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Victorian towns brace for excessive flooding

A sculpture of a swagman knee-deep in rising floodwaters in Charlton.

A sculpture of a swagman knee-deep in rising floodwaters in Charlton. Photo: ABC

Residents of Charlton, in central Victoria, are bracing for the worst as authorities warn flooding from the Avoca River will peak late on Thursday night.

More than 100 residents gathered at the Charlton Shire Hall were told by the State Emergency Service (SES) they were in for a long night and to “look after yourselves and look after your neighbours”.

The SES said they had doorknocked 80 homes that could be affected by the floodwaters, which are expected to peak at 11:00pm.

Major flood warnings are also in place for the Loddon and Wimmera rivers as the state grapples with the fallout from a week of heavy rain.

Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said a number of Charlton homes would be hit by the floodwaters.

“About 10 homes, in the prediction model … will have water that will impact so that people can not live in those properties – that’s happening this afternoon,” he said.

“The water will continue to rise overnight and into tomorrow, and around about 8:00am on Friday morning, it’s expected to be a 7.5-metre peak … that will stay there for one or two days.”

Almost 8000 homes in the area, just north of Bendigo, are without power, affecting mobile phone coverage.

Authorities expect it to be reconnected by dark on Thursday, and Mr Lapsley said portable generators were being put in place to provide electricity to health providers.

Flooding is not a new experience for locals in Charlton.

In 2011, more than 300 homes were inundated when the Avoca reached 8.6 metres and broke its banks, leaving 80 per cent of the town underwater and isolated.

The local hospital was ruined, and was only reopened in 2014 after a $23 million refurbishment.

Floowaters swamp Swanwater North Road in Charlton.

Floowaters swamp Swanwater North Road in Charlton. Photo: ABC

Victorian flooding to go on for weeks

Across the state, 25 municipalities have now been hit by the flood.

Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley said while the rain had reduced in the past 24 hours, authorities were preparing for more rainy weather early next week.

He said authorities were expecting the flooding to remain a problem for weeks, as dams and reservoirs around the state were now full.

“Victoria’s wet, it’s saturated, we’ve got rivers that are full, we’ll see more towns impacted over the coming days,” he said.

“We’ve called it the floods of September 2016, which tells you that we’re expecting it to be around for some time … there is a message there to Victorians that this is not going away.”

In the south of the state, the Great Ocean Road has been closed due to landslips between Moggs Creek and Dean’s Marsh, though Lorne remains accessible from Deans Marsh.

Community members gather in Charlton, in western Victoria, as floodwaters rise.

Community members gather in Charlton, in western Victoria, as floodwaters rise. Photo: ABC

Man missing after ute swept away

In Victoria’s south-west, 250 kilometres from Charlton, there are grave fears for an 84-year-old Macarthur man who remains missing after his ute was swept into a dam by floodwaters.

The incident happened on Wallacedale Byaduk Road at 5:00pm on Wednesday, when the farmer was driving through floodwater on a country road.

Sergeant Pam Nix said the Water Police swift-water rescue team was helping officers search for the man, who was not in the ute when it was found.

A four-wheel drive navigates through floodwaters in Charlton.

A four-wheel drive navigates through floodwaters in Charlton. Photo: ABC

“We’re still hopeful, there’s always that possibility, but I can’t give any estimate as to what the percentage would be,” she said.

“The water is flowing too swiftly for us to be able to send in divers. The craft isn’t suitable to be sent in here, because of all the snags. So it has been quite difficult.”

Three dogs were tied up in the back of the ute and one of them died, she added.

Mr Lapsley urged Victorians to take care driving around floodwaters.

“Waters may look calm, but underneath they can have significant currents, or we’re actually seeing roads turn into rivers and they are moving very fast in some instances,” he said.

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