Victorian towns assess the damage as rivers peak, homes flooded in Yea, Seymour and Rochester — as it happened

This is where we leave our live coverage.

You can read the latest here and remember:

• For the latest warnings, visit the ABC Emergency website.
• Listen to ABC Local Radio for regular updates — find your local broadcaster here.
• And the Vic Emergency app.

An online community information session is being held for Echuca residents.

It's due to start at 7pm.

You can stream it on the Campaspe Shire Council Facebook page.

Caitlin Smith returned to her Goornong property today to assess the damage and she says she felt numb.

"Early this morning I starting thinking about all the things I wish I had done," she says.

She was in bed asleep when floodwaters quickly started rising around her property.

"It came up so quick. Within 15 minutes it went from our backyard to coming through our doors," she says.

"There was a river running straight past our bedroom window. I didn't realise it was coming through the rest of our house."

With no time to prepare, she grabbed her six-month-old baby and whatever essentials she could before calling for help.

"I think the worse thing was seeing my sons toys float around," she says. 

A CFA truck was sent in to rescue them, something Caitlin says she's extremely grateful for.

"People were out there in waist deep water, not knowing what else was in the water, putting their life on the line for us."  

She's only been in her new home for a year and a half but in that time she's lived through two floods.

"We were her for the 2022 floods. The water didn't make it into our house that year," she says. 

New estates are popping up all over the area and Caitlin says more needs to be done to ensure the proper infrastructure is in place to avoid the impacts of future floods.

Reporting by Danielle Cahill

Owner of Yea River Cottage, Joseph Ettia, has been assessing his property for water damage following yesterday’s flood which was the second in 15 months.

“This was a big shock, it came in pretty quick this time.  Didn’t have time to move things around," he says.

‘“I just thought ‘not again, not again’.

"It’s just the stress of, I have got bookings and I might have to ring and cancel."

Joseph’s cottage is raised but he lives in a caravan at the back of the property next to the river when the cottage is hired out.

Yesterday all of his personal belongings, which are kept in the garage, were destroyed by water.

“I’d say this time, it’s caused more damage because my fence is leaning over, my fence is completely down on one side,” he says.

“And my garage, everything in the garage is all wet. Yesterday I saw in the garage, my desk, my fridge was floating."

A neighbour alerted Joseph that his property was flooding while he was at work.

The evacuation warning issued but Joseph chose not to leave.

“I felt like I had other things that I couldn’t get out and all my clothes all my personal things were inside," he says.

With the water quickly rising to about chest height, he says he was stranded on his deck but had a plan if things got worse.

"If I needed to, I would’ve left it all behind if it (the floodwaters) had got into the house – and just swam out."

In October 2022, when the last flood hit his Yea property, Joseph only had home insurance and no contents.

He now has both but he's questioning if he will stay at the property long-term.

"I mean if it happens again, I’d be devastated. I’m in the middle of thinking ‘should I live here? should I sell up’?”

Floods weren't enough to deter Cleveland Tuckeryoung and Luke Phipps from soaking up some sunshine and enjoying a picnic at Rochester earlier today. 

"The water's not too bad. It's got a bit of a current to it," Cleveland says.

Cleveland, who's from Bendigo, says he's "trapped" at his mates house because of the floods.

The duo thought they'd try to make the most of a sunny day. 

"If life gives you lemons, you make lemonade," Luke says.

They've also been lending a hand to others in need in the community. 

"We've been trying to give everyone a hand doing the sandbags and everything," Luke says.

• All emergency warnings have been lifted.
• It is safe to return to Seymour with the emergency warning to evacuate lifted.
• It is safe to return to Yea with the emergency warning to evacuate lifted but there are a few streets you should avoid with water over roads. 
• Rochester has been downgraded to a watch and act, but an evacuation warning remains current and it is still not safe to return.
• There is a major flood warning for the Goulburn River from Seymour to Murchison. Moderate flooding is likely at Murchison this afternoon with a peak just below major levels Wednesday morning. 
• There is a moderate flood warning for the Goulburn River between Murchison and Shepparton with flooding possible at Shepparton overnight. 
• A moderate flood warning is in place for the Goulburn River between Lake Eildon and Seymour
• There's a moderate flood warning for Bendigo and Bullock Creeks.
• A moderate flood warning remains for the Campaspe River downstream of Rochester and from Barnadown to Rochester.
• And minor flood warnings remain for other parts of the state. 

Here's the latest from ABC meteorologist Tom Saunders.

It is now safe to return to low lying parts of Yea and the emergency warning to evacuate has been lifted.

You should still avoid Webster street between Craigie and Snodgrass streets as well as Craigie street west of Webster street.

There is still water over the road in those areas.

The emergency warning to evacuate low lying parts of Seymour has been lifted and it is safe to return.

A community meeting will be held at 4pm tomorrow at the Seymour Recovery Hub .

The address is 4 Guild Street, Seymour.

Be aware that dangerous hazards including floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees may still be present around the area.

ABC reporter Mike Lorigan has been in Rochester where he says floodwaters are receding. 

Reporting by Danielle Cahill

Head chef and owner of The Winery Kitchen in Seymour, Sam Vecchio, was relieved that his property escaped water damage overnight.

“I stood out there on the road for three hours and I could see the water creeping," he says.

"It got to within a meter of the doors and then all of a sudden it stopped. And that was it.”

The property was severely damaged in the 2022 floods and if the water had reached them last night, Sam says he wouldn’t have been able to continue.

“That would have been the end ... I just could not do it again," he says.

"I did it in 2022 because of my daughter."

His daughter Alessandra says while the property is three meters higher than the township, overnight, a neighbouring farm had been flooded again, destroying all their produce.

She says she couldn’t be there when the water came as she’s still affected by what she witnessed in the 2022 floods.

She's concerned for future floods and says more needs to be done.

“We don’t know what we can do to help prevent it for next time,” she says.

Mr Wiebusch says that Emergency Services are currently working to locate a missing kayaker near Dargo.

"Currently we have a search under way for a missing kayaker on the Mitchell River near Dargo, with police and emergency services currently undertaking an active search."

He says a person found a kayak floating down the river and reported it to authorities. 

"It may be that the person has safely exited the river on their own, but we are undertaking a search with emergency services at this time to confirm whether we can find anybody in that location," Mr Wiebusch says.

In Gippsland, there is a moderate flood level at the Tanjil river and minor flooding occurring at a number of the other catchments such as Thompson and La Trobe.

In the Melbourne metropolitan area, Mr Wiebusch says things are also starting to ease.

"We have now seen that the Dandenong Creek has dropped below the minor flood level and roads have been reopened," he says.

"On the Yarra and Bunyip rivers, we are still seeing minor flooding occurring, particularly around recreational reserves and bike paths in that area."

The advice is to stay away from those areas until the water has receded.

An advice message remains for the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road at Ferny Creek where a landslide occurred yesterday.

It could remain closed for up to one week.

Further down the Campaspe river to Echuca,  moderate flooding impacts are expected with some roads cut off.

On the Murray River at Echuca minor flooding is expected later this week. 

The SES said in a press conference earlier, Coliban Water had turned off the water supply to protect critical infrastructure from damage in Rochester.

Coliban Water says the water plant is fully operational and was not turned off at any stage.

It says all water in Rochester is safe to drink.

Looking to the Loddon Mallee, the Campaspe River peaked at 114.62m which is below what was forecast.

Impact assessments are currently being undertaken at Rochester, where an emergency warning still remains in place.

If you are in those areas impacted by floodwaters, it is too late to leave. 

"We would ask those that are not from Rochester to remain away from that community at this time until the flooding has dissipated and receded," Mr Wiebusch says.

The King River and Fifteen Mile Creek have been downgraded to advice messages with only minor flooding remaining.

 A watch and act is in place for the Goulburn River all the way from Seymour through to Mooroopna and Shepparton.

High and moderate flooding is expected overnight Wednesday and into Thursday 

"We are asking communities in those areas to be alert for the potential of road closures and the potential for over land flooding in some of those areas," Mr Wiebusch says.

He says up to 20 properties could be impacted by above floor flooding around the Shepparton and Kialla area.

"A further 150 properties could potentially see flooding in their streets and or onto their properties," he says.

"Now is the time to prepare. Make sure you have up to three days supply, so that you can, if you do become isolated, work through that period."

Mr Wiebusch says the damage to properties and businesses is being assessed.

So far here's what the SES know.

Yea

• 6 residential properties have seen above floor flooding

Seymour

• 4 residential properties that have been unoccupied since the 2022 floods have again seen above floor flooding 
• 3 cabins at the Big Four Caravan Park with above floor flooding
• A further 4 residential properties which have seen underfloor flooding damage in and around the stumps
• 7 businesses have been impacted by above floor flooding

Emergency warnings for Seymour and Yea have been downgraded to watch and act for moderate flooding

A second peak is expected at Seymour throughout this evening

Mr Wiebusch says during this peak, water levels are expected to reach 6.2m which is lower than yesterday, when the Goulburn River at Seymour reached 6.8m.