Key points
- Authorities are warning Victorians against travelling to flooded areas this long weekend.
- At least 430 roads remain closed across the state.
- More rain is forecast for this weekend, which could cause further road damage.
Emergency services are warning Victorians to avoid flood-affected areas and watch for damaged roads as they prepare for holidaymakers to travel across the state over the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
At least 430 roads remain closed and more rain over the weekend may result in further closures. Many roads across the state suffered extensive damage during the recent flood crisis.
Echuca remains under an evacuation warning. Credit:Jason South
Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said there was still a flood emergency in Victoria, with more than 50 warnings in place, ranging from advice messages to evacuation warnings.
“Please, in the main, stay away from those flood-impacted areas,” he said.
Parts of Echuca were still under an evacuation warning on Thursday night.
Authorities also warned the north-western town of Kerang on the Loddon River would soon be isolated by floodwater, and it was too late to leave.
The Department of Environment’s acting chief fire officer, Allyson Lardner, said some state parks and national forests had been closed due to flood damage, particularly in northern Victoria.
She said travellers should visit the Parks Victoria website to check whether parks and forests would be open before travelling to them.
“Camping and visitor access might be limited,” she said.
The Snowy River burst its banks in Victoria’s east this week, while residents in the state’s north face a long and smelly wait before the clean-up can properly begin.
A flooded home in Echuca. More rain is expected across Victoria this weekend. Credit:Jason South
Orbost in East Gippsland experienced major flooding, with many roads shut and residents urged to move to higher ground.
Agricultural land surrounding the town has been impacted, according to the secretary of the local chamber of commerce, Garry Squires.
He said Orbost had endured a difficult few years through drought, bushfires, the pandemic and now floods.
“The communities are very resilient, but it is tough,” Squires said.
A kangaroo jumps across a levee in Echuca.Credit:Jason South
“There are lots of things happening, and it affects people economically and certainly the inconvenience of the whole thing.”
Possible thunderstorms were forecast in eastern parts of Victoria and Melbourne’s northern suburbs on Thursday night, with more rain to come over the weekend.
Residents in Echuca along the Murray River noticed a stench coming from stagnant water that has engulfed dozens of homes on the “wrong side” of a levee built to protect the town from the worst of the rising water.
Resident Michelle McLeod said she believed the “vile” smell came from overwhelmed sewerage systems and rotting animal carcasses in floodwater.
“We opened the window the other day to let a bit of fresh air in and had to shut it straight away and light candles,” McLeod said.
Authorities said the Murray peaked earlier in the week, but McLeod said an extra 10 centimetres of water had crept up on her property on Wednesday.
She was concerned the clean-up would not be able to begin for several days and was unsure whether authorities would be able to assist her.
More than 4000 cubic metres of hard waste has been removed from the inner Melbourne council area of Maribyrnong, which was inundated with floodwater a fortnight ago.
Disaster Relief Australia has helped residents from more than 425 properties clear debris from their homes.
Moderate flooding continues along the Avoca, Campaspe, Goulburn and Loddon rivers, as well as creeks near Euroa and Benalla.
With AAP
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