The swollen waters of the Campaspe River earlier today. Picture: Daryl Pinder Source: Herald Sun
Most of Carisbrook's 1000 residents have evacuated as floods "covered" the town. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied
Residents in Great Western have been asked to evacuate. Picture: Michelle Manning Source: Herald Sun
Rupanyup, 40km west of Horsham, is among the towns inundated. Picture: Ben Swinnerton
Floods have engulfed homes and businesses in Beaufort. Picture : Pyrenees Advocate. Source: Herald Sun
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FLOODS will continue to threaten homes in the north of the state into next week as residents in the west begin the big clean-up.
Homes and businesses in the west were inundated with floodwater yesterday as areas were hit with up to 130mm of rain.
Flooding around Victoria saw 900 homes either inundated or isolated by flood waters in 29 towns.
The State Emergency Service (SES) said more than 2000 people had been evacuated throughout the state.
Major flood alerts remain in place for the Avoca, Campaspe, Loddon and Wimmera rivers.
While the worst of the wet weather appears over, State Emergency Services volunteers are braced for more action downstream in areas such as Kerang and Swan Hill, where sandbagging operations have begun.
Bureau of Meteorology severe weather meteorologist Claire Yeo said some areas in the west had received their summer rainfall averages in just five days.
"Forty-four rainfall stations have actually recorded their highest ever January rainfall," she said.
Charlton residents faced a tense wait to see if their homes were still intact after rising waters forced the evacuation of the town last night.
Get the latest warnings on 1300 VIC SES, 1300 842 737 or at www.ses.vic.gov.au
In the town of Carisbrook in central Victoria, almost the entire population of around 1000 people left as two creeks passing through the town broke their banks and the nearby reservoir spilled over.
"We have a town that is totally, totally covered in water," local Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer Philip Leech said yesterday.
"Every house in the centre of town is under about four or five feet of water. Everybody is out of town, apart from a few in double storey places who have stayed."
He said the normally tranquil, 10-metre wide Deep Creek was 500 metres wide and running "very swiftly".
In Beaufort, 60 houses were isolated by the water, 20 of them inundated.
Beaufort resident Brian Carlson and his wife returned from helping neighbours - who had 25cm of water in their house - to find water in their own home.
"It was just, 'Get out, get out'. I am very lucky. We just didn't know what would happen," Mr Carlson said.
Flash floods in Great Western, south of Stawell, forced some residents to flee their homes as the Concongella Creek rose dramatically.
Halls Gap, Bridgewater, Newbridge, Dadswells Bridge, Glenorchy and Carisbrook residents were among those hardest hit.
Fears that flooding would reach the suburbs of Melbourne eased late yesterday with the SES revising its warning for the Maribyrnong River.
It is now expected the river will peak at Maribyrnong, 10km from the city centre, between 2am and 3am today.
Several major roads in the state's west and north were shut including parts of the Calder Highway and Pyrenees Highway in the north and the Sunraysia Highway and Western Highway in the west.
VicRoads has urged people to check its website regularly for the latest road information.
SES director of operations Trevor White said the rivers will be monitored to determine how communities will be affected over coming days.
"We are going to be blessed with no rainfall or no significant rainfall after today for the next week, (but) we need to remember there will be downstream impacts on those river systems," he said yesterday.
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Weather Bureau climate meteorologist Harvey Stern said while the La Nina climate pattern had caused havoc with Victoria's summer, the worst was over.
Victorians affected by widespread flooding may be eligible for emergency grants from the State Government.
Emergency Services Minister Peter Ryan has announced a package of hardship grants for communities affected by the deluge.
The grants include emergency loans of up to $427 per adult and $213 per child to a maximum of $1017 for each household to provide immediate assistance for those in urgent need of food, clothing and shelter.
There are temporary income-tested living expenses of up to $867 available for a maximum ten-week period for people whose principal residence has been destroyed or inaccessible for more than one week.
The temporary loans are targeted at those without insurance to cover expenses for temporary accommodation, household items and transport.
Income-tested grants of up to $8650 for structural repairs and up to $8650 for household items are also available to help re-establish structures or replace essential household items that are not insured.
The Federal Government may be called on to provide additional financial assistance if state relief expenditure is exceeded, a spokeswoman for Mr Ryan said.
Residents seeking advice on the grants should telephone 1300 650 172 or visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au/emergency
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