The Australian Defence Force will double its assistance to flood-affected residents in Victoria, as the state’s premier, Daniel Andrews, warns the crisis is “far from over” with more rain forecast for the coming days.
“We are going to see more rain, we’ve still got many thousands of people with homes full of water, others who can’t go back because they have left and are now cut off from their home,” Andrews said on Tuesday afternoon.
“There’s still some very serious challenges for us to rise to over these coming days.”
Michael Efron from the Bureau of Meteorology said a thunderstorm was developing over the Mallee region, which was forecast to hit on Wednesday afternoon before extending further south on Thursday.
The rainfall would not be as heavy or widespread as last week, but there could be localised falls of up to 50mm near and north of the Great Dividing Range, he said.
“Those sorts of amounts could lead to flash flooding but also lead to river rises as well,” Efron said.
Friday will see a further 5 to 15mm of rain across Victoria, with the state’s northeast to be hit with up to 50mm.
More rain is expected over the weekend and early next week.
The border towns of Echuca and Moama are bracing for a “one in 1,000 year” flood to hit, with authorities fearing existing levees won’t hold the water.
On Echuca’s main street, dozens of volunteers sprung into action on Monday morning, fortifying shopfronts from the expected deluge.
Local resident Mark Oliver contributed to the preparations after evacuating his family to Melbourne.
“It’s been a constant stream of people turning up and working their guts out. We’re just getting it done,” he said.
“This is an unprecedented time. My father is 75, he’s lived here all his life, and this is the worst he’s ever seen it.”
The peak at Echuca wharf is forecast to be in excess of the 2011 floods.
Some 300 residents had evacuated the town on Monday, while 3,000 were on standby to leave on Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities worked overnight to build a two-kilometre levee bank on the eastern side of Echuca to protect the town centre from rising waters, while sacrificing a smaller portion of houses.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 60 warnings on the VicEmergency website, including evacuation orders for Echuca and Barmah on the Murray River, Kerang along the Loddon River and Rochester, near the Campaspe River.
Shepparton residents have been told it is now too late to leave, while those in Kerang are bracing for being cut off for up to two weeks by flood waters.
Tania Sutherland and her husband - who were in Kerang during the 2011 floods - are shocked they are again in flood preparation mode.
“They told us it was a one in 100-year flood and now eleven years later we’re here preparing for it again,” Sutherland said.
The couple, whose farm is about 25km outside Kerang, have moved their 2,000 sheep and 150 cows to paddocks they hope will be spared the worst of the flooding.
Emergency management commissioner, Andrew Crisp, said Victoria was currently in “all phases of emergency”, with evacuations occurring in several parts of the state, while recovery and clean up is underway in others.
To aid with both efforts, Crisp has requested the support of additional ADF members, which has been approved by the commonwealth, with their presence to grow from about 200 to 400 personnel in coming days.
Two more ADF helicopters will also be deployed to assist with evacuations, deliver food and supply feed to livestock.
Clean up work has also begun in Rochester, south of Echuca, where 85% of the town has flooded.
More than 700 flood rescues have been made since the disaster began.
It’s estimated about 15,000 people have so far been displaced by the floods.
The premier said “a handful” of people have arrived at the Mickleham quarantine facility in Melbourne’s north.
