMark]

[Aslkahuna]

From El Niño Drought to La Niña floods.

Steve

[RobWESTPACWX]

Wow, I find it amazing they use brush fires to warn of floods. That is really interesting, I guess if it works it works.

I see this is about a month old, but still an interesting read none the less.

[AussieMark]

Wow, I find it amazing they use brush fires to warn of floods. That is really interesting, I guess if it works it works.

I see this is about a month old, but still an interesting read none the less.

New warning protocols and system was put in place in the wake of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.

This was the first time it has been implemented.