Tuesday updates: Residents in parts of East Moama given evacuation warning; Construction of levee bank continues in Echuca
The NSW SES has issued a directive for people in the following parts of East Moama to evacuate before 1pm on Wednesday due to rising floodwaters.
Old Deniliquin Road, Barnes Road, Holmes Street, Warden Street, Council Street, Victoria Street, Moama Street and Cadell Street featured in the emergency warning issued at 4.17pm.
You must evacuate before this time because evacuation routes will close due to rising floodwaters.
NSW SES also directed residents located around Backwater Creek in Moama, including Louies Hut Road, Webb Road, and parts of Old Deniliquin Road to evacuate before 5pm earlier today.
9AM: The race is on for the construction of a massive levee bank in Echuca ahead of the expected peak of the Murray River this week.
The levee bank, set to be about 2.5km in length, is being built following the news at Monday’s community meeting at Echuca East that the current levees in place are not big enough.
The meeting was told the Murray River expected to peak at 95.9m (AHD) at Echuca Wharf in the coming days.
“The peak of the Murray River is expected to 95.9m at the Echuca Wharf,” an official from Emergency Management Victoria said at the meeting.
“What we don’t understand yet, because of the significance of this event, are the things like the levee bank that was built around Moama before the records were taken.
“This is potentially what we talk about being a one in 1000 year event.
“There are things that are happening that have never been recorded before. I am not sugarcoating this, this is serious.”
If that eventuates it would be the highest recorded level since 1870 when the river reached 96.2m.
Even though work is underway to construct the levee, it will not be enough to protect all homes in the area, which are on the riverside of the levee.
Widespread inundation is also expected in Echuca Village, which is outside the range of the levee.
Residents can see the expected flooding in the area by checking this map.
The interactive map lets people put in their home address, which shows exactly where their property is in relation to the predicted floodwaters.
VicEmergency last night again issued an evacuate immediately warning for parts of Echuca and Echuca Village.
The latest river levels are as follows:
Murray River at Echuca Moama: 94.28m AHD (steady) at 6am.
Murray River at Torrumbarry: 7.83m (steady) at 7am.
Campaspe River at Echuca: 95.82m AHD (falling slowly) at 7.30pm.
VicEmergency said the Campaspe River is expected to continue falling slowly, but is likely to remain around the major flood level (95.70m AHD) overnight Monday into Tuesday due to elevated Murray River levels.
While the Campaspe River is falling, there threat of flooding is still not yet over.
As the Murray River peaks, there is a chance that water in the Campapse will backtrack and levels will rise again, with more flooding a strong possibility.
On Monday, emergency crews and residents re-enforced sandbag walls along Campaspe Esplanade, while additional sandbags were placed on top of the levee next to the oval at 208 Echuca Primary School.
A major flood warning was issued for Wharparilla last night.
VicEmergency said flooding is starting to impact residents around Glyn Road.
It followed an earlier moderate flood warning for residents around O’Dwyer Road.
A major flood warning is in place for Campaspe downstream of Rochester.
VicEmergency said widespread flooding is occurring east of the Campapse River downstream of Rochester.
The communities of Nanneella, Fairy Dell, Koyuga and Kanyapella South are currently being impacted.
CURRENT ROAD CLOSURES IN PLACE
Rochester
Township remains closed
Many roads to the west of the township are closed. At this stage we are not able to access the area to advise details.
There is little access from Rochester to Bamawm / Lockington - particular roads impacted:
Prairie Rochester Road
Foster Road
Railway Road
O'Donnel Road
Echuca
Northern Highway - from Fehring Lane south all the way to Elmore
Echuca Kyabram Road C351 (McKenzie Road) - from Echuca-Nanneella Road to Kyabram
Simmie Road - from Murray Valley Highway to O'Dea Road
Campaspe Esplanade - from Rose Street to Warren Street
McKenzie Street - from Ogilvie Avenue to Eyre Street (Back 9 Golf Course)
Eyre Street - from McKenzie Street to Haverfield Street
Kerford Street - from Sutton Street to Mitchell Street (sandbagging site)
Ogilvie Avenue - from Crossen Street to Haverfield Street
Warren Street - from Cobb Highway to Murray Valley Highway
Anderson Road from Campbell Road to Menzies Road
Ash Street from High Street to Pine Street
Watson Street from Hopwood Place to Crofton Street
Elizabeth Street from Campaspe Esplanade to Shackell Street
Butcher Street from Campaspe Esplanade to Shackell Street
Luth Street from Campaspe Esplanade to Crossen Street
Murray Esplanade from Leslie Street to Hopwood Place
Pakenham Street from Sutton Street to Bowen Street
Bowen Street from Goulburn Road to Pakenham Street
Echuca Village
Simmie Road - from McKee Road to the riverbank
Stewarts Bridge Road - from Echuca Village to Wallala Road
Kyabram / Tongala / Strathallan / Nanneella
Echuca Kyabram Road from Simmie Road to Kyabram
Henderson Road from Finlay Road to Graham Road
O'Dea Road from Echuca-Nanneella Road to Murray Valley Highway
Doherty Road from Craig Road to Webb Road
Wyuna
Murray Valley Highway from Scobie Road to McCoys Bridge
Patho
Davis Road from Murray Valley Highway to McIntyre Road
Ballendella
Prarie-Rochester Road from Northern Highway to Lockington Road