As it happened: Rochester, Seymour and Yea residents ordered to evacuate; Bendigo warned over significant flooding

Yea residents in flood-affected areas have been told to evacuate immediately as flooding is impacting the area.

A statement from VicEmergency at 12.41pm on Monday warned Yea residents in flood-affected areas to get out.

Flooding is expected to impact the following streets: Mulqueeny Lane, Clarence Way, Newberry Chase and Buckland Court, Miller Street, Loan Street, Whatton Place or Court Street.

A relief centre will be opened at 2pm at Yea Shire Hall in High Street.

Residents of Rochester, the small town devastated by the 2022 floods, were told to brace for significant flooding during a community meeting that began just after midday.

However, the available data suggests water levels will likely be less than the 2011 flood and the disaster from October 2022.

About 60 houses are expected to be impacted in Rochester, according to the State Emergency Service. The agency believes those homes can be defended with sandbags, which will be available to residents in the early afternoon.

“We are currently doorknocking those houses,” Rochester controller Judith Gledhill said. “We are also very aware of people still living in their shed [due to the 2022 floods]. You can expect a knock on the door.”

The water in Rochester could peak at 115 metres above sea level Monday evening or Tuesday morning, according to authorities.

Residents in flood-affected parts of Seymour have been told to evacuate immediately due to rapidly rising floodwaters that have inundated parts of the central Victorian town.

Emergency services have advised anyone who can leave safely to do so, forecasting floods in the Seymour area were expected to exceed the 1993 flood level.

VicEmergency is urging people who live, work or are holidaying in the streets listed below to evacuate immediately.

• Emily Street, Tierney Street, Lesley Street, Tallarook Street, Wallis Street, High Street, Elizabeth Street, Butler Street, Alexander Street, Edward Street, Station Street, Tristan Street, Hanna Street, Jubilee Street, Industrial Court.
• Kings Park and local river caravan parks will be impacted.

A relief centre has been opened at Seymour Sports & Aquatic Centre.

People planning to leave have been advised that the safest evacuation route is via Anzac Avenue to Chittick Park.

A slow-moving low-pressure system tracking eastwards is continuing to bring thunderstorms to parts of Victoria, with flash flooding expected over the next several hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology has advised severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall over the next several hours in parts of the northern and north-east districts.

• 61.8 mm of rainfall was recorded in the six hours to 10am at Hilldene.
• 56.2 mm of rainfall was recorded in the six hours to 11am at Tallarook.
• 56 mm of rainfall was recorded in the six hours to 9am at Central Highlands.
• 45.8 mm of rainfall was recorded in the hour to 12pm at Greta South.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have battered parts of Victoria overnight amid warnings further downpours could bring major flooding to the state’s central and northern areas.

Bendigo residents are among those being warned of possible flash floods as thunderstorms continue across Victoria on Monday morning, with up to 100 millimetres of rain possible in the region before midday.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Bendigo, Shepparton, Seymour, Kyneton, Wodonga and Wangaratta, as a low-pressure system develops across the north-west of the state.

Flash flooding in central Victoria has led to several road closures, including the Wimmera Highway between Newbridge and Marong, and the McIvor Highway between Bendigo and Heathcote.

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