General News
24 October, 2022
Yarri Creek 'unlikely' to flood
Residents can breathe a sigh of relief as the threat of Yarriambiack Creek flooding subsides despite predicted rainfall in the region.
WARRACKNABEAL residents can breathe a sigh of relief as the threat of Yarriambiack Creek flooding subsides despite predicted rainfall in the region.Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive Dave Brennan said that parts of the Wimmera River have experienced "pulses of water" that will hit the Yarriambiack Creek, but that flooding at this stage is unlikely."The likelihood of any (major) flooding in Warracknabeal from the rain is very unlikely," he said."With Yarriambiack Creek, you can see that the rain from the weekend has started to generate additional runoff in the Wimmera River, which will be heading towards the creek, but at this stage, it won't be at flood level."The message is that water flow is continuing towards Yarriambiack Creek, and unless we get severe storms in the upper catchment, there is a low probability of flooding for the Yarriambiack region."Mr Brennan said that the heavy rainfall over the weekend had predominantly hit Horsham and towns in the west, including Edenhope.The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning on Sunday evening, October 23, for the Wimmera Mallee that predicted six-hourly total rainfalls, ranging from 30mm to 80mm across the region, including Warracknabeal.However, from Tuesday, October 25, onwards, the chances of heavy rain will decrease from 70 percent to 40 percent.The Warracknabeal community is still advised to continue to monitor the VicEmergency App throughout the week.Residents are also being asked to be aware of road hazards such as mud and debris while driving.For local road closure information check the VicTraffic website, contact Yarriambiack Shire Council on 5398 0100 or VicRoads on 13 11 70.Motorists are urged to drive with extreme caution as road surfaces may be damaged.Leaving extra distances between vehicles is advised for a better view of the road ahead.Drivers are again reminded of the dangers of driving through road closures and into floodwater.Barriers blocking access to roads should not be moved as road closures are in place for safety reasons.