Second Death Confirmed in Victoria Flooding, More Cash Relief Announced

A pub is inundated by water during flooding in the suburb of Maribyrnong in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2022. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Victorian authorities have confirmed the second death caused by devastating floods as federal and state governments announce more cash relief for impacted communities.

Residents in the Northern Victorian town of Kerang received an evacuation order on the afternoon of Oct. 19 before authorities closed the Patchell Bridge on the Murray Valley Highway at 7 p.m. to erect a temporary levee bank.

As of 10:30 p.m., authorities said it was too late for those who still remained to evacuate. The town is now expected to be cut off from the outside world for more than a week.

On Oct. 19 morning, the body of a 65-year-old man, who went missing earlier, was found in floodwaters near Shepparton.

A search was organised after he failed to return home, and his unoccupied tractor was spotted in floodwaters.

This is the second death recorded in the state during this flood crisis after a 71-year-old Rochester man died in his home’s backyard on Oct. 15.

More Disaster Relief Announced

Meanwhile, the Australian and Victorian governments announced a joint-funded relief package that would cover the costs of clearing hazards for homes and businesses destroyed or damaged in the floods.

Emergency Recovery Victoria will be responsible for carrying out the first phase of the clearing.

“The first step in rebuilding is ensuring properties are made safe and hazardous debris isn’t putting families at risk,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“It’s an enormous job, but we'll be there with Victorians every step of the way.”

People clear mud from a property damaged by floods in the suburb of Maribyrnong, in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 15, 2022. William West/AFP via Getty Images

In addition, residents in the local government areas of Benalla, Boroondara, Central Goldfields, Greater Bendigo, Loddon, Moonee Valley, Mount Alexander, Murrindindi and Yarra will be able to access a one-off disaster recovery payment from the federal government. The support amount is $1,000 for each eligible adult and $400 for each child.

At the same time, the Victorian government said it would spend $73.5 million (US$46 million) to help farmers and business owners clean up. The relief package also included a grant of $10,000 for each impacted primary producer.

“It’s pretty overwhelming thinking about what’s occurring and has occurred in some of these communities. So any support we provide is really important,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters.

Further Rain and Thunderstorms are Expected in the Coming Days

While waters are receding in parts of the state, such as Shepparton and Rochester, isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected to occur across the northern districts on Oct. 20.

Authorities said the threat of heavy rainfalls during forecast thunderstorms in the next few days had reduced slightly. However, it was predicted that higher falls of 30mm could happen in north-central parts and north-eastern parts of the state.

“We'll be watching that thunderstorm activity pretty closely and issuing warnings for more of a flash flood risk rather than heavy rainfall over a wider area,” Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Kevin Parkin told reporters.

Meanwhile, authorities have issued evacuation warnings for the towns of Echuca, Barmah and Lower Moira.

There are concerns that river levels could reach 95 metres in Echuca by Oct. 21, which is higher than what was recorded during the 1993 floods.

Despite receiving evacuation orders, some Echuca residents decided to stay and make preparations for the floods.

They have erected a makeshift 2.5-kilometre flood levee of sandbags and sand in the centre of the town to protect thousands of homes and businesses.

Nevertheless, some properties are not covered by the levee due to being on the wrong side, leaving them vulnerable to floodwaters.

State Emergency Service chief operating officer Tim Wiebusch said there were some risks with the levee bank.

“Yes, that will see a small number of properties outside of that levee also potentially be impacted,” he said.

A 3.4 magnitude earthquake also occurred near the town of Mansfield on Oct. 19, but there were no reports of damage.