Minor flooding in Numurkah on Saturday afternoon near the caravan park. Photo: Megan Fisher
Emergency services are reminding people not to drive through flood water after three people were rescued near Nathalia on Saturday.
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Incident control centre controller Jarrod Hayse reiterated “if it’s flooded, forget it”, a message which has been repeated across the flooding events this month.
Mr Hayse said the peak had passed at Shepparton and while there was risk of flash flooding from thunderstorms in the next few days, he reiterated major riverine flooding was not expected as a result of the next week of rain.
Up to 40mm is expected in isolated areas on Sunday and Monday, but while water levels might rise in places where water had already pooled, such as in Mooroopna, flash flooding was the only major concern.
Mr Hayse said said Numurkah and Nathalia should expect minor flooding similar to events in 2010.
He said authorities’ current concern was at Barmah and Lower Moira, where the river was rising at about one centimetre an hour.
“There is concern over a broken levee at the Barmah caravan park, with ADF personnel and locals working with additional sandbags and a pump to try and retore the levee,” Mr Hayse said.
Fifty residents spent five days building a sandbag levee to protect the local Barmah caravan park. Some were still going at 1.30am today. This afternoon it gave way. The poor owners Brad & Jenny bought it just before COVID. They can reflect knowing they did everything they could. pic.twitter.com/xAHRDCzuNJ
Water has stopped flowing upstream at Barmah after people sighted the Murray River flowing east due to the amount of water being discharged from the Goulburn.
Mr Hayse said he hoped residents would be able to return to Bunbartha and Kaarimba on Sunday, depending on the condition of roads, while the peak of floodwater is also now downriver of McCoys Bridge, paving the way for it to reopen in coming days.
Authorities have assessed 1900 properties in the Shepparton-Mooroopna area, with 180 recording major damage and 95 recording minor damage.
Two hundred homes and businesses in Seymour have major damage from floods and 11 with minor damage from more than 300 properties assessed.
Thirty-five Murchison properties have major damage and 46 minor.
Flooding has receded on Madill Rd in Undera following flooding in the region. Photo: Rechelle Zammit.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Across Euroa, Violet Town, Nagambie and Avenel, 65 properties were assessed and 17 were found to have major damage, whereas in Benalla seven properties had major flood damage and 23 had minor flooding.
Community information sessions will be held in Seymour, Mooroopna, Murchison, Undera and Cobram in coming days, with an event at Seymour College at 2pm on Sunday.
Mooroopna’s event will be held at 4.30pm, but a location is yet to be locked in, with information to be confirmed on Greater Shepparton City Council’s Facebook page on Sunday.
Sessions in Murchison, Undera and Cobram will be held at 6pm, with locations yet to be determined. Check council Facebook pages for confirmation.
Mr Hayse reiterated evacuation centres were still open in Shepparton, Tatura and Nathalia, and people in evacuation zones who needed urgent assistance were reminded to call 132 500.
