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Wednesday, September 21, 2022
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FACING THE FLOODS: SES Wangaratta unit member Jack Walton and unit controller Jess Zuber cast their eyes over Apex Park, which was submerged as the Ovens River was expected to reach its highest peak since 2016 yesterday afternoon. PHOTO: Kurt Hickling
A waiting game
MAJOR downpours throughout the Ovens and King river catchments at the weekend were expected to see the rivers’ confluence in Wangaratta peak at its highest point in almost six years yesterday afternoon. A moderate flood warning was yesterday issued for the Ovens River at Wangaratta, with the river anticipated to rise as high as 12.5m during daylight hours as rainfall
SES urge g caution as Ovens River approaches pp moderate flood level BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
in the region‘s already wet catchments continued downstream yesterday afternoon. It would be the river’s highest recording since
AFTER 23 YEARS
reaching 12.58m on October 1, 2016. Almost 30mm of rain fell at Mount Hotham Airport‘s weather station over the weekend, building on minor flooding seen throughout the region last week. Wangaratta SES unit controller Jess Zuber said SES crews were prepared to see widespread road clo-
sures into today, but didn’t anticipate floodwaters would encroach on nearby homes. She said it was unlikely snow melt would further elevate flooding risk, despite some 66cm falling at Mount Hotham in the preceding week. Up to 10mm of rain has been forecast by the Bureau
of Meteorology throughout the rural city today. “There’s a lot of water around, we’re seeing a lot of roads impacted at the minute,” Ms Zuber said. “Hopefully it (Ovens River) will peak between 12.4 and 12.5m – we think it will hit 12.5m and it will steady for a day or two. “We don’t believe we’re
going to have houses impacted at this stage.” The Great Alpine Road between Porter Street and Fisher Lane was closed on Monday evening after Yellow Creek broke its banks, while further closures at Stamps Lane and Peechelba Road were also flagged yesterday morning. ■ Continued page 2
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