2010 Victorian floods
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Victorian floods were a widespread series of flood
events across the state of Victoria
, Australia. The floods, which followed heavy rain across southeastern Australia in early September 2010, caused the inundation of about 250 homes, hundreds of evacuations and millions of dollars of damage. Weather warnings were initially issued for Victoria on Thursday 2 September and rain began to fall on the Friday, continuing through the weekend to Tuesday. Heavy rain fell in most regions of the state, particularly at higher altitudes in the state's west and northeast, flooding the upper reaches of many of Victoria's major rivers. A state of emergency was declared with State Emergency Service
crews arriving from Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
While the flooding was widespread, swelling many major rivers, little flash flooding occurred in urban areas. Melbourne remained relatively unaffected, though several large regional towns, such as Ballarat
, Benalla
and others, experienced urban flooding.
The heavy rainfall and flooding was accompanied by wind gusts of up to 110 km/h (68mph) in the state's southeast and Melbourne's eastern suburbs. The highest rainfall was recorded at Mount Buffalo
, with 180 mm (7.08in) recorded between Saturday and Sunday (4 and 5 September). Authorities expected floodwaters to move downstream, affecting further towns and regions over the following days. Residents in affected areas were advised to boil their water and avoid driving or travelling through floodwaters.
since the late 1990s and had been progressively receiving increased rainfall since the late 2000s, but by mid 2010, the state received some of its highest rainfall recorded since the late 1990s.
Severe storms moved over southeast South Australia on Thursday/Friday (2 and 3 September) bringing heavy rain and cutting electricity to around 40,000 homes. These storms moved over western Victoria by Friday night and continued in a roughly easterly direction throughout that weekend, bringing heavy rain to much of Victoria.
and Bureau of Meteorology
anticipated that floodwaters flowing downstream would eventually cause widespread flooding in the Murray River
for several weeks.
in the states Western District, 20 properties were put on evacuation alert, while in the Central Highlands
120 people sought refuge in the town hall at Creswick
and 30 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Clunes
. In northern Victoria, 150 extra police and 50 defence personnel were deployed to assist with evacuations and sandbagging
.
Many towns located on major watercourses experienced riverine flooding from Friday 3 onwards. The following towns were most affected, the day floodwaters peaked and when flash flooding occurred is indicated:
. Landslides also affected a car park at the Mount Buller ski resort, leaving hundreds of skiers stranded.
, an event which hasn't occurred for nearly a decade.
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
events across the state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia. The floods, which followed heavy rain across southeastern Australia in early September 2010, caused the inundation of about 250 homes, hundreds of evacuations and millions of dollars of damage. Weather warnings were initially issued for Victoria on Thursday 2 September and rain began to fall on the Friday, continuing through the weekend to Tuesday. Heavy rain fell in most regions of the state, particularly at higher altitudes in the state's west and northeast, flooding the upper reaches of many of Victoria's major rivers. A state of emergency was declared with State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
crews arriving from Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania.
While the flooding was widespread, swelling many major rivers, little flash flooding occurred in urban areas. Melbourne remained relatively unaffected, though several large regional towns, such as Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Benalla
Benalla, Victoria
Benalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
and others, experienced urban flooding.
The heavy rainfall and flooding was accompanied by wind gusts of up to 110 km/h (68mph) in the state's southeast and Melbourne's eastern suburbs. The highest rainfall was recorded at Mount Buffalo
Mount Buffalo National Park
Mount Buffalo is a mountain plateau in Victoria , 200 km northeast of Melbourne. It is one of the oldest parks in the Australian Alps, being first established in 1898 when 1165 ha was reserved around Eurobin Falls...
, with 180 mm (7.08in) recorded between Saturday and Sunday (4 and 5 September). Authorities expected floodwaters to move downstream, affecting further towns and regions over the following days. Residents in affected areas were advised to boil their water and avoid driving or travelling through floodwaters.
Lead up
Victoria had been in severe droughtDrought in Australia
Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...
since the late 1990s and had been progressively receiving increased rainfall since the late 2000s, but by mid 2010, the state received some of its highest rainfall recorded since the late 1990s.
Severe storms moved over southeast South Australia on Thursday/Friday (2 and 3 September) bringing heavy rain and cutting electricity to around 40,000 homes. These storms moved over western Victoria by Friday night and continued in a roughly easterly direction throughout that weekend, bringing heavy rain to much of Victoria.
Future flooding
The State Emergency ServiceState Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
and Bureau of Meteorology
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
anticipated that floodwaters flowing downstream would eventually cause widespread flooding in the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
for several weeks.
Timeline
- September:
- 2 – Thursday – severe storms move over South Australia bringing heavy rainfall
- 3 – Friday – heavy rain crosses the border into Victoria.
- afternoon – heavy rains start falling in Victoria's western regions.
- night – heavy rains fall in Victoria's central region and Melbourne.
- 4 – Saturday – heavy rain falls in the state's north and northeast.
- night – floodwaters move through many towns in the state's northeast.
- 5 – Sunday – heavy rain falls in the GippslandGippslandGippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
region. - 6 – Monday – rainfall eases off across the state but floodwaters are expected to move downstream.
- 7 – Tuesday – floodwaters arrive in Shepparton and other towns, Bairnsdale not impacted as heavily as first thought.
Rainfall
- 180 mm between Saturday and Sunday 4 and 5 – Mount BuffaloMount Buffalo National ParkMount Buffalo is a mountain plateau in Victoria , 200 km northeast of Melbourne. It is one of the oldest parks in the Australian Alps, being first established in 1898 when 1165 ha was reserved around Eurobin Falls...
- 71 mm before 7 pm Friday 3 – Leigh Creek, east of BallaratBallarat, VictoriaBallarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
- 47 mm before 9 am Saturday 4 – BallaratBallarat, VictoriaBallarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
Towns affected
In SkiptonSkipton, Victoria
Skipton is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is situated on the Glenelg Highway 166 kilometres west of the state capital, Melbourne and 52 kilometres south west of the regional centre, Ballarat. Part of Corangamite Shire Local government area, Skipton is on the banks...
in the states Western District, 20 properties were put on evacuation alert, while in the Central Highlands
Central highlands (Victoria)
The Central Highlands is a region of Victoria. This term is mainly used in a geological context to describe the part of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria that is outside of the Alpine areas. The area is situated east of Ballarat, south of Bendigo, north and east of Melbourne, west of the Alpine...
120 people sought refuge in the town hall at Creswick
Creswick, Victoria
Creswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia. It is located 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Creswick had a population of 2,485...
and 30 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Clunes
Clunes, Victoria
Clunes is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 36 kilometres north of Ballarat, in the Shire of Hepburn. At the 2006 census it had a population of 1,026.- History :...
. In northern Victoria, 150 extra police and 50 defence personnel were deployed to assist with evacuations and sandbagging
Sandbag
A sandbag is a sack made of hessian/burlap, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification, shielding glass windows in war zones and ballast....
.
Many towns located on major watercourses experienced riverine flooding from Friday 3 onwards. The following towns were most affected, the day floodwaters peaked and when flash flooding occurred is indicated:
- BairnsdaleBairnsdale, VictoriaBairnsdale is a small city in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. With a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale....
– peaked? - BallaratBallarat, VictoriaBallarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
– flash flooding Friday night - BenallaBenalla, VictoriaBenalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
– peaked Saturday – 70 properties evacuated - BendigoBendigo, VictoriaBendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
– peaked Saturday morning - BrightBright, VictoriaBright is a small sized town, located in northeastern Victoria, Australia, 319 metres above sea level at the southeastern end of the Ovens Valley. At the 2006 census, Bright had a population of 2684. It is in the Alpine Shire local government area...
– peaked Friday/Saturday? – was temporarily cut off - CharltonCharlton, VictoriaCharlton "The Friendly River Town", is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is a small agricultural community straddling the Avoca River, located at the junction of the Calder Highway and Borung Highway and positioned in the last of the foothills of the Great Dividing Range...
– peaked late on Sunday 5th - ClunesClunes, VictoriaClunes is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 36 kilometres north of Ballarat, in the Shire of Hepburn. At the 2006 census it had a population of 1,026.- History :...
– peaked Friday/Saturday? – 30 people were evacuated from a caravan park - CreswickCreswick, VictoriaCreswick is a town in west-central Victoria, Australia. It is located 18 kilometres north of Ballarat and 129 km northwest of Melbourne, in Shire of Hepburn. It is 430 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Creswick had a population of 2,485...
– peaked Friday night? - DonaldDonald, VictoriaDonald is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Richardson River, at the junction of Sunraysia Highway and Borung Highway, in the Shire of Buloke. The town is named after William Donald, a Scottish pastoralist who was the first settler in the area in 1844...
– peaked Tuesday/Wednesday? - EuroaEuroa, VictoriaEuroa is a town in the Shire of Strathbogie in North-East Victoria, Australia.At the 2006 census, Euroa had a population of 2,776. The name Euroa comes from an Aboriginal word in the old local dialect meaning "joyful".-History:Major T.L...
– peaked Saturday - GlenorchyGlenorchy, VictoriaGlenorchy is a town in the Wimmera district of the Australian state of Victoria. The town in located in the Northern Grampians Shire and on the Wimmera River, north-west of the state capital, Melbourne....
– peaked? - HorshamHorsham, VictoriaHorsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
– peaked Tuesday/Wednesday? - MaryboroughMaryborough, Victoria-Education:Maryborough has three schools:*Highview Christian Community College*Maryborough Education Centre Years Prep–12*St Augustine's Primary School Grades Prep–6-Music:...
– peaked? - MyrtlefordMyrtleford, VictoriaMyrtleford is a town in north-east Victoria, Australia, 45 km south-east of Wangaratta and 275 km north-east of Melbourne. Myrtleford is part of the Alpine Shire local government area and at the 2006 census the town had a population of 3,187....
– peaked Saturday? - SheppartonShepparton, VictoriaShepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station...
– peaked Tuesday 7th - SkiptonSkipton, VictoriaSkipton is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The town is situated on the Glenelg Highway 166 kilometres west of the state capital, Melbourne and 52 kilometres south west of the regional centre, Ballarat. Part of Corangamite Shire Local government area, Skipton is on the banks...
– peaked Friday/Saturday – 20 properties evacuated - Violet TownViolet Town, VictoriaViolet Town is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Strathbogie local government area. It was a coach stop on the Melbourne to Sydney road...
– peaked Saturday? - WangarattaWangaratta, VictoriaWangaratta is a cathedral city of almost 17,000 people in the northeast of Victoria, Australia, about from Melbourne along the Hume Highway, with Benalla to the southwest, and Albury-Wodonga to the northeast. It is located at the junction of the Ovens and King rivers which flow from the...
– peaked Tuesday 7th – 60 houses evacuated
Evacuations
Around 250 houses were evacuated from Saturday to Sunday. Weather warnings were given well in advance enabling residents and businesses to sandbag and evacuate before floodwaters arrived. The SES and other authorities have been doorknocking in many towns to notify residents most at risk of the need to evacuate. 500 homes in Shepparton were doorknocked and given warnings as a flood peak was expected in the early morning hours of 8 September.Utilities affected
- Radio – Residents of Ballarat could not receive certain radio frequencies on Friday night and into the weekend.
- Communications – some areas have had troubles with their telecommunications networks.
Road closures
Sections of the following major highways were inundated during the floods:- Calder HighwayCalder HighwayCalder Highway is a Highway linking Ravenswood South in Victoria, to Mildura. North of the Victoria/New South Wales border, the highway continues north to Broken Hill, Tibooburra and the New South Wales/Queensland border as the Silver City Highway, under the standard national route shield as far...
– at Charlton - Midland Highway – between Benalla and Shepparton
Rivers flooded
At peak, around 35 Victorian rivers experienced both fast and slow riverine flooding. As of Tuesday 7 September much of these floodwaters are still flowing downstream:- Avoca RiverAvoca RiverThe Avoca River drains a substantial part of Victoria, the southernmost state of mainland Australia. The river rises at the foot of Mount Lonarch in the Central Highlands near the small town of Amphitheatre, and flows north for 270 km through Avoca, Charlton and Quambatook...
- Broken RiverBroken River (Victoria)The Broken River is a minor river in Victoria, Australia that is a part of the larger Murray-Darling Basin. It flows into the Goulburn River near Shepparton...
- Castles Creek
- Creswick/Tullaroop Creeks
- Goulburn RiverGoulburn River (Victoria)The Goulburn River is a major inland river in Victoria, Australia.The headwaters of the Goulburn River rise in the western end of the Victoria Alps, near Mount Buller. The Eildon Dam creates Lake Eildon, a major storage of water for irrigation...
– Lake EildonLake EildonLake Eildon is the impoundment created by Eildon Weir on the Goulburn River in southern Victoria, Australia. At 3,334,158 megalitres when full, it contains six times as much water as Sydney Harbour and is the second largest water storage in Victoria after Dartmouth Dam...
is now more than half full for the first time in 9 years. - Honeysuckle Creek
- Kiewa RiverKiewa RiverThe Kiewa River is a major tributary of the Murray River in Australia.The river's headwaters include Victoria's highest mountain, Mount Bogong, and wind their way north-west about 100 kilometres, gradually slowing before joining the Murray east of Albury....
- King RiverKing River (Victoria)King River is a river in Victoria, a state of Australia. It is a tributary of the Ovens River and ultimately the Murray River on the western slopes of the Australian Alps. The King Valley is a beautiful, cool climate wine grape growing area. It is a river used by kayaking enthusiasts with many...
/One Mile Creek – water levels rose at half a metre per hour - Loddon RiverLoddon RiverThe Loddon River is a 392-km long tributary of the Murray River that flows through central and northern Victoria, Australia. The river rises near Trentham and flows by Glenlyon. It then flows generally northward through Guildford and Newstead, 40 km west of Bendigo through the Cairn Curran...
- Macalister RiverMacalister RiverThe Macalister River is a river of Gippsland in southeastern Victoria, Australia.The river was named by explorer Angus McMillan after his then employer, Captain Lachlan Macalister.-References:...
- Mitchell RiverMitchell River (Victoria)The Mitchell River is the largest unregulated river in Victoria, Australia and provides a unique example of riparian ecology. Tributaries include the Crooked, Dargo, Wentworth, Wonnangatta, and Wongungarra Rivers, which are surrounded by dense native forest on the steep mountains of the Victorian...
– expected to peak at 8 metres late on Monday 6th - Ovens RiverOvens RiverThe Ovens River is a river in the Australian state of Victoria.Hamilton Hume and William Hovell explored the area in 1824, naming the Ovens River...
– water levels rose at half a metre per hour - Seven Creeks
- Wimmera RiverWimmera RiverThe Wimmera River is a river in Western Victoria, Australia. It begins in the Pyrenees, and flows into Lake Hindmarsh and Lake Albacutya, although in many years flows do not reach these terminal lakes and the river contracts to a series of pools of varying sizes...
- Yarra RiverYarra RiverThe Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
– at Yarra GlenYarra Glen, VictoriaYarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
Landslides
There were a number of small landslides in the Victorian Alps, one forced the closure of the Mount Hotham ski resort after a ticket office was destroyed, injuring a staff member, whilst another one cut off the road to Falls CreekFalls Creek, Victoria
Falls Creek is a ski-in, ski-out ski resort in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne in the Alpine National Park, with the nearest town Mount Beauty, approximately 30 kilometres away. The resort lies between an altitude of 1,210 and 1,830...
. Landslides also affected a car park at the Mount Buller ski resort, leaving hundreds of skiers stranded.
Benefits
The floods have provided some benefits. Water prices are expected to drop dramatically. Many areas affected have been suffering from drought and farmers especially appreciated an end to the dry conditions. The waters are expected to naturally flush out the mouth of the Murray RiverMurray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, an event which hasn't occurred for nearly a decade.
See also
- Floods in AustraliaFloods in AustraliaThis is a list of notable recorded floods that have occurred in the country of Australia.-Further reading:* Devin, L.B. and D.L. Purcell Flooding in Australia Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service ISBN 0644026278 : .-External links:* .* ....
- Extreme weather events in MelbourneExtreme weather events in Melbournethumb|right|300px|A church destroyed by the 1918 Brighton tornadoExtreme weather events in Melbourne, Australia have occurred on multiple occasions...
- 2011 Victorian floods2011 Victorian floodsHigh intensity rainfall between 12–14 January 2011 caused major flooding across much of the western and central parts of the Australian state of Victoria...