Sandbags lining up the southern end of Chandler Court Wahgunyah.
It seems there is no end in sight for the region’s rain sodden communities, following heavy downpours leading to flash flooding over the weekend, and more rain forecast for the remainder of the week.
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Wild weather lashed the north east on Saturday around lunch time, with parts of Wahgunyah, Chiltern and Corowa severely affected.
Around 2000 homes in Rutherglen and Wahgunyah also lost power on both Saturday and Sunday night as fast-moving storms cells passed over the region.
Rutherglen SES Unit Controller Irene Cracknell said their unit responded to several requests for assistance particularly in Wahgunyah following a whopping 70mm of rain falling within an hour.
The worst affected areas were Chandler Court, Morley Drive, Maxwell Drive and Distillery Road.
Several homes were inundated with water, as storm water drains struggled with the deluge and roads turned into “rivers” with SES crews laying down sandbags and pumping water out from properties.
CFA and SES crews working together in Rutherglen last week preparing sandbags. Photo by Irene Cracknell.
“Most people were prepared for potential flooding and had been proactive about collecting sandbags which was great to see,” Mrs Cracknell said.
“A lot of the requests for assistance were for flood mitigation.
“We also had the Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, Carlyle, Browns Plains and Springhurst CFA crews helping us over the weekend. Their contribution helped enormously. We really live in a wonderful community.”
In Chandler Court Wahgunyah, low lying homes couldn’t do much as a torrent of water gushed down the hill from Maxwell Drive.
Carly Detlefsen told the Free Press it was the second time her house had been flooded this year, after the downpour led to a deluge of water entering from a neighbouring property.
“Our driveway was flooded almost knee high, and we had a few inches all through the house,” she said.
“Only one room was spared. We put in new carpet five months ago, so we’ve had to rip it all out. We also purchased a new lounge a month ago, and that’s been damaged as well.
“Now we’ve got six fans and two humidifiers drying everything out.
“We copped flooding in January as well. Our drains just couldn’t cope with the volume of water. The water coming down the street was like a river. We just hope council will do something to help in the future. It’s now a concern every time we get a huge downpour.”
Two houses down, Nola and Richard Smidt also copped water through their home.
“We weren’t home at the time,” they said.
“When it flooded here in January, we opened the garage door and let the water flow through to the back yard. This time we weren’t so lucky, and it came down the driveway and entered the house.
“We definitely copped it down this end.”
Shaylee Walsh in flood water at intersection of Murphy Street/Audrey Street Rutherglen. Photo by Irene Cracknell.
The Closter family in Maxwell Drive couldn’t believe the sheer volume of water coming down their street.
“I wasn’t home at the time, but my husband was, and he recorded it,” Kathie Closter told the Free Press.
“I was out at Lake Moodemere cleaning up, and we didn’t get any rain, so it was very bizarre.
“The water flowed straight through our garage, millimetres from the back door and then it just hit like a river going down the street.
“It was flowing so fast, even an hour after the rain had passed. A few more millimetres and a lot more homes would have been affected.”
Chiltern SES also responded to multiple callouts on Saturday afternoon including rescuing a driver who entered floodwaters.
Across the river, Corowa also copped a downpour with residents of Sophia Close, Hermitage Drive and other nearby streets experiencing flash flooding almost reminiscent of the January 30 flash flood event.
Meanwhile a moderate flooding warning is still place for Corowa with the Murray River remaining at around 6.20 metres this week. The bureau is monitoring further river level rises.
A second wet weather front is expected to hit the state on Friday, bringing further rain, particularly in the north-east.
Saturated carpets and furniture at a home in Chandler Crt Wahgunyah.
According to the bureau, this rain will likely produce localised flash flooding, and as rainfall accumulations grow, riverine flooding will increase on many rivers, which will cause renewed or prolonged rises for already-flooded catchments.
The wild weather is a result of a low-pressure system tracking across Australia, dragging tropical moisture down to Victoria.
The region is on track to experience the wettest October on record with over 148.4mm already logged in Corowa. With more rain on the way, the 160.6mm record from October 1917 is likely to be broken in coming days.
Residents are advised to stay up to date with the latest forecast and warnings via the Bureau's website and the BOM Weather app, and to follow the advice of emergency services.
