***For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500***
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
How much rain have you had at your place? Got a photo of the flooding to share? Use #swfloods on social media or email jess.grimble@fairfaxmedia.com.au
UPDATE 10.46pm: Emergency services say they are not expecting any significant rainfall tonight but advise residents to keep sandbags in place.
Incident Controller Bernard Barbetti said water levels were steady across the region with SES crews monitoring Mount Emu Creek at Skipton.
“A flood warning is still in place,” he said. “But at this stage our flood analysts believe it will not rise.”
He said houses had been sandbagged in anticipation of rising water but no serious issues were predicted overnight.
At this stage the water is steady and flood analysts believe it will not rise.
“Given that everything is soaked we’re telling people not to pull sandbags just yet,” he said.
“There is a rainfall potential next week and given that everything is soaked, we could be back here again.”
Mr Barbetti reminded residents to never enter flood water.
“There’s an awful lot of minor flooding,” he said. “So take care on roads.”
UPDATE 9.34pm:
Victoria Police media spokesman says the search for the missing driver at Wallacedale will continue in the morning.
“It’s too wet and dark to continue tonight,” he said.
“So teams have stood down with a small number remaining to resume in the morning.”
Victoria Police and the Victoria State Emergency Service remind residents to never enter flood water and to drive to conditions.
UPDATE 8.21pm:
.
.
.
UPDATE 7.48pm: A search is currently underway for the driver of a vehicle swept away by floodwater this evening.
A police media spokesman said a ute was impacted by floodwater at 5pm when it entered a creek on Wallacedale-byaduk Road.
The ute was located in a dam near Hamilton where Victoria Police and 12 members from Victoria State Emergency Service now search for a missing person.
“At this stage police do not believe the driver is in the vehicle and are still trying to establish his whereabouts,” he said.
SES incident controller Ray Jasper advised others in the south-west to never to drive through flood water.
“We’ve been saying it all day,” he said.
“Never enter flood water. You don’t know what’s in it.”
UPDATE 6.30pm:
.
.
UPDATE 5.50pm: SES incident controller Ray Jasper confirmed reports a ute had been swept into a dam near Hamilton and said emergency services were responding.
No further details were available at this time, he said.
He said although he was feeling "pretty positive" as flood waters that had been threatening properties in Hamilton continued to go down, the evacuation order may remain in place into the night.
Mr Jasper said engineers were monitoring the permanent and temporary levees every hour, and residents would not be advised to return to their homes until it was completely safe.
“Until we can be sure they are 100 per cent safe we won’t put them back in,” he said.
UPDATE 5.40pm:
.
.
UPDATE 4.50pm: V/Line’s Warrnambool to Melbourne train service was forced off the rails and onto the road on Wednesday.
Coaches replaced the 12.08pm and 5.50pm services from Warrnambool and the 1.21pm and 7.12pm services from Melbourne.
A V/Line spokesperson said the switch to coaches was unavoidable.
“V/Line crews have reported flooding in some sections of the line, which is having an impact on tracks and signalling equipment,” the spokesperson said.
“The return of Warrnambool trains (Thursday) will be dependent on the weather and the condition of the track.
“Crews will inspect the track to ensure it is safe to operate trains.”
.
.
The road trip was longer than normal with traffic along the Princes Highway diverted west of Winchelsea from early Wednesday morning.
That road closure was one of many across the region.
Warrnambool City and the shires of Corangamite, Moyne, Glenelg and Southern Grampians all had road closures across the day.
Morning drop-off at St Josephs Primary School in Warrnambool was disrupted with the closure of Queens Road and Bromfield Street.
SES incident controller Ray Jasper said unexpected heavy rains had raised water levels.
"When you get 40mm of rain in 24 hours, which Warrnambool has received, it does put pressure on," Mr Jasper said.
Mr Jasper said while much of the Russells Creek walking trail is under water, he expects the levee to stop any properties along the track from getting damaged.
At Coleraine, water levels were receding on Wednesday after 20mm of rain overnight on Tuesday.
SES crews continued to were closely monitor water levels in the main street on Wednesday.
Casterton has recorded 50mm of rain in the past five days and remains on flood watch.
But with levels slowly falling, SES were confident no properties would be damaged.
In Corangamite, a bridge on the Cobden-Port Campbell Road 10km north of Port Campbell near McKenzie Lane was closed due to damage. VicRoads are assessing its condition.
A relief centre was set up at the Skipton football club and sand bagging in the town is ongoing.
Corangamite Shire continues to monitor the situation.
.
.
UPDATE 4.45pm: A Warrnambool City Council spokesman said Bromfield Street and Queens Road remain closed to traffic due to flooding.
Council have also urged driver caution on roads that are open but are impacted by water.
These include Dry Lakes Road, Boiling Down Road, the intersection of Stafford and Rodgers roads, Manuka Drive and the west of Wollaston Road.
UPDATE 4.35pm: Flood-affected residents in the Southern Grampians can now access emergency funds for disaster assistance.
Those experiencing personal hardship and distress can apply for up to $520 per adult and $260 per child to meet immediate needs.
Emergency food, shelter, clothing and personal items can be purchased with a maximum grant of $1300 per household.
Up to $32,500 is also available to households experiencing financial hardship, who have been flood affected at their primary place of residence.
These Emergency Re-establishment Payments assist flood victims with clean-up, emergency accommodation, repairs, rebuilding and the replacement of some damaged contents.
Victorian Emergency Services minister James Merlino said the grants would help people whose homes had been damaged.
“We are closely monitoring the flood situation and will make assistance available to other areas if required,” he said.
“Anyone who has been affected by the flooding should call the Victorian Emergency Recovery Information Line on 1300 799 232 for help.”
Mr Merlino announced the activation of disaster assistance alongside and Justice minister Michael Keenan on Wednesday, September 14, following visits to flood affected areas.
Click here or click here for more information about disaster assistance.
UPDATE 4.10pm:
.
.
.
.
.
UPDATE 3.30pm: Heavy rain has recently swept across Warrnambool, adding 4mm to rain totals in the past hour.
This brings the total to in excess of 33mm recorded in the past 36 hours at the Warrnambool airport, and more than 90mm since Friday.
The deluge has eased in Hamilton, where 30mm fell between 2.30pm yesterday and 7.30am this morning. The monthly total to date in Hamilton is 111.2mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Portland airport has recorded 103.6mm for the month, including 87mm since Friday.
Casterton recorded 21mm overnight, adding to the 50mm that has fallen over the past five days.
Mortlake has had 52mm fall over the past three days, including 39.6mm between 2.30pm yesterday and 10.30am this morning.
Mt Gellibrand near Colac received almost 72mm over the past three days, including nearly 46mm in the 24 hours before 9am today.
.
.
UPDATE 3pm: Play has been restricted at Warrnambool Golf Club with heavy rain taking its toll on the course.
On Wednesday, club officials made the decision to close the back nine holes of the course due to its wet condition.
A collection of hardy golfers still took to the front nine, taking on the wet-weather challenge.
“We will monitor the course, it is a day-by-day thing,” Warrnambool Golf Club general manager Trevor Brown said.
“The course was closed on Monday and Tuesday but that was not weather related, they were planned maintenance days.”
.
.
UPDATE 2.40pm: A sodden Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail has robbed the district of one of its premier athletic events.
The Koroit to Warrnambool Half Marathon has been cancelled for 2016.
The race, which takes place annually along the rail trail, was scheduled for Sunday but was called off with a large section of the trail under water.
Warrnambool Athletics Club president John Keats said continued wet weather had scuttled plans to hold the event at a later date.
“We are gutted it won’t be going ahead,” Mr Keats said.
“But at this stage the rail trail will be under water for a couple of weeks yet and when it does clear it will be pretty soft for a while.
“The safety of the participants is our main focus. It will be back next year.”
.
.
Meanwhile in Ballarat, our sister paper, The Courier, writes: “Sometimes it’s difficult to grasp the full magnitude of a flood from ground level.”
Check out the Ballarat floods from the air via this link.
.
UPDATE 2.20pm: Hamilton resident Rosemary Barker said she received a text message from the SES warning her about flooding and advising residents to evacuate about 9am today, but she decided to stay at her Abbott Street home and see what happened.
Just before midday she received the news that a temporary flood levee was likely to hold and her home would probably not be inundated.
Ms Barker said she was relieved, but did not feel the threat had passed.
"If we're getting this rain this afternoon that's been forecast, we're not going to be okay," she said.
"I know it's hard to say but if we get 20mm this afternoon, where is it going to go?
Ms Barker said she and her neighbours would just have to wait and see what happened.
She has lived in the street for 14 years, and said it was the first time she had seen water come so close to her home.
"I'm just hoping and praying," Ms Barker said.
"What else can you do?"
.
.
The SES says the evacuation warning remains for the Grange Burn at Apex Drive, Holden and Abbott streets in Hamilton.
Residents who have already evacuated should not return home until a “Safe to Return” notification is issued, they said.
A relief centre is at Hamilton Indoor Leisure and Aquatic Centre, 83 Shakespeare Street in Hamilton.
UPDATE 2.15pm:
.
.
.
UPDATE 2pm: Jessa Fleming tells us via Facebook that Gorae West has received 107mm of rain since Thursday – and it’s still coming.
Tim Don O’Keeffe has recorded 72mm at his Terang property since Thursday, while Gus Bourke recorded 80mm at his place, also at Terang.
.
.
UPDATE 1.40pm: For Lorraine McNaughton, winter time means throwing her rubber boots in the car when she heads off to work.
For 14 years, Ms McNaughton has been the crossing supervisor on Queens Road at St Joseph’s Primary School in Warrnambool.
Given the low-laying location of the school, Ms McNaughton is never surprised when flood waters come.
On Wednesday, Ms McNaughton was directing children around the road rather than across it.
Heavy rain had flooded Queens Road, closing both the road and the crossing.
Ms McNaughton said water on the road is an annual occupational hazard.
“Each year we get some flooding on Queens Road,” Ms McNaughton said.
“It was fine on Monday and Tuesday but today (Wednesday) it was under water.
“When it floods like this I’m there to direct the children to a safe, dry path to school. It can be tempting for children to go through the water but they always do the right thing.”
.
.
UPDATE 1.10pm: Angela Phillips said she and her husband Ian worked until 1am this morning, trying to protect their Abbott Street property in Hamilton from flood waters.
The water from the Grange Burn reached their backyard and carport, but fortunately did not inundate their home.
Ms Phillips said they have lived at the property for 42 years and had never seen anything like it.
Their street was evacuated by the SES this morning, but a temporary levee has held and their property is likely to remain safe from flooding.
.
.
UPDATE 1pm: Moyne Shire Council has announced the following road closures: Grassmere Road to Ibbs Lane intersection, Bromfields Road to intersection Harris Road, Woolsthorpe.
.
.
UPDATE 12.50pm: Fears that Hamilton properties on Abbott and Holden streets would be inundated if a temporary flood levee failed have now subsided, SES unit duty officer Bruce Farquharson says.
Mr Farquharson said fortunately the flood waters looked unlikely to rise over the next few hours, and the SES would continue to monitor the situation.
.
.
UPDATE 12.40pm: The list of roads closed in the Corangamite Shire continues to grow.
The updated list includes: Cooriemungle Road-Boorook Road to Gallum Road, Smokey Point Road, Cobden-Port Campbell Road at Alsops Bridge, Mables Road and Digneys Bridge Road, Garners Road and Tesbury Road, Bostocks Creek, Bullaharre and Shenfields Roads, Lower Darlington Road Gnarpurt between Gnarpurt Road and Collins Lane, Smythe Street Skipton at the bridge over Mt Emu Creek.
.
.
UPDATE 12.35pm: Port Fairy is on track for its wettest September in two decades.
So far this month, 81mm of rain has fallen on the town, closing in on the 91mm that fell in 2009, the highest rainfall figure since 1994.
Members of the Port Fairy SES unit have been busy monitoring the situation and helping keep the roads safe.
Unit controller Stephen McDowell said it has been a challenging week.
“This morning (Wednesday) we will have been out since 3.30am making sure it is safe with all the water on the road,” Mr McDowell said.
“The main areas were Port Fairy-Hamilton Road and Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road. They are both 100km/h roads so we were out there making people aware the water was on the roads and that people need to drive very carefully.
“Most of the rainfall on Tuesday night and this morning (Wednesday) has been north of Broadwater so there has not been as much at the southern end.”
The Moyne River gauge at Toolong rose to worrying levels last weekend. The gauge recorded a reading of 3.81 metres but by Wednesday morning had fallen to 2.70.
Mr 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 biggest 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.
UPDATE 12.25pm:
.
.
.
UPDATE 12.15pm: The SES has advised a bridge on the Cobden-Port Campbell Road is closed.
The bridge, 10km north of Port Campbell near McKenzie Lane, is being assessed by police and engineers.
Meanwhile, a soaking across the past 24 hours has water levels high in Warrnambool.
"When you get 40mm of rain in 24 hours, which Warrnambool has received, it does put pressure on," SES incident controller Ray Jasper said.
Mr Jasper said while much of the Russells Creek walking trail is under water, he expects the levee to stop any properties getting damaged.
At Coleraine, water levels are now receding after 20mm of rain overnight.
SES crews were closely monitoring water levels in the main street early this morning.
But with levels slowly falling, SES were confident no property would be damaged.
.
.
.
.
.
UPDATE noon: Flooding has blocked access to the Twelve Apostles. Corangamite Shire says the Twelve Apostles underpass is flooded and access to the boardwalk is closed. The walking track from the Twelve Apostles to Gibson Steps is also closed.
Visitors can still access the car park, kiosk and helicopter tours.
UPDATE 11.55am:
.
.
UPDATE 11.50am: The SES says six to seven properties in Skipton are under threat from flooding.
A relief centre has been opened at the Skipton football club and sand bagging in the town is ongoing.
Corangamite Shire says it is monitoring the situation closely and will provide further updates when they become available.
UPDATE 11.45am: Are you Ballarat-bound today? Keep up-to-date with flooding here.
For those travelling to the Grampians today, you might want to change your plans…
.
.
UPDATE 11.30am: Flood waters are causing havoc in Hamilton with the evacuation of 44 properties.
Heavy rain overnight and this morning has filled the Grange Burn.
SES incident controller Ray Jasper said both permanent and temporary levees along the river were under threat of being breached.
SES, CFA and police have door-knocked residents from the 44 properties in Abbott and Holden streets and advised them to evacuate.
A relief centre has been set up in Shakespeare Street.
"We had more rain than was predicted and while it is not raining now there is still a lot of water to come down yet," Mr Jasper said.
He said the risk of inundation at the properties remains extremely high.
UPDATE 11.25am:
.
UPDATE 11.20am: A number of towns across the south-west have recorded more than 100mm of rain across the seven days to 9am today.
Port Campbell has recorded the most rain with 116mm while Nullawarre received 106mm.
Hamilton received 104mm during the week while Hawkesdale and Lismore recorded 101mm.
Other rain totals: Camperdown 77mm, Mortlake 84mm, Port Fairy 62mm, Portland 89mm, Timboon 94mm, Warrnambool 92mm.
UPDATE 11.12am:
.
UPDATE 11.05am: Corangamite Shire Council has advised the following roads are closed: Digneys Bridge Road, Garners Road and Tesbury Road, Bostocks Creek, Bullaharre and Shenfields Roads, Lower Darlington Road Gnarpurt between Gnarpurt Road and Collins Lane, Smythe Street Skipton at the bridge over Mt Emu Creek.
.
.
Are you travelling to the Wimmera today? Keep up-to-date with the news here.
Interested in the news from Bendigo? Access rolling updates here.
UPDATE 10.55am: Two major roads within the Warrnambool City limits have been closed as a result of heavy rain.
A spokesman for Warrnambool City Council said Queens Road and Bromfield Street are both closed.
"A lot of footpaths around Russells Creek and the rail trail are also under water," a Warrnambool City Council spokesman said.
.
.
.
EARLIER: Motorists on the Princes Highway are being forced to find an alternative route with flood waters causing road closures.
VicRoads has closed the Princes Highway to all traffic at Winchelsea.
Wilson Street at Colac has also been closed.
The Great Ocean Road has been shut off as an alternative.
The road has been closed at Lorne.
The Western Highway has been closed at Burrumbeet and also at Horsham.
People can also access the VicRoads incident updates here.
.
.
.
RELATED COVERAGE: HOW THE FLOODING OCCURRED ACROSS THE SOUTH-WEST
TUESDAY: Hope for an end to floodwaters
TUESDAY: Increased levels to hit Warrnambool
MONDAY: Port Fairy SES on flood watch