Emergency alert system used for floods in Victoria
Emergency alert system used for floods in Victoria
04 September 2010
published by www.news.com.au
Australia — AN emergency alert system created after the Black Saturday bushfires was used for the first time today to warn Victorians of floods.
Residents in the state’s northeast have been sent text and telephone messages detailing dangers present in the area as water continue to rise.
So far, the worst hit places are Creswick, Ballarat and Maryborough in the state’s central highlands.
About 30 houses in low-lying areas around the Creswick River have been evacuated as floods wreak havoc on homes and businesses.
Police have requested army assistance to evacuate homes.
Initial reports of a human body being swept away in the fast-flowing Creswick River have been dismissed by police, although it is understood an animal may have been lost.
A mudslide at Mt Buller ski resort swept several cars over the edge of the carpark. Gales forced the closure of lifts at all Victoria’s main snowfields.
Elsewhere in the state, major roads are closed, houses and hospitals have been evacuated and emergency crews are preparing for the worst.
Residents are bracing themselves in the state’s northeast, with towns such as Benalla, Euroa and Violet Town activating their emergency plans.
The Hume Hwy – the main route between Melbourne and Sydney – is covered in water in two sections and is expected to be closed at Violet Town and Euroa this afternoon.
