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11.30am 

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an updated severe weather warning, now forecasting more rain to fall across a wider area.

It is now expected 20-40mm will fall in areas within the warning zone, and up to 70mm in areas hit by thunderstorms.

The rain is expected to hit the far northwest of the state late this afternoon, reaching the Wimmera-Mallee region this evening and spreading to central Victoria by midnight.

The State Emergency Service advises that people should: 

Major flood warnings remain in place for the Wimmera and Avoca rivers, and a moderate flood warning remains in place for the Loddon River.

A flood watch also exists for all three rivers along with the Campaspe River, as the forecast rainfall is expected to cause significant stream rises in the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera basins that may lead to renewed minor to moderate flooding from tomorrow.

9.28am 

RIVERS are falling but predicted rain might renew flooding in the region. 

THE State Emergency Service has said the catchments in the North West are saturated and forecast rain could renew the region’s flooding.

“With the forecast rainfall significant stream rises are expected in the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera basins that may lead to renewed minor to moderate flooding from Wednesday,” they said. 

They said moderate flooding has occurred  along the Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham.

The Wimmera River at Horsham  (Walmer) was currently at 3.13 metres (moderate flood level 3.10 metres) and  falling. It is expected to fall below the  moderate flood level Tuesday morning.

Downstream of Horsham the Wimmera River at Quantong  Bridge peaked at 6.61 metres (major flood level 5.9 metres) on Monday  evening and was currently at 6.55 metres and falling slowly.

The Wimmera River upstream of  Dimboola was currently at 4.72 metres and rising. 

Flood  Safety Advice:

SES advises that all community members should:

·         Never walk, ride or drive through floodwater,

·         Never allow children to play in floodwater,

·         Stay away from waterways and stormwater drains during and after heavy rain,

·         Keep well clear of fallen power lines

·         Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks, and heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and debris across roads.

Latest River Heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.21, Steady, 08:14 AM TUE 20/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 2.30, Falling, 07:45 AM TUE 20/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 3.05, Steady, 06:00 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 1.18, Steady, 08:31 AM TUE 20/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 0.45, Steady, 07:36 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 0.90, Steady, 07:33 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 1.99, Steady, 08:18 AM TUE 20/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 0.51, Steady, 08:18 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 0.99, Steady, 08:24 AM TUE 20/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.19, Steady, 05:51 AM TUE 20/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.12, Steady, 06:19 AM TUE 20/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 0.91, Steady, 08:24 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 2.15, Steady, 08:40 AM TUE 20/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 0.55, Steady, 08:03 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 3.13, Falling, 08:25 AM TUE 20/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.20, Steady, 08:29 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 6.55, Falling, 08:36 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 4.72, Rising, 07:40 AM TUE 20/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 4.06, Steady, 06:45 AM TUE 20/09/16

8.40am 

THE Bureau of Meteorology has renewed a severe weather warning for the Wimmera. 

Forecasters predict a low pressure system would bring rain and thunderstorms to the region. 

They said heavy rain was expected late Tuesday and might lead to to flash flooding.

The bureau predicted widespread totals of 15 mm to 30 mm.

The warning has extended across the state to include Horsham, Bendigo and Ballarat.

6.18pm 

THE Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood watch for Wimmera River after predicting overnight thunderstorms in the Wimmera. 

They said a low pressure system is forecast to develop over South Australia early on Tuesday, deepen then move into northwest Victoria late on Tuesday.

Thunderstorms and rain are expected from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning in the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera basins.

The bureau said rainfall totals of 15 to 30 mm were forecast for the event, with localised higher totals on the ranges possible.

They said catchments in the North West were saturated and significant stream rises were expected in the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera basins that may lead to renewed minor to moderate flooding from Wednesday.

The following flood warnings are current in the flood watch area:

Major flood warning for the Wimmera River

Major flood warning for the Avoca River

Moderate flood warning for the Loddon River

The Bureau of Meteorology is continuing to monitor the situation and will issue additional catchment specific warnings if and when required.

Note: This Flood Watch means that people living or working along rivers and streams must monitor the latest weather forecasts and warnings and be ready to move to higher ground should flooding develop. Flood Warnings will be issued if the Minor Flood Level is expected to be exceeded at key sites along the main rivers for which the Bureau of Meteorology provides a flood warning service.

6.01pm 

THE Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for parts of the Wimmera including Rainbow and Warracknabeal.

The bureau said heavy rain in the towns could lead to flash flooding. 

They said a low pressure system was forecast to develop over South Australia early on Tuesday, deepen then move into northwest Victoria late on Tuesday.

The bureau predicted band of rain was associated with the low, along with the risk of thunderstorms. The rain band and risk of thunderstorms was forecast to extend further east across the State overnight into Wednesday.

Widespread totals of 15 to 30mm are forecast across the warning area, falling in a period of 4-8 hours. Heavy rain or thunderstorms may cause falls of 30 to 50mm.

Locations which may be affected include Mildura, Ouyen, Murrayville, Rainbow, Walpeup and Warracknabeal. 

The State Emergency Service advises that people should: 

* Not walk, ride or drive through flood water; 

* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains; 

* Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks; 

* Be alert that in areas recently affected by fires, heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and debris across roads; 

4pm 

VICTORIA’s State Emergency Service has warned moderate flooding has occurred at the Wimmera River between Glenorchy and Horsham.

They said the river was at 3.32 metres and would remain above the moderate flood level of 3.1 metres overnight Monday and into Tuesday. 

A spokesperson said downstream of Horsham at Quantong Bridge the Wimmera River was at a major flood level of 6.58 metres.

They said at Dimboola the river sat at 4.59 metres and would continue to rise but was expected to remain below the minor flood level of 5.3 metres.

Latest River Heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.23, Steady, 02:14 PM MON 19/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 2.65, Steady, 02:45 PM MON 19/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 3.44, Steady, 03:00 PM  MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 1.25, Steady, 02:43 PM  MON 19/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 0.46, Steady, 01:36 PM  MON 19/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 0.91, Steady, 12:42 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 2.09, Steady, 03:12 PM  MON 19/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 0.58, Steady, 02:18 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 1.06, Steady, 03:13 PM  MON 19/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.20, Steady, 02:51 PM  MON 19/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.11, Steady, 03:19 PM MON 19/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 1.15, Steady, 03:04 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 3.12, Steady, 03:22 PM MON 19/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 0.61, Steady, 03:09 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 3.33, Steady, 03:21 PM MON 19/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.23, Steady, 03:14 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 6.59, Steady, 02:28 PM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 4.59, Rising, 02:56 PM  MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 3.98, Steady, 01:45 PM  MON 19/09/16

9.30am

MAJOR flooding is occurring in the Wimmera Catchment.

Since 9am on Sunday, there has been no significant rainfall has been recorded in the Wimmera River catchment.

No significant  rainfall is forecast for the remainder of Monday.

Wimmera River at Glenorchy to Horsham:

Moderate flooding is occurring  along the Wimmera River from Glenorchy to Horsham.

The Wimmera River at Horsham is at 3.35 metres and steady.

The Wimmera River at Horsham is likely to remain between 3.3 metres  and 3.4 metres during Monday.

Wimmera River downstream of Horsham:

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge is at 6.58 metres and rising.

The Wimmera River at Dimboola is at 4.53 metres and rising.

River rises will continue at the Wimmera River at Dimboola over the next few days but the river is expected to remain below the minor flood level.

Latest river heights:

 Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

 Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.24, Falling, 05:14 AM MON 19/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 2.85, Falling, 07:45 AM MON 19/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 3.58, Falling, 06:00 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 1.28, Steady, 07:29 AM MON 19/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 0.48, Steady, 07:36 AM MON 19/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 0.92, Steady, 06:42 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 2.14, Falling, 07:46 AM MON 19/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 0.60, Steady, 06:34 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 1.11, Falling, 07:29 AM MON 19/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.20, Steady, 05:51 AM MON 19/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.12, Steady, 07:50 AM MON 19/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 1.25, Falling, 07:20 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 3.83, Falling, 07:54 AM MON 19/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 0.65, Falling, 06:27 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 3.35, Steady, 07:53 AM MON 19/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.26, Falling, 07:34 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 6.58, Rising, 07:10 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 4.53, Rising, 07:41 AM MON 19/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 3.93, Rising, 04:45 AM MON 19/09/16

​Monday 8.50am

UPDATE

Grampians National Park

THERE are road closures in the Grampians National Park, and parts of the park are closed due to flooding.

Up to date information can be found at parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/grampians-national-park

Road Closures

There are more than 40 road closures in the Wimmera River catchment area.

Specific up to date information can be found at http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/

Many roads are closed due to water over roads and damaged road surfaces, these areas might not be signed.

For your own safety and the safety of your vehicles occupants we stress the importance obeying traffic restriction signage.

Signs are in place for your safety.

Police are actively enforcing adherence to signage.

Drive slowly and be aware of road conditions. 

Northern Grampians Shire Council

Initial impact assessments were undertaken by Stawell State Emergency Services unit at Glenorchy on Sunday.

Road damage has been identified in the area.

The Northern Grampians Shire is assisting the township to transition from response to recovery.

Horsham Rural City Council

The Horsham Weir at the Wimmera River is fully open and flooding in the area is consistent with a one in 20 year event.

Some roads remain closed along the river in Horsham due to high water and will remain closed for most of Monday.

The river will remain high for several days.

Residents of affected areas at Quantong have been door knocked by SES members on Sunday to reinforce community safety messaging.

This area will continue to see river level rises into Monday.

Hindmarsh Shire Council

Residents in affected areas at Dimboola and Antwerp were door knocked on Sunday by SES members to reinforce community safety messaging.

There is not expected to be any over floor inundation, but many properties might be isolated.

Dimboola and Jeparit weirs are both fully open.

The peak is expected to reach Dimboola on Wednesday and Thursday at below minor levels.

The rest area on the Western Highway at Lochiel is likely to be closed in the next day.

Yarriambiack Shire Council

Current predictions are shown on maps available from the Yarriambiack Shire website: http://yarriambiack.vic.gov.au/emergency/flood-event-september-2016/

These maps take into account the new levee and other changes since the last major flood.

Weather prediction

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted that there will be no significant rainfall in the area for the next four days.

There might be isolated showers from five to 15 millimetres on Tuesday and Wednesday, which will not effect the current river heights.

Road safety 

Be aware of road hazards such as mud, debris and damaged roads or bridges

Do not travel through affected areas unless it is necessary

Drive slowly, obey all roadblocks and never drive through floodwater

For the latest list of road closures check www.vicroads.vic.gov.au or call 13 11 70 

Safety information

Check your home or building for damage before you re-enter

If your home has been flooded, all electrical and gas appliances should be checked by a licensed technician before you use them

Dry out and clean buildings straight away

When cleaning up, wear strong boots, gloves and protective clothing and wash your hands and clothes regularly

Floodwater is dangerous – never drive, walk or ride through floodwater

Health and wellbeing information

Counselling and support is available from the following organisations:

Lifeline www.lifeline.org.au phone 13 11 14

Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au phone 1300 224 636

Kids Helpline www.kidshelp.com.au phone 1800 551 800

SANE Australia www.sane.org phone 1800 187 263

Emergency Contacts 

For flood or storm emergency assistance from SES call 132 500

For life-threatening emergencies call Triple Zero (000)

PREVIOUSLY

4:06pm Sunday

Flooding to peak on Monday

WIMMERA River flooding is expected to peak on Monday morning after rain eased off over the weekend and water was diverted to multiple lakes.

With catchment areas soaked and many lakes full, the region is at risk of further flooding if heavy rains return later this month.

Horsham Incident Controller Stephen Warren said on Sunday that the Wimmera River was still subject to a major flood warning

“The water is still rising and should hit the major flooding level of 3.6 metres on Sunday night and peak at 3.7 metres on Monday morning,” he said.

“It will take a while for the water to go down.”

Mr Warren said emergency services had knocked on the doors of five properties at Dimboola to warn of rising floodwaters.

“Those properties will have water coming on to their land but not onto floors of their houses,” he said.

Property owners around Jeparit have been warned they face isolation from floodwaters and road closures. Drivers have been reminded to avoid floodwater.

Warracknabeal water levels are not expected to exceed September 2010 readings.

Flooded areas in the Wimmera could be hit with more rain this month as emergency services told regions across Victoria to prepare.

Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley has warned of more flooding to come next week and for the rest of September, both in already flooded areas and along rivers not currently flooded.

“We could have further rain in the coming week that will see further flooding in some rivers that aren’t in flooding now; those that are will enhance,” he said.

“We are looking at floods across September and we need to plan for that; whether we travel or we live in communities, we do need to think about flood waters.”

Mr Warren said the full lakes and wet catchment areas would increase the risk of flooding if the rains return, but not much rainfall had been forecast for the coming week.

“Water has been sent to Pine, Green and Lonsdale lakes, which is great for recreation in the summer but doesn’t allow us to use them to ease flooding,” he said

UPDATE

11.06am

Water was lapping at some people’s doors at Riverside this morning. Roads have also been affected with VicRoads closing sections of Gross Road, Drung-Jung Road and Pine Lake Road.

UPDATE

9.39am

Latest flood info for Wimmera and Avon Rivers Catchment: Major flooding is occurring in the Wimmera Catchment.

Since 9am Saturday, no significant rainfall has been recorded in the Wimmera River catchment. Rainfall totals up to 5mm are possible in the Wimmera River catchment during Sunday. These rainfalls will not cause renewed river rises.

Wimmera River to Glenorchy to Horsham

Major flooding is expected along the Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is currently at 3.28 metres and rising. The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is likely to reach the major flood level (3.60m) Sunday evening. The river level is likely to peak near 3.70 metres Monday morning.

Wimmera River downstream of Horsham

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge has exceeded the major flood level (5.9 metres) and is continuing to rise.

The Wimmera River U/S Dimboola is currently at 4.19 metres and rising. River rises will continue at the Wimmera River U/S Dimboola over the next few days, but river levels at the Wimmera River U/S Dimboola are expected to remain below the minor flood level (5.3 metres).  

Location, Height of River (Metres), Tendency, Date/ Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.28, Steady, 5.32AM Sun 18/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 3.47, Steady, 5.30AM Sun 18/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 3.67, Steady, 6:00AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 1.40, Steady, 6:54AM Sun 18/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 0.50, Steady, 6:39AM Sun 18/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 0.986 Steady, 6:42AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 2.41, Falling, 7:20AM Sun 18/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 0.67, Steady, 6:20AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 1.72, Falling, 7.32AM Sun 18/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.22, Steady, 5.51AM Sun 18/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.12, Steady, 6:20AM Sun 18/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 1.26, Steady, 7:28AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 4.68, Steady, 6:44AM Sun 18/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 0.83, Falling, 7:13AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 3.28, Rising, 7:07AM Sun 18/09/16

Mackenzie River at McKenzie Creek, 1.35, Steady, 7:23AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 6.41, Rising, 7:10AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 4.19, Rising, 7:33AM Sun 18/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 3.75, Rising, 6:45AM Sun 18/09/16

UPDATE

9.27am

EMERGENCY services, water authorities and the Horsham council will open a drop-in centre on Sunday from 11am to 12pm.

The centre located in the Horsham Rural City Council reception area on Roberts Avenue, Horsham will offer information and maps about the floods.

Residents will be able to speak to representative from Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Horsham council and State Emergency Service.

Maps will also be available for pick up.

Horsham Rural City Council will be open on Sunday from 9am to 4pm if residents have any questions regarding the current water levels and issues relating to their property.

Residents can also phone Horsham council on 5382 9777, which can also be used after hours for emergencies.

Saturday

7:00pm:

Latest Donald information

The Richardson River at Donald is currently 3.58 meters and expected to peak at 3.7 meters later Saturday or early Sunday.

A peak height of 3.7 meters mean there should be no impact on home in Donald but some roads may be closed.

Community Meetings 

A Community meeting is being held for Donald residents at 1:00pm on Monday 19/09/2016 at Soldiers Memorial Hall, McCulloch Street, Donald. This meeting is to provide the local community with an update on the flood situation across the region and Donald area.

Donald Community

1:00pm on Monday, 19th September 2016

Soldiers Memorial Hall, McCulloch Street, Donald

UPDATE

6.33pm:

Emergency services warn of more flooding in September

Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley has warned of more flooding to come next week and for the rest of September, both in already flooded areas and along rivers not currently flooded.

“Over the past week we have seen significant rain across  most parts of Victoria that’s resulted in our rivers, our reservoirs and our dams being full,” Mr Lapsley said.

“We’ve had floods in many of our communities; some if it has passed, some of it’s still there and some of it has yet to happen.

“I think the most important thing to understand is that the rivers are full, and obviously those communities that have already experienced flood waters are in clean-up mode.

“Some are planning for it to occur, to happen to them in the next number of days.

“On top of that, we could have further rain in the coming week that will see further flooding in some rivers that aren’t in flooding now; those that are will enhance yet again.

“We are looking at floods across September and we need to plan for that; whether we travel or we live in communities, we do need to think about flood waters.

“Those flood rivers may reach right into Geelong on the Barwon River, could reach into Wangaratta, could reach again into Charlton and country towns across Victoria.

“So it’s actually not in some parts of Victoria, it’s wide reaching across many parts of Victoria.”

UPDATE

3.52pm:

Flooding around the Wimmera River might have stirred up the nesting magpies. Be careful.

UPDATE

3.45pm:

The Avon River at Charlton is likely to have peaked at 7.55 metres this afternoon and will remain at that height for at least the next 24 hours.

Incident Controller John Chaplain said emergency services and the community had been preparing for the River’s peak since earlier in the week.

“In the past few days we have held three community meetings and door knocked around 80 homes to discuss possible impacts of flood waters,” Mr Chaplain said.

“SES and CFA crews have worked with the community to sandbag properties and areas that may be affected.

“Four properties have the potential for above-floor flooding but as of 2pm today there have been no reports of homes being inundated.

“Water has been reported coming out of drains on a couple of roads close to the river but this was expected and residents had been told this may happen when we door knocked a few days ago.

“The relief centre remains open in the Charlton Public Hall in Armstrong Street.

“The Richardson River at Donald is currently 3.58 metres and expected to peak at 3.7 metres later today.  

“Based on predictions, at 3.7 metres there should be no impact on homes in Donald but some roads will need to be closed.

“We encourage the community to check http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/ for the latest information about roads.

“The latest information from the Weather Bureau today indicates that in the west and central part of the State we can expect around 15-20mm of rain early next week, which is good news because it is less than first predicted.

“We strongly encourage the community to make sure they have the latest information by listening to emergency broadcasters, checking www.emergency.vic.gov.au or calling  the VIC SES Flood and Storm Info Line on 1300 842 737.”

UPDATE

12.15pm:

Horsham Rural City Council Flood Watch – Update 11

Council is still planning on the basis of the one in 20-year flood.

HOMES 

Council has contacted people in the Horsham urban area who are likely to have water near their houses, and distributed sand bags to these people as a precautionary measure.

FORECAST 

The BoM has advised that the peak in Horsham will be at major flood levels tonight Saturday, September 17 with further rises tomorrow ahead of the peak on Sunday. 

ROADS

Road closures remain in many areas closer to the Wimmera River.

UPDATE

11am:

Minister for Justice Michael Keenan and Victorian Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino have announced additional disaster assistance has been activated in response to recent flooding affecting parts of Victoria.

Minister Keenan said assistance was being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

The 22 local government areas receiving assistance are Ararat, Ballarat, Buloke, Central Goldfields, Colac Otway, Corangamite, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Hepburn, Horsham, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Mitchell, Moorabool, Mount Alexander, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Surf Coast, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack.

 “Both the Australian and Victorian governments are committed to supporting flood affected communities,” Mr Keenan said.

“A range of additional assistance has now been activated by the Australian and Victorian governments to ensure that all flood affected communities have the support they need to recover from these devastating floods.”

Minister Merlino said could also be extended to other areas as required.

“A range of assistance is available to eligible individuals including personal hardship and distress assistance and financial and personal counselling,” Mr Merlino said.

“Assistance is also available for local councils to help with the cost of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets, such as roads and bridges, and removal of debris from homes to make them safe and habitable.

“Anyone who has been affected by the flooding should call the Victorian Emergency Recovery Information Line on 1300 799 232 for assistance.”

Emergency re-establishment grants are already being provided to eligible individuals in the flood affected Southern Grampians and Buloke Shire regions.

Information regarding disaster assistance available can be found on the Vic Emergency website at www.emergency.vic.gov.au/relief or the Australian Government’s Disaster Assist website at www.disasterassist.gov.au

Current Situation (VICSES)

Major flooding is occurring along the Wimmera River around Glenorchy.

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres around 7.45pm on Thursday, September 15 and is now below the minor flood level (4m) and falling slowly. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy will continue to fall slowly during Saturday.

Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham

Major flooding is likely along the Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is currently at 3.14 metres and steady. The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is likely to reach the major flood level (3.6m) on Saturday evening. The river level is likely to peak near 3.7 metres on Sunday evening.

Wimmera River downstream of Horsham

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge has exceeded the major flood level (5.9m) and is continuing to rise.

Potential Impact In Your Area

The potential local impact of this flooding in your area may include: 

UPDATE

9.30am:

People travelling to the North Central Football League grand final in St Arnaud from Charlton and Wycheproof today can get to the game via the St Arnaud-Wycheproof Road (C271).

Incident Controller John Chaplain said the Charlton-St Arnaud Road is closed due to flooding but a detour along the St Arnaud-Wycheproof Road will ensure players and spectators can get to the big game.

“Emergency services wish everyone all the best in today’s game where Charlton and Wycheproof-Narraport will battle it out,” Mr Chaplain said.

“Please travel safely to and from the game, obey any speed restrictions on the detour and never, ever drive through flood waters.

“More information about road closures is available from traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au

“Overnight in Charlton the Avoca River rose to 7.51m and is holding.

“Good luck to all the players in today’s grand final and may the best team win!”

The VIC SES Flood and Storm Info Line is now active - 1300 842 737

The latest emergency information is available at www.emergency.vic.gov.au

For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

UPDATE

9.15am:

Current Situation (VICSES)

Major flooding is occurring along the Wimmera River around Glenorchy.

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres around 8.15am on Saturday, September 17 and is now below the minor flood level (4m), and falling slowly. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy will continue to fall slowly during Saturday.

Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham

Major flooding is likely along the Wimmera River Glenorchy to Horsham.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is currently at 3.14 metres and steady. The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is likely to reach the major flood level (3.6m) on Saturday evening. The river level is likely to peak near 3.7 metres on Sunday evening.

Wimmera River downstream of Horsham

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge has exceeded the major flood level (5.9m) and is continuing to rise.

Potential Impact In Your Area

The potential local impact of this flooding in your area may include: 

UPDATE – Saturday, September 17

8.45am

Horsham Rural City Council Flood Watch – Update 

CURRENT WARNINGS

There continues to be a Major Flood Warning for the Wimmera River. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres around 10pm on Thursday above the major flood level (4.8 metres). However, it fell below the major flood level around 1pm Friday. It is currently at 4.76 metres and falling slowly. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy is likely to fall below the moderate flood level (4.5m) today, Saturday September 17.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is at 2.95 metres (minor flood level 2.8 metres) and rising. The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is likely to exceed the moderate flood level (3.1m) into Saturday. The river level is likely to reach the major flood level (3.6m) on Saturday evening.

Warnings are available from www.emergency.vic.gov.au

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

A drop-in centre will be activated at the Horsham Rural City Council Reception area from 10.30am to 11.30am on Saturday, September 17. Representatives from Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, SES and Horsham Rural City Council will be available for you to discuss the current and potential flood situation. Maps will be available to review and pick-up.

SITUATION

The Wimmera River has peaked at Glenorchy and is beginning to recede at this location. Between Glenorchy and Horsham, water levels are steadily rising and in some places has risen above the level of the banks. Some agricultural impacts are being experienced with crops inundated by water. Homes are not expected to be inundated above floor level.

Rises are also being experienced along the Dunmunkle Creek and Yarriambiack Creeks, but these creeks are expected to impact agricultural land and crops and will not impact homes.

The MacKenzie River, Burnt Creek and Bungalally Creek systems are reducing, but will continue to experience steady flows. The rate of fall will be slow.

Rain of up to 15mm is predicted for today Saturday, September 17 in the catchment area. This may cause a very small increase to stream flows.

UPDATE

9.30pm:

There is a Major Flood Warning for the Wimmera River. 

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres around 10pm on Thursday above the major flood level (4.8m). It fell below the major flood level around 1pm Friday. It is currently at 4.76 metres and falling slowly. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy is likely to fall below the moderate flood level (4.5m) during Saturday.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is currently at 2.95 metres (minor flood level 2.8 metres) and rising. The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is likely to exceed the moderate flood level (3.1m) overnight Friday into Saturday. The river level is likely to reach the major flood level (3.6m) Saturday evening.

Warnings are available from www.emergency.vic.gov.au

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

A Drop In Centre will be activated at the Horsham Rural City Council Reception area from 10.30am to 11.30am on Saturday, September 17.  Representatives from Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, SES and Horsham Rural City Council will be available for you to discuss the current and potential flood situation. Maps will be available to pick up.

SITUATION

The Wimmera River has peaked at Glenorchy and is beginning to recede at this location. Between Glenorchy and Horsham, water levels are steadily rising and in some places has risen above the level of the banks. Some agricultural impacts are being experienced with crops inundated by water. Homes are not expected to be inundated above floor level.

Rises are also being experienced along the Dunmunkle Creek and Yarriambiack Creeks, but these creeks are expected to impact agricultural land and crops and will not impact homes. 

The MacKenzie River, Burnt Creek and Bungalally Creek systems are reducing, but will continue to experience steady flows. The rate of fall will be slow.

Rain of up to 15mm is predicted for Saturday, September 17 in the catchment area. This may cause a small increase to stream flows.

ROAD AND PARK CLOSURES

The Grampians National Park remains closed until midday on the September 17 pending a risk assessment by Parks Victoria staff.  Refer to www.parks.vic.gov.au for more information.

In the Little Desert National Park, campsites at Horseshoe Bend and Ackles Bend on the Wimmera River have been closed.

Tracks and campsites in the Wail State Forest on the Wimmera River have also been closed as a precaution.

Refer to the VicRoads web site for all road closure updates traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au

OUTLOOK

WIMMERA RIVER

Glenorchy

The water level has peaked and will slowly recede back within the river banks in coming days.

Lubeck, St Helens Plains, Drung

Water levels are rising slowly, with out of bank flow being experienced. They  will continue to rise.

Longerenong

Water levels are rising and exceeding bank capacity. Levels will reach maximum height on Saturday, September 17 and begin to recede around September 20 to 21. Some properties may become isolated. Falls will recede slowly.

Riverside and East Horsham

There is currently no significant out of bank inundation. Water levels will continue to rise over night with out of bank inundation tonight.

Horsham

The Wimmera River continues to rise steadily at Horsham. The Wimmera River may break its banks overnight Friday and into Saturday.

BoM are predicting the maximum level of 3.6m will be reached on Saturday.

Downstream of Horsham

Flood levels will continue to steadily increase. Information will be updated as the flood progresses.

Quantong

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge is 5.56m and rising slowly.

Dimboola

Dimboola will experience increased flows over the coming days.

DUNMUNKLE CREEK

Bryntirion

Out of bank flows are be occurring south of the Bryntirion Forest. Floodwater will flow within natural drainage lines towards Murtoa. Peak flood heights will be reached but water will remain high for several days.  Several dwellings may be isolated. Water is not expected to reach Murtoa.

Rupanyup

Floodwater has reached Rupanyup and agricultural areas will be inundated. No buildings will be inundated.  The peak should arrive Saturday through Sunday.

YARRIAMBIACK CREEK

Jung

Water levels are rising relatively rapidly with the maximum level expected midday Monday, September 19.

Warracknabeal

Water is currently moving along the creek between Jung and Warracknabeal. Levels will rise slowly over coming days.

OTHER CREEKS

Natimuk

The Natimuk Creek is receding slowly.

MacKenzie River, Bungalally Creek and Burnt Creek

These creeks are beginning to recede but residents should expect continual flows from Lake Wartook as water is still being discharged to provide additional storage capacity.

CARE OF LIVESTOCK DURING FLOODS

Pre/During flood

Post Flood:

FARM RECOVERY AFTER FLOOD

Information to help farmers to recover from floods can be found on the Agriculture Victoria website. If the information you seek is not listed or if you wish to speak to a staff member about your particular flood recovery requirements, call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186. 

UPDATE

6pm: 

A DROP-IN centre at Horsham will be open on Saturday for community information.

It will be at the Horsham Civic Centre from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Representatives from the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, Horsham Rural City and State Emergency Services will be available to speak to.

Maps will be there to pick up as well.

Wimmera River - Horsham

The Wimmera River at Horsham is at 2.95 metres and rising.

It is likely to exceed the moderate flood level of 3.10 metre overnight on Friday and reach major flood level of 3.60m on Saturday morning.

Wimmera River - Quantong

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge is at major flood level,  5.9 metres, and rising.

Wimmera River - Glenorchy

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres on Thursday night.

It fell below the major flood level about 1pm on Friday.

It is currently at 4.76 metres and falling slowly.

Grampians National Park

Road access throughout the Grampians National Park is limited however many popular  visitor sites have now reopened.  

For the most up to date information: www.parks.vic.gov.au or call  the Brambuk the National Park and Cultural Centre in Halls Gap,.

Latest river heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.41, Steady, 04:45 PM FRI 16/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 3.25, Steady, 03:45 PM FRI 16/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 3.48, Rising, 06:00 AM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 1.76, Steady, 04:36 PM FRI 16/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 0.61, Steady, 04:37 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 1.08, Steady, 04:31 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 3.95, Steady, 04:48 PM FRI 16/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 0.86, Steady, 04:46 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 4.76, Falling, 04:40 PM FRI 16/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.27, Steady, 04:41 PM FRI 16/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.12, Steady, 03:20 PM FRI 16/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 0.75, Steady, 04:18 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 4.53, Steady, 04:46 PM FRI 16/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 1.02, Steady, 04:07 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 2.95, Rising, 04:44 PM FRI 16/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.56, Steady, 04:50 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 5.88, Rising, 04:50 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 3.49, Steady, 04:41 PM FRI 16/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 3.36, Steady, 03:45 PM FRI 16/09/16

5pm: 

Some pertinent advice for livestock owners.

UPDATE

4.30pm:

Horsham Rural City Council will be open this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18 from 9am to 4pm if residents have any questions regarding the current water levels and issues relating to their property.

The direct number is 5382 9777.

This number can also be used after hours for emergencies.

GREEN LAKE - CLOSED 

For your safety, please be aware that Green Lake is currently closed and will open to boats next Tuesday, September 20. Council needs to reinstall the marine safety buoyage and insure sufficient depth at the boat ramp since launching lanes were extended and new pontoons installed. Council asks that people be patient. 

UPDATE

2.30pm:

AN aircraft from Bendigo will assist emergency services monitor the flood situation.

Country Fire Authority district 17 operations officer Trevor Ebbels said the region would use the aircraft on Friday afternoon to get a better picture of the region.

“We have a short window with the aircraft and it has equipment for aerial surveillance,” he said.

“It should be able to give us real time footage of the Wimmera River catchment, the Yarriambiack Creek and Dunmunkle Creek.

“It will also fly over McKenzie Creek, Burnt Creek and Bungalally Creek, but those streams aren’t a concern for us at the moment because they are slowly receding.”

 2.15pm:

EMERGENCY service crews have rescued a driver from flood water near Lubeck.

Country Fire Authority and police responded to the incident about 11.30am on Friday.

CFA district 17 operations officer Trevor Ebbels said crews rescued a person, who became trapped while driving in flood waters.

“The driver was rescued and police were able to retrieve the vehicle,” he said.

Mr Ebbels said the message was clear – don’t drive in flood water.

“There are no excuses, just don’t do it,” he said.

The driver was uninjured. 

1.15pm:

Horsham Rural City Council – Flood Watch Update 9 

ROAD CLOSURES

Be advised that council has closed the following sections of road so far today, Friday, September 16 due to rising water levels:

UPDATE

12.45:

A series of flood maps depicting the forecast flooding to come are available by simply clicking on the town names below:

Horsham

Dimboola

Jung

Brim

UPDATE

12.30pm:

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced disaster assistance for Victorians affected by flooding in the Buloke Shire.

Assistance is being provided through the jointly-funded Commonwealth-State Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.

Mr Andrews and Victorian Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino visited Charlton this morning to meet residents impacted by the floods and thank emergency services staff and volunteers for their work.

Mr Andrews said that Emergency Re-establishment grants are now being made available in addition to the Emergency Relief Assistance grants which are available to all flood affected communities.

“These grants provide assistance to people whose homes have been flood damaged so that they can clean-up their properties and replace damaged contents,” Mr Andrews said.

Individuals in the local government area of Buloke can now access the following emergency grants to relieve personal hardship and distress:

The grants are available for cleanup, emergency accommodation, repairs, rebuilding (a principal place of residence), and replacing some damaged contents.

Mr Andrews said the Victorian government was closely monitoring the flood situation and that assistance would be extended to other areas if required.

Anyone who has been affected by the flooding and is suffering personal hardship and distress should call the Victorian Emergency Recovery Information Line on 1300 799 232. 

UPDATE

12.10pm

Premier Daniel Andrews and emergency services minister James Merlino are addressing media in Charlton. Watch it here:

UPDATE

12pm 

Authorities are now predicting the river will continue rising throughout the day at Charlton and into this evening, before peaking at 7.5 metres.

The Incident Control Centre’s Ben Tate told a packed town meeting that while some catchments were approaching levels seen in 2010, the water was not expected to reach those levels in Charlton.

“We’re looking at a peak of 7.5, which is a lot lower than September 2010 in Charlton, that peaked at about 7.9 so we’ve got a bit lower than that event which is very positive,” he said.

"Then after that peak we don’t pack up and go home, after that we’ve got days of high water levels before that all drains away, so there’s going to be a lot of work in recovery mode after the peak goes through.”

Mr Tate said more heavy rain was possible between Tuesday and Thursday next week, but any impact on Charlton would only become clear during the weekend.

“As we get into the weekend the Bureau’s forecast for that rain event, Tuesday through to Thursday, will get more certain so they’ll be able to give us bit of a better handle on how much rain we’re expecting,” he said.

“If we’re only looking at 10-20 millimetres or something it’s not going to do much to levels in Charlton, you might see some slight rises in the river but you’re not going to see peaks getting back up to 7.5, but if that rainfall was getting close to 50 millimetres that’s when we’re going to have to look a bit closer.”

UPDATE

11.40am

WEST Wimmera councillor Ron Hawkins said the shire’s lakes were looking great.

“We’ve been owed the rain and now we are getting a result,” he said.

“At Lake Charlegrark the water is up to the decking of the jetty with only about three bars now showing.

“It will be full in no time.”

Cr Hawkins said water was pouring like a river into Lake Bringalbert.

“It’s up to the boat ramp,” he said.

“Lake Wallace is getting a lot of water too.”

Cr Hawkins said all the lakes would have positive flow on effects for summer.

11am:

Horsham Rural City Council  – Flood Watch Update 8

Council is using the one in 20-year flood map as a precautionary exercise. Council has contacted homes in the Horsham urban area and Riverside that the mapping suggests could be affected by a one in 20-year flood and will be providing sandbags directly to these homes. If you have not been contacted, you should not have any impact except you will see water close to your home. With a one in 20-year flood, there should be no water over-floor in the township. Council asks residents to stay alert as there will be some storm water back-up in some streets.

ROAD ALERTS 

Council expects water to affect the following areas in the next 24 hours:

SCHOOL BUSES

Cancellations due to flood event for Friday, September 16: 

YANGA TRACK AT WEIR - is CLOSED

GREEN LAKE

Please be aware that the Green Lake boat ramp cannot be used until all pontoons are floating.

GRAMPIANS MULTI-SPORT CHALLENGE - CANCELLED Sunday, September 18.

UPDATE 

10.30am: A community meeting is being held in Charlton to discuss the flooding of the Avoca River. Watch it here:

UPDATE

10am: Flooding is occurring in the town of Donald, with the Richardson River continuing to rise.

Water is flowing over Camp Street in the township, and a number of roads in the Buloke Shire are closed:

A community meeting will be held in Donald at 1pm at the Donald Public Hall, 33-35 McCulloch Street.

UPDATE

9.40am

STATE Emergency Services has advised major flooding is occurring in the Wimmera Catchment, and the Wimmera River near Glenorchy. 

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy peaked at 4.88 metres about 10pm on Thursday.

It is now at 4.84 metres and falling slowly.

The Wimmera River at Horsham is at 2.81 metres and rising.

The river is likely to exceed to reach the major flood level of 3.6 metres on Saturday evening.

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge is at 5.65 metres and rising.

The Grampians National Park is closed until Friday afternoon due to heavy rainfall, flooding and minor rock-falls.

FRIDAY

9am:

With the rainfall experienced across the Wimmera over the last week many communities are experiencing rising levels of water. Emergency services are not expecting water levels that were experienced in January 2011 – this applies to all locations listed below.

DUNMUNKLE CREEK

BRYNTIRION

Out of bank flows will be occurring along Dunmunkle Creek south of the Bryntirion Forest.

For Saturday, Floodwater will flow within natural drainage lines toward Murtoa although it is not expected to reach Murtoa.

Peak flood heights will be reached on Monday, September 19 but water will remain high for several days.

Those who have experienced property inundation in the past should continue to monitor the situation and prepare their property.

RUPANYUP

Floodwater had reached Rupanyup with Dunmunkle Creek at early evening. Water levels will increase with agricultural areas inundated on Saturday, September 17. Peak Height should arrive on Monday, September 19.

YARRIAMBIACK CREEK

JUNG

Water levels rising slowly in Yarriambiack Creek at Jung but no real increases have been observed, these are expected later today. Water levels will continue to rise relatively rapidly on Saturday and the maximum level at Jung is expected around midday on Monday, September 19.  Residents should stay alert and continue to monitor the situation.

WARRACKNABEAL

Water levels in the Drung area are continuing to rise slowly, with some out of bank flow water levels are approximately 30cm short of levels observed during September 2010. Water levels will continue to rise for around 48 hours before reaching their maximum height in the early hours of the Monday, September 19. Maintaining a high level before beginning to recede around September 21 or 22. 

MACKENZIE RIVER and MT WILLIAM CREEK – UPSTREAM OF LAHARUM

Minor rainfall may bring about small periodic rises in the upper MacKenzie River and this may continue over coming days.

MACKENZIE RIVER, BURNT CREEK and BUNGALALLY CREEK – DOWNSTREAM OF LAHARUM

Residents along the MacKenzie River, Burnt Creek and Bungalally Creek will experience periodic stream rises throughout today and this will continue over the coming days. Residents should stay alert and monitor the situation.

WIMMERA RIVER - GLENORCHY

The Wimmera River has been pretty steady at Glenorchy for the past 12 hours. The gauge was predicted to reach 5.9m, however it may only ready 5.89m. The gauge upstream of Glenorchy at Glynwylln has begun to recede. The travel time between the two gauges is expected to be in the order of 20 hours and flood levels in Glenorchy are expected to recede late evening on September 17.

WIMMERA RIVER -  LONERENONG

Water levels in Longerenong are continuing to rise and water levels are exceeding bank capacity. Water levels will continue to rise and reach their maximum height late on September 17. Please continue to stay alert and monitor the situation.   

WIMMERA RIVER -  DRUNG

Water levels in the Drung area are continuing to rise slowly, with some out of bank flow water levels are approximately 30cm short of levels observed during September 2010.

Water levels will continue to rise for around 48 hours before reaching their maximum height in the early hours of September 19.

WIMMERA RIVER -  RIVERSIDE/EAST HORSHAM

There is currently no water in the Riverside area, however, water levels are rising in the Wimmera River. Water levels will continue to rise and are likely begin inundating some agricultural areas on September 17. As of September 18, water levels will begin to rise reaching bank capacity, with Dooen Swamp filling prior to the Wimmera River breaking its banks. The Wimmera will begin to break its banks in East Horsham around midday on September 18 based on BoM flood heights.

HORSHAM

The Wimmera River at Horsham has continued to climb for the last 36 hours and will exceed minor flood level today. It will continue to rise steadily. 

CHARLTON and DONALD

Emergency services will hold two community meetings on Friday, September 16 to inform people in Charlton, Donald and surrounding areas about the current flood situation and how upcoming weather may impact these communities.

8.30am: Residents in the Lubeck and St Helens Plains area are currently experiencing rapid stream rises and this will continue.  

Landowners in the areas of Longerenong, Drung and Riverside are advised to prepare their property and move stock to higher ground, as it is predicted water levels will continue to rise throughout the day and overnight. 

Further updates to follow throughout the day.

7.45am: The major flood warning for the Wimmera River remains in place.

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy exceeded the major flood level of 4.8 metres around 11pm on Wednesday and was peaking around 4.9 metres just before 6pm yesterday (Thursday). It was expected to fall below the major flood level of 4.80m this morning.

The Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) was at 2.52 metres and rising on Thursday evening. It was likely to exceed the minor flood level (2.80 m) early today.

The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge was at 5.33 metres (minor flood level 4.5 metres) on Thursday evening and rising slowly.

There is a 40 per cent chance of a brief shower in Horsham today. Expect a partly cloudy day with a top of 15 in both Horsham and Edenhope; 14 in Stawell; and 16 in both Nhill and Warracknabeal.

A community meeting is also being held for Donald residents at 1pm today, Friday, September 16, at the Soldiers Memorial Hall in McCulloch Street. This meeting is to provide the local community with an update on the flood situation across the region and Donald area.

UPDATE

THURSDAY

8.10pm

4.33pm

We’ve been working hard to get you in depth coverage of today’s flood warnings and events. 

We’ve got your weekend outlook, predicted peak times and human side of things.

See below for everything from the flood’s effect on crops to story of a trapped couple in desperate need of milk for their cuppa! 

4pm

The state government has indicated it will extend the availability of emergency re-establishment grants to flood-affected households in central Victoria.

The grants of up $32,500 for families whose houses suffer damage in the floods were made available to residents in the Southern Grampians yesterday.

However, Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino told parliament today that he was “sure” they would be broadened to include people in other flood-stricken areas.

The grants are available to help people whose primary place of residence is damaged in a natural disaster to secure emergency accommodation and clean, repair and rebuild homes.

Residents can already access emergency relief assistance of up to $520 per adult and $260 per child, up to a maximum of $1300 per household, to meet immediate needs, including food, clothing and shelter.

Go to www.disasterassist.gov.au and www.emergency.vic.gov.au/relief for more information.

UPDATE 3.45pm

“Victoria is wet. It’s saturated.”

Emergency management commissioner Craig Lapsley expects more towns to be impacted over the next couple of days.

Along with the Avoca River in Charlton, the Richardson River in Donald and the Wimmera River past Horsham are also being monitored. 

More rain is expected early next week.

“It is a significant event. We’ve called it the ‘floods of September 2016’, which tells you we’re expecting it to be around for some time.”

Community meetings will be held in both Donald and Charlton tomorrow.

The Charlton meeting will be held at 10am at the Charlton Public Hall, 9-11 Armstrong Street. 

The Donald meeting will be held at 1pm at the Donald Public Hall, 33-35 McCulloch Street.

The Buloke Shire Council has also advised the Charlton landfill will be closed tomorrow (Friday), due to road closures.

3.15pm

Emergency management commissioner Craig Lapsley has addressed media in relation to the widespread flooding across the state. 

“The state is saturated – rivers are full, and we are now seeing most of our rivers in some sort of flood, or some sort of warning,” he said.

“Charlton is a key area today... There is potential for a small number of houses to be impacted, around about ten homes in the prediction model.”

The Avoca River will continue to rise today, with a peak of 7.5 metres expected at 8am tomorrow (Friday). This is expected to be the highest peak during this incident, but the flood water will stay at this level for about one or two days, Mr Lapsley said.

“Charlton has water around it now, it will continue to rise overnight and tomorrow we will see the peak at 7.5 metres,” he said.

One of the key issues of the day has been the power outage, which has affected almost 8000 homes in the region.

“When you don’t have power for a number of hours, it’s tolerable. When it’s out for a significant amount of time it becomes a problem in every aspect,” Mr Lapsley said.

Powercor is still hopeful power will be restored by nightfall.

1.20pm 

Powercor expects to have power back on for all affected residents by about 6.30pm today.

A workaround is in place, which will take 300-400 customers off in Inglewood for about an hour.

All going well, customers will have power restored by the end of the day, a Powercor spokesperson said.

12.55pm 

HORSHAM Rural City Council said they are preparing for rising river levels in Horsham.

“Council is monitoring the current situation with the ICC and while we anticipate a flood event of 1 in 10 years and we are considering a larger event, to make sure we are prepared if the water levels rise more than anticipated,” they said. 

“Over the next few days, this will result in water levels rising in the Riverside, Drung and Longerenong areas of the Horsham township.

“Residents can view flood level maps on the Wimmera CMA website and view the Wimmera River & Yarriambiack Creek 2009 (inc. Horsham) map and view the 10% and 5% flood maps to understand the extent of potential flooding. http://www.wcma.vic.gov.au/permitsplann…/FloodInvestigations.”

12.48pm 

 VICTORIA’S State Emergency Service said major flooding has occurred at the Wimmera River near Glenorchy, with minor flooding expected towards Horsham and downstream. 

They said the Wimmera River at Glenorchy exceeded the major flood level (4.8 metres) around 11 pm Wednesday and is currently  at 4.87 metres and rising slowly.

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy is expected to peak around 4.90 metres.

SES said the Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) is currently at 2.16 metres and rising and is likely to exceed the minor flood level 2.80 metres Friday morning.

They said minor flooding has occurred in the Wimmera River downstream of Horsham. The Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge is at 5.19 metres, minor flood level 4.5 metres, and rising slowly.

12.25pm 

HORSHAM Incident Control Centre has re-iterated the major flood warning for the Wimmera River near Glenorchy.

Jenny McGennisken said rainfall experienced across the Wimmera has seen rising water levels in many communities. 

She said the centre does not expect water levels to reach those of January 2011.

She said flood waters have not yet peaked at Glenorchy and over the next few days residents below Glenorchy would experience rises in water levels. 

“Early evening rainfalls Wednesday, has seen some minor increase in water levels in the Wimmera River upper catchment. Flooding is occurring along the Wimmera River to Glenorchy,” she said.

Ms McGennisken said residents at Rupanyup and along the Dunmunkle Creek or Yarriambiack Creek should expect to see an increases in water flow on Thursday. 

She said the Incident Control Centre would monitor the situation and will provide updates.

Ms McGennisken said those who have experienced property inundation in the past should continue to monitor the situation and prepare their property.

She warned residents along MacKenzie River, Burnt Creek and Bungalally Creek would experience periodic stream rises throughout Thursday and coming days. 

Residents in Horsham and downstream might experience rises in the Wimmera River in the next 24 to 48 hours. 

Ms McGennisken said the lowering of the Dimboola Weir has allowed more water to continue towards Jeparit.

The flow is currently 2667 ML at Lochiel and this is expected to continue to rise for the next few days.

12.01pm 

After a day cut off from the outside world Halls Gap is rallying now the roads have re-opened!

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2cvmNjJ

“Tourists obviously can’t get in, but it is during the week,” he said.

“The busiest holiday time will be the school holidays coming so it might have more impact then.

“But as long as roads stay open it won’t affect tourism, certainly there are waterfalls running everywhere, which is impressive.”

11.58am 

 The SES has responded to more than 1000 calls for assistance over the past week and has performed 17 flood rescues, the state government said this morning. 

More than 500 SES, CFA, and other emergency services personnel - volunteers and career staff - have been involved in the flood response.

Forty-four homes have been evacuated, 188 roads are closed, and 13 schools will be closed today.

Across the state, roads closed by region: 

11 in the north-east 

57 in the north 

40 in the south-west 

73 in the west

11am 

Powercor has located the fault causing widespread outages to more than 7000 homes, but power is unlikely to be restored any time soon.

“Debris from the floods has brought down a concrete poll in Bridgewater,” a Powercor spokesperson said. “Given the floods, we are looking at ways to bring power back on safely.”

Powercor is working with the Incident Control Centre in Bendigo to find a way to re-erect the poll, but flooding in the area still continues.

“We thank everyone for their patience while we work to safely restore power amid the flood waters to Charlton and its surrounds,” a message on the CitiPower and Powercor Australia Facebook page reads.

If you see a pole or wires down in your area please take a photo and email it totalkingelectricity@powercor.com.au 

10.14am 

LONGERENONG Weather recorder Brett Allender has declared September 2016 the wettest since 1997 and a serious contender for the all-time wet-weather record. 

Mr Allender said 73mm has fallen in the past week which increased September’s midpoint total 79mm.

He said that was already close to double the long-tern monthly average of 41mm. 

“It is already the wettest September since 81.2mm was recorded in 1997 and is well on the way to challenging the all-time record of 121.7mm set in 1979,” he said. 

10.00am 

VICROADS has advised access to Halls Gap has been restored with Grampians Road, Pomonal Road and Ararat-Halls Gap Road reopened. 

A spokesperson said Northern Grampians Road remained closed and would be inspected to determine whether it could be reopened to the Zumsteins carpark. 

“There are still many roads in Western Victoria that remain closed or have water pooled on them due to flooding.  For the latest road closure information visit traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au and listen to radio traffic reports,” they said.

“Drivers need to take care when driving in wet conditions and slow down. If you see that a road may be flooded, don’t try to drive through it, as it only takes about 15cm of water to lose control of your vehicle.”

Drivers can report road hazards to the VicRoads Traffic Management Centre by calling 13 11 70.

9.52am 

Generators are en route to St Arnaud to ensure mobile communications are still available.

Telstra said teams would be on the ground working hard to maintain services for our customers and restore communications in the event of an emergency.

“Power outages in Western and Central Victoria are (so far) not having widespread effects on Telstra exchanges and mobile base stations,” they said,

“We have a range of measures in place to keep communications running including portable generators and backup batteries. Technicians in the field monitor power levels closely and move generators as necessary to charge batteries and keep communications available.”

8.15am 

Tom’s Drones captured this fantastic footage of the Dimboola Weir. See more of how Wimmera residents saw the recent wild weather in our contributed gallery. 

To see your photos or videos included share them with us and let us know about flooding or wild weather in your area through our Facebook page.

8am

More than seven thousand homes are without power in the Donald/St Arnaud area.

A Powercor spokesperson said a fault just before 1am occurred somewhere along the 66 kV line from Bendigo, causing outages to 7800 homes.

The fault is not believed to be due to the flooding, the spokesperson said, but water over the Calder Highway is preventing crews from locating the source.

Crews may have to go by boat in order to gain access to the fault.

“We will be patrolling again this morning but it is not a typical situation in that the floods are preventing us from restoring power,” the spokesperson said.

Powercor is hoping power will be restored by midday, but would reassess the situation once the fault is located.

Locations without power include: Charlton, Birchip, Boort, Donald, St Arnaud, Wedderburn and Wycheproof.

UPDATE

THURSDAY 7.00am 

HORSHAM’S Incident Control Centre said a major flood warning remains in place for Glenorchy. 

The centre’s Anthony Beacham said flooding occurred overnight and the Wimmera River, Glenorchy, reached at 4.84 metres, above the 4.8 metre major flood level.

Mr Beacham said the Wimmera River would continue to rise through Thursday. 

He said Glenorchy residents have been notified and should refer to property flood plans in their property metre box.

Mr Beacham said sandbags were available from the Glenorchy Gold Club.

He said Wimmera residents would see river rises downstream of Glenorchy later this week.

Mr Beacham said the centre anticipated the event would be lower than that experienced in January 2011.

He said Burnt Creek would now recede but McKenzie Creek was still rising.

He said communities between Distribution Heads and Horsham would experience rising stream levels on Thursday, followed by a drop in stream flows. 

Parks Victoria has confirmed Grampians National Park would remain closed until at least 4pm Thursday, when conditions would be re-assessed. 

Mr Beacham said severe weather was no longer expected for Victoria. 

The Wimmera Highway remains closed from Rupanyup to St Arnaud, along with a number of roads between Stawell, Halls Gap and Ararat. 

For all road closures: http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/incidents/555501

Rain for 6.30pm 14/09/2016 to 6.00am 15/09/2016

Horsham AWs: 1.8mm 

Stawell: 1.4mm

Mt William: 0.4mm 

McNeils Bridge: 6.2mm

Fire Dam 159: 6.9mm

PREVIOUSLY

WEDNESDAY 8.12pm 

A NUMBER of Wimmera roads are still closed, including sections of the Wimmera Highway from Rupanyup to Logan. 

For more road closure see below or visit VicRoads.

7.50pm

WIMMERA State Emergency Service said major flooding was expected overnight Wednesday, after the day’s minor to moderate flooding in the Wimmera catchment.

A SES spokesperson said major flooding is expected along the Wimmera River in Glenorchy.

They said the catchment was at 4.75 metres and still rising.

SES said the river near Glenorchy was expected to reach the major flood level, 4.8 metres overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

The spokesperson said flooding would likely develop along the Wimmera River to Horsham later in the week. 

SES said downstream of Horsham minor flooding had occurred. 

They said at Quantong Bridge the Wimmera River was recorded at 5.02 metres, above the minor flood level of 4.5 metres.

For current river levels scroll down.

Flood Safety Advice:

SES advises that all community members should:

• Never walk, ride or drive through floodwater,

• Never allow children to play in floodwater,

• Stay away from waterways and stormwater drains during and after heavy rain,

• Keep well clear of fallen power lines

• Be aware that in fire affected areas, rainfall run-off into waterways may contain debris such as ash, soil, trees and rocks, and heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and debris across roads.

Current Emergency Information is available at http://emergency.vic.gov.au

For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

Current Road and Traffic Information is available at the VicRoads website: http://traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au/

The Grampians National Park is closed to visitors for 48 hours due to heavy rainfall, flooding and minor rock-falls. 

Latest River Heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.73, Steady, 06:26 PM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 2.05, Steady, 04:45 PM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 1.12, Steady, 06:00 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 2.78, Steady, 06:39 PM WED 14/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 1.58, Steady, 06:38 PM WED 14/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 2.50, Steady, 06:39 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 6.07, Steady, 06:36 PM WED 14/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 2.86, Steady, 06:38 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 4.74, Rising, 06:02 PM WED 14/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.45, Steady, 06:37 PM WED 14/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.15, Steady, 06:29 PM WED 14/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 0.42, Steady, 06:17 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 1.65, Steady, 06:36 PM WED 14/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 1.04, Steady, 06:20 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 1.82, Steady, 06:39 PM WED 14/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.30, Steady, 06:32 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 5.03, Steady, 06:11 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 2.66, Steady, 06:36 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 2.36, Rising, 04:45 PM WED 14/09/16

5.31pm

PARKS Victoria has advised heavy rainfall, flooding and minor rock-falls have closed the Grampians National Park.

A spokesperson said the closure would last 48 hours. 

“We are asking the community and visitors to remain out of the park until staff can assess damage and ensure there are no public safety issues,” they said.

Refer to www.parks.vic.gov,au for more information. 

5.21pm 

GLENORCHY residents have been contacted and issued a property flood plan ahead of Wednesday night’s expected Wimmera River peak. 

Horsham Incident Control Centre’s Jenny McGennisken said a major flood warning was in place for the Wimmera River at Glenorchy. 

Ms McGennisken said the river was expected to peak at 4.8 metres at Glenorchy tonight. 

She said residents should refer to their property flood plan located inside the property meter box.

Ms McGennisken said sandbags were available at the Glenorchy Golf Club. 

She said although rivers downstream of Glenorchy would rise over the next few days they were expected to remain within riverbanks. 

Ms McGennisken said water was holding steady in the Mackenzie River at Distribution Heads after the river peaked near Laharum Primary School about 4.30pm. 

She said waters were expected to recede upstream and return to Monday or Tuesday’s level.

Ms McGennisken warned communities between Distribution Heads and Horsham would experience rising stream levels on Wednesday and Thursday. 

She said volume were expected to be four times larger than experience on Monday.

Horsham Incident Control Centre said no rescues have been required so far.

5.03pm 

VICROADS has warned the Western Highway between Horsham and Ballarat is covered in significant amount of water, in sections. 

They said there were a number of road closures throughout the west of Victoria.

Vicroads confirmed roads to Halls Gap remain closed and warned motorists to avoid travel through the area, if possible.

They advised to slow down and observe any signage and speed restrictions.

4.55pm 

THE Bureau of Meteorology has warned a reprieve over the next couple of days might only be temporary. 

 Acting severe weather manager Steven McGibbony said many places in Victoria had recorded more than twice their September rainfall before the middle of the month had been reached. 

He said Hopetoun had recorded 41mm in the first 14 days of September compared with its average September total of 21mm. 

Mr McGibbony said the Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera rivers had experienced major riverine flooding.

He said a low pressure system had resulted in heavy rain and extensive flooding in western Victoria. 

“Probably the most extensive flooding we’ve seen in western Victoria since 2011,” he said. 

“Not quite as bad as what we saw in 2011 but certainly the most significant since then.”

Mr McGibbony said after Wednesday’s rainfall the region would see some reprieve with only slight showers. 

He said up to 20mm of rain could be expected at the weekend in parts of Victoria, which would maintain the current flooding situation. 

Mr McGibbony said another significant weather system would occur next week.

4.18pm 

VICROADS has announced all roads into Halls Gap are closed. 

A spokesperson said flooded roads have blocked access to the tourist town.

They said until further notice Grampians Road, Pomonal Road, Ararat-Halls Gap Road and Northern Grampians Road have all been closed, preventing access to Halls Gap. 

VicRoads crews are inspecting the locations and will advise of the reopening of these roads when possible. 

VicRoads advises drivers to avoid travelling overnight if possible, as many roads in western Victoria are affected by flood waters. 

For the latest road closure information visit traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au and listen to radio traffic reports. Drivers can report road hazards to the VicRoads Traffic Management Centre by calling 13 11 70.

4.00pm 

Neighbours in Murtoa have come to the rescue after a house became inundated with water!

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2cFvonc

3.42pm

Your photos! 

Our photographers have been out and about documenting the weather – but so have Wimmera residents!

Let us know how the wild weather is impacting you!

We’d love to see your pictures and video - share them with us through our Facebook page, by tagging us @Wim_Mail_Times on Twitter.

3.11pm 

HORSHAM Rural City Council have said they are working closely with emergency services to monitor the rising Wimmera River. 

Council said they expect the river to peak on Friday and Saturday but levels have not reached the level experienced in 2011. 

They said the Laharum School bus has been cancelled due to current localised water over roads. 

2.50pm

VICTORIA’s State Emergency Service has declared minor to moderate flooding has occurred in the Wimmera catchment. 

A spokesperson said in the 24 hours to 10am on Wednesday rainfalls up to 25 millimetres were recorded in the Wimmera River catchment. 

They said rain had since eased but a further 10mm to 15mm was predicted for late Wednesday.

Major flooding is expected along the Wimmera River to Glenorchy. 

The spokesperson said said the river was at 4.58 metres and rising. 

They said the river had already reached the moderate flood level of 4.5 metres and was would likely reach the major flood level of 4.8 metres on Wednesday night into Thursday. 

SES warned flooding would likely develop on the Wimmera River to Horsham, later in the week. 

A spokesperson said minor flooding was occurring downstream of Horsham with the Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge having reached 5.04 metres, well above the minor flood level of 4.5 metres. 

Road Closures in Grampians National Park

Mt Zero Rd (between Halls Gap and Plantation campground and between Roses Gap Rd and Mt Zero Rd)

Glenelg River Rd (between Stoney Creek Rd and Roses Creek Rd)

Mt Victory Rd (West of Mackenzie Falls)

Old Mill Rd

Wartook Rd

Redman Rd

Mitchell Rd

Mafeking Rd

Emmet Rd

Red Rock Rd

Mt William Picnic Ground Rd 

Henham Track

Spears Rd 

Latest River Heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.75, Steady, 12:47 PM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 1.92, Rising, 12:45 PM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 1.02, Rising, 12:00 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 3.18, Falling, 02:00 PM WED 14/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 2.03, Falling, 01:59 PM WED 14/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 3.81, Falling, 01:58 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 5.83, Rising, 01:59 PM WED 14/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 3.83, Steady, 01:59 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 4.58, Rising, 01:46 PM WED 14/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.51, Falling, 01:52 PM WED 14/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.27, Steady, 01:38 PM WED 14/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 0.38, Steady, 01:21 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 1.58, Steady, 01:39 PM WED 14/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 1.05, Steady, 01:54 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 1.93, Rising, 01:54 PM WED 14/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.22, Rising, 01:42 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 5.05, Steady, 01:20 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 2.44, Rising, 01:55 PM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 2.26, Falling, 12:45 PM WED 14/09/16

2.17pm 

HINDMARSH Shire Council has prepared the Dimboola and Jeparit weirs to allow for an influx of water from the Wimmera River. 

Council also advised residents water might be on shire roads after the recent heavy rain. 

They asked residents to call 5391 4444 if they see water across roads.

“With 3177 square kilometres of roads, our staff might not have had a chance to get to all affected areas. We will endeavour to place signs on our roadways where water is present,” they said. 

2.02pm 

VICROADS has announced a number of road closures including the Wimmera Highway near Rupanyup.

Barkly Street, Ararat; Five Chain Road, Dimboola; Spears Crsg Road, Dimboola; Auvergne Road, Marnoo; Howard Road, Ledcourt; Granard Park Road, Stawell; and Pomonal Road, Stawell, have also been closed due to flooding.

1.30pm

COUNTRY buses from Horsham schools have been cancelled for Wednesday, Thursday and possibly Friday.

Bus routes one, two, six, seven, nine, ten, 13, 14 and 15 have been affected. 

Families have been asked to collect children from the school as soon as possible so they could get home before the roads close. 

1.17pm 

HORSHAM Incident Control Centre representatives believe water along the McKenzie, Burnt and Bungalally creeks have peaked at Distribution Heads, near Laharum Primary School.

Jenny McGennisken said the peak occurred about 12pm. 

She said flood waters were expected to recede upstream between Distribution Heads and Wartook. 

Ms McGennisken said the creek flows would return to Monday and Tuesday’s level. 

She said communities below Distribution Heads  through to Horsham would experience a rise in stream levels on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Ms McGennisken said the creeks volumes would be four times larger than experienced on Monday, before receding. 

1.07pm 

WIMMERA State Emergency Service has issued a major flood warning for the Wimmera River, Loddon River, Avoca River and Campaspe River. 

SES said in the 24 hours before Wednesday at 9am 67mm were recorded in the areas.

They expect significant river rises in the Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Wimmera basins on Wednesday.

12.07pm

VICROADS have closed all roads in the Grampians National Park.

11.43am 

HORSHAM’s Incident Control Centre have warned residents might experience localised flooding near the Wimmera River, Natimuk Creek, McKenzie Creek, Bungalally Creek and Burnt Creek. 

Jenny McGennisken said a major flood warning was in place for the Wimmera catchment.

She said overnight rainfall rapidly increased the level of Wimmera catchment streams.

Ms McGennisken said Lake Wartook had spilled at a rate of 1000ml/d, a rate higher than September 10^th but lower than January 2011. 

She said a number of Murtoa, Stawell and Warracknabeal properties had been sandbagged due to localised storm water issues. 

Sandbagging has also occurred in low areas for at risk structures. 

Ms McGennisken said crews are on-ground throughout the Wimmera  to monitor conditions. 

The Natimuk Creek is experiencing an increase in stream height to a moderate level.

“Residents need to monitor conditions,” she said.

“A number of roads have suffered damage to surfaces and edges. Do not drive, ride or walk through flood water. Obey traffic restriction signage. Drive carefully and patiently if you need to travel.

“Those who have experienced property inundation should be aware and prepare their property. If you require assistance call 132 500. There is currently a high volume of calls to SES from across the state.”

Ms McGennisken said the weather is expected to clear over the next few days with rain predicted to return Saturday. 

She said a levy has been breached in Hamilton with some residents being evacuated. 

11.31am 

WiMMERA State Emergency Services have confirmed minor flooding has occurred in the Wimmera catchment, with moderate to major flooding expected to develop on Wednesday. 

SES said the Wimmera River in Glenorchy was measured at 2.8m and still rising. 

They said it will reach a moderate flood level of about 4.5m late Wednesday morning and might reach the major flood level of 4.8m overnight into Thursday morning. 

Sergeant Bill Alford said five houses had been sandbagged in Glenorchy.

“The Wimmera River is up on the banks at Glenorchy and flowing very briskly towards Horsham,” he said. 

“It’d be 30 meters wide at least.”

SES said minor flooding has occurred downstream of Horsham, with the Wimmera River reaching the minor flood level at Quantong Bridge. 

For a full list of river heights and road closures scroll down. 

11.20am 

THE WESTERN Highway has reopened, but police have urged caution when considering travel.

VicRoads said the road between Stawell Road, Horsham and Stawell-Warracknabeal Road, Deep Lead has reopened with some restrictions in place. 

However, Stawell police have advised Halls Gap residents to remain in Halls Gap, with all but one road out of the town closed. 

Sergeant Bill Alford said Zumsteins Road and Ararat Halls Gap Road were both at least two foot under water. 

“There’s no access to Halls Gap,” he said. 

“The only road open is the Dunkeld-Halls Gap Road south of Halls Gap.

“All roads north are inundated.”

Sergeant Alford said police would monitor the situation and liaise with VicRoads.

“I’d advise people to stay in Halls Gap,” he said. 

“Stay out of flood water, don’t attempt to drive through it, you don’t know how deep it will be. 

“Use common sense.”

Sergeant Alford said there have been no rescues or trapped vehicles. 

Road Closures

Please note that several roads in the Grampians National Park are closed:

Mt Zero rd (between Halls Gap and Plantation campground)

Glenelg River Rd (between Stoney Creek rd and Boreang Campground)

Mt Victory Rd (West of Mackenzie Falls)

Old Mill Rd

Wartook Rd

Pomonal Road, Stawell 

Latest River Heights:

Location, Height of River (m), Tendency, Date/Time of Observation

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge, 0.78, Steady, 08:15 AM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Rich Avon Weir, 1.89, Steady, 09:45 AM WED 14/09/16

Richardson River U/S Donald, 0.94, Steady, 08:45 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Eversley, 3.81, Falling, 10:20 AM WED 14/09/16

Mt Cole Creek at Crowlands, 2.37, Rising, 10:19 AM WED 14/09/16

Wattle Creek at Navarre, 4.42, Rising, 10:16 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glynwylln, 5.32, Rising, 10:17 AM WED 14/09/16

Concongella Creek at Stawell, 3.95, Steady, 10:15 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Glenorchy, 4.24, Rising, 10:21 AM WED 14/09/16

Fyans Creek at Fyans Creek, 0.60, Steady, 10:18 AM WED 14/09/16

Mt William Creek D/S Lake Lonsdale, 0.27, Rising, 09:58 AM WED 14/09/16

Yarriambiack Creek at Murtoa (Jung), 0.37, Steady, 08:10 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Drung Drung, 1.57, Steady, 08:49 AM WED 14/09/16

Burnt Creek at Wonwondah East, 1.03, Steady, 10:18 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer), 1.84, Steady, 10:20 AM WED 14/09/16

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek, 1.18, Steady, 10:07 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Quantong Bridge, 5.00, Rising, 10:13 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River U/S Dimboola, 2.26, Steady, 10:17 AM WED 14/09/16

Wimmera River at Lochiel, 2.30, Falling, 09:45 AM WED 14/09/16

10.44am 

Mt William has been named the wettest location in Victoria by the Bureau of Meteorology. 

The bureau said Mt William had the highest rainfall total in Victoria with 104mm in the past 48 hours.

Other high rainfall areas included Blackwood at 87mm, Maryborough at 78mm and Trentham at 81mm. 

The bureau said some parts of Victoria recorded more than their average September rainfall in less than a week. 

They said more rain is expected to develop across Victoria over the weekend and again mid next week.   

10.14am

Tuesday’s wild weather brought mixed results for residents, with farmer’s delighting while emergency services declared a flood watch for part’s of the region. 

Green Lake, Wimmera River, Rocklands and Toolondo reservoirs have all received water. See, hear and catch up on the news with videos and photos here.

The heavy rain also brought a flood watch to the region.

9.32am

WIMMERA State Emergency Services have warned Natimuk residents to be alert and aware as Natimuk Creek rises. 

Jenny McGennisken of Horsham’s Incident Control Centre said residents needed to monitor the situation closely, especially those who had experienced flooding in previous years. 

“Natimuk is currently experiencing a moderate rise of stream height this morning residents need to be monitoring the situation and for those previously inundated with flood water to be aware and prepare their property,” she said.

Ms McGennisken said on-the-ground observers were monitoring the creek’s level and the situation.

She said the Victorian State Emergency Service had received a large amount of calls for assistance and asked residents to be patient.

“If you require any assistance please ring 132 500 however due to overwhelming number of requests to assistance to SES may be a delay getting through. Keep trying,” she said.

“Of course life threatening situation always ring triple 000.”

Parks Victoria have confirmed Red Rock Road and Henham Track near the Grampians National Park are closed.

PREVIOUSLY:

7.26am 

THE Western Highway is closed between Horsham and Stawell due to flooding.

VicRoads said the highway is closed in both directions between Horsham and Deep Lead.

Motorists are advised to detour via the Wimmera Highway to Rupanyup and Stawell-Warracknabeal Road to Deep Lead.

At Glenorchy, water is over the shoulders of the Western Highway near Howards rest area. 

Motorists are advised to take care through the area as speed restrictions apply.

At Donald, the Laen-Cope Cope Road from Donald-Avon Plains Road at Cope Cope to the Sunraysia Highway has been closed due to flooding.

Minor flooding is occurring in parts of the Wimmera catchment.

Since 9am Monday rainfall totals of between 20mm and 45mm have been recorded in the Wimmera River catchment. 

At Mt William in the Grampians, more than 75mm has been recorded. 

Further falls of between 5mm and 25mm are forecast for Wednesday with the higher totals generally in the upper reaches of the catchment.

Minor flooding is expected along the Wimmera River to Glenorchy.

The Wimmera River at Glenorchy is currently 2.80 metres and rising. The Wimmera River at Glenorchy is likely to reach minor flood level (4.00m) Wednesday afternoon.

Downstream of Horsham, minor flooding is occurring in the Wimmera River at Quantong.

Quantong bridge is above the minor flood level of 4.5 metres.

7.30am 

Latest river height

Wimmera River at Glenorchy  – 3.60m and rising (below minor)

Mt William Creek at Lake Lonsdale - 0.25m and steady  

Wimmera River at Drung Drung – 1.57m and steady   

Mackenzie River at Mckenzie Creek - 1.14m and steady  

Natimuk Creek at McNeils Bridge - 0.79m and steady 

Wimmera River at Lochiel - 2.34m and falling

Wimmera River at Horsham (Walmer) – 1.67m and rising 

Wimmera River at Quantong – 4.885m and steady (minor flooding)

Wimmera River at Dimboola – 2.13m and steady

State Emergency Service Advice to residents:

Stay informed - monitor local conditions and be aware of the situation

Floodwater is dangerous - never drive, walk or ride through floodwater

Floodwater is toxic - never play or swim in floodwater

Farmers should move machinery and livestock to higher ground

Check your emergency plan and locate your emergency kit

Emergency Contacts

For flood or storm emergency assistance from the SES call 132 500

For life-threatening emergencies call Triple Zero (000)

Additional information

Road Closures: vicroads.vic.gov.au phone 131 170

Weather Warnings and River Heights: bom.gov.au phone 1300 659 217

SES Information: ses.vic.gov.au