The flood threat for Echuca-Moama remained front and centre on Sunday night.
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The Campaspe River in Echuca peaked at 96.25m (AHD) late on Sunday afternoon.
It arrived more than 24 hours after the initial forecast, a slow-moving beast that proved higher than expected.
Victorian SES officer operations Tim Wiebusch said despite one peak arriving, another was looming ominously.
“This is the first of two peaks for the Echuca community with the Murray River then coming into play on Monday into Tuesday,” he said on Sunday.
“We are expecting a flood peak of around 95m (for the Murray), which is above the major flood level.”
The Bureau of Meteorology is advising of a major flooding event in the Murray, higher than the 2016 flood and similar to or exceeding the 1993 flood.
As of 2pm yesterday, the Murray River at Echuca Wharf sat at 94.04m (AHD).
Mr Wiebusch said around 1000 properties were inundated across Echuca as the Campaspe rose on the weekend.
They included properties on Campaspe Esplanade and Ogilvie Ave, which was closed to traffic in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Ron Ash gave The Riv some of his time as he stood in the flooded front yard of his Campaspe Esplanade home.
“We’ve been here for 40 years and never had water through before,” he said.
“We put some sandbags down, but there’s water through the cupboards of the house.”
Mr Ash said the flooding struck about 8am.
“The water hasn’t come from over the levee bank, it came through the back (of the property),” he said.
A number of properties on the outbound side (heading to the Northern Highway) of Ogilvie Ave were also flooded.
Flood water also touched the Old Coach Motor Inn, while Lions Park on Campapse Esplanade was completely submerged.
Robyn Bies lives a couple of doors down from the Old Coach Motor Inn on Ogilvie Ave and was hopeful her home would remain dry.
“I was here for the last one (flood) and it didn’t get on this side (of Campaspe Esplanade),” Ms Bies said as she walked her pet greyhound Maz.
An excavator was used to build a makeshift levee bank near the median strip with the assistance of volunteers and members of the SES.
Australian Army officers arrived in Echuca on Saturday to help with the flood efforts.
An ‘evacuate immediately’ warning for parts of Echuca and Echuca Village was issued on Saturday night.
St Mary’s Primary School was opened yesterday as a second evacuation centre for people in the west side of Echuca.
“It will be an evacuation only point, people can come here to register their information and if necessary they can be relocated to Bendigo,” Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller said.
“Also, if you have medical needs, please come here as Chemist Warehouse is closed and we are making arrangements about accessing medications.”
Across the river, a community meeting was held in Moama on Sunday afternoon, featuring representatives from Murray River Council and NSW SES.
Sunday saw emergency services and members of the general public sandbagging around Moama.
Road closures are in place throughout the twin towns, including major thoroughfares Ogilvie Ave and Warren St.
The Cobb Hwy (new bridge) was closed to all southbound traffic in Moama from the Meninya St corner, while the old bridge was open to local traffic travelling southbound yesterday afternoon.
A number of schools announced yesterday they would be closed until further notice.
“The severe flooding impacting Echuca has left our school inaccessible,” Echuca 208 Primary School acting principal Andrew Judd said.
“As a result the school will remain closed.
“Until then, teachers will endeavour to provide learning activities for students where possible.”
Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School will also remain closed until further notice.
St Mary’s Primary School confirmed it is a school closure day.
On Sunday at 7.49pm, Moama Anglican Grammar announced its decision to close on Monday.
Principal Carmel Spry said they would continue to monitor the flood situation and keep the school community updated if circumstances changed.
Floodwater tore through the ovals of Echuca College on Sunday.
Principal Jessica Sargeant said the school would remain closed for the “longer term”.
“To the Echuca School community,” Ms Sargeant said.
“The severe flooding impacting in Echuca has left our school inaccessible.
“I will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday announced one-off payments of $1000 for adults and $400 for children were available for affected residents of Campaspe Shire.
Mr Albanese joined Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to announce the Commonwealth and state governments had come together to prepare the Centre for National Resilience at Mickleham to provide crisis accommodation for Victorians affected by widespread flooding.
From Tuesday, 250 beds at the Mickleham facility will open to help people whose homes have been inundated.
As well as accommodation, residents will be provided with food and support services both on-site and remotely.
“We thank the Albanese Government for working with us to quickly ensure flood-affected Victorians will have a safe, comfortable place to sleep, and food on the table,” Mr Andrews said.
“As we’ve always said, we wish we didn’t need to use the hub, but we’re grateful it’s here to support Victorians who have been so profoundly affected by this flooding event.”
State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the strength of the community had shone through in these trying times.
“I would like to send my best wishes to everyone immediately affected by the flooding and my congratulations and genuine thanks to all those people who have dropped everything to be there for the rest of us,” Mr Walsh said.
“I have been visiting people today and catching up with our amazing volunteers and all the emergency responders, Campaspe Shire and local businesses who are all digging so deep to do everything they can to help those affected by flooding.
“Talking to people at the centre it was heartening to see them being so upbeat in the middle of some very challenging times.
“I also met with police and looking at the data coming across their desks this natural disaster is far from over so we need to continue supporting each other and following the directions of emergency services personnel, who are faced with a lot of confronting responsibility and are there to help you, so please help them.
It was also a moving pleasure to meet the team from Northern Constructions Group, who have been working around the clock since Thursday and have filled more than 15,000 sandbags, and counting.
“To fit the sand, pallets and filled bags they have gone off-site to fit it all in. It is a fantastic job and just one more example of our fantastic community.”
Gregor Mactaggart is the editor of the Riverine Herald.