RESIDENTS in Casterton and Coleraine have been able to return to their flood-damaged properties and begin the clean-up.
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While rain is expected to continue to swell the Glenelg River for the rest of the week, the height of the river is not expected to rise to the flood levels experienced on the weekend.
SES controller at the incident control centre in Heywood, Ray Jasper, said rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning would lift levels in the Glenelg to around 4.8 metres.
While this is high, it remains well below the 6.1 metres recorded on the weekend.
Mr Jasper said if forecasts proved to be correct, increased flows would continue but there would be no major inconvenience to residents.
Owners of the 20 households and businesses that suffered flood damage in Casterton and Coleraine have been able to return to their properties now the flood waters have subsided. The process of assessing and fixing the damage now begins.
Pressure on the Moyne River has eased with water levels falling on Tuesday.
The river gauge at Toolong rose to 3.81 metres over the weekend but by Tuesday afternoon had fallen to 2.57.
Port Fairy SES unit controller Stephen McDowell said a close eye was being kept on the height of the river.
“The Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority monitors the gauge and they keep us informed about the levels,” Mr McDowell said.
“When the gauge hits four metres, we then have the potential for properties to be under threat.
“From the gauge until when that level hits Port Fairy is eight hours so it gives us a bit of time to prepare.
“It will depend on what happens as the week goes on but at this stage we are comfortable with the water levels.”
Port Fairy’s most famous flood was back in 1946 when much of the town was underwater.
The level of the river then rose to 5.7 metres, a mark that has not been equaled since.
The closest to this level came in 1978 when the river climbed to 4.5 metres.
As well as the Moyne River, Port Fairy SES is also monitoring the rise of the Shaw and Eumeralla rivers north of Macarthur.
Mr McDowell said like the Moyne, the Shaw and Eumeralla rivers were at high but not dangerous levels.
