There are no current flood warnings. For official flood and emergency warnings, please visit the Bureau of Meteorology. Detailed information from SES regarding regarding flood warnings and any community notifications can be found on the Vic Emergency website.

  • Floods FAQs

    What is a one in 100 year flood?
    A one in 100-year flood is a flood that has a 1 in 100 or 1% chance of occurring in each and every year.

    In a 70 year lifetime there is a 50/50 chance of a 1 in 100 flood being exceeded at any location.

    Can you have two 100-year floods in one year?
    Yes, two 100-year floods can occur one after the other.

    Who is in charge of responding to the floods?
    The Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) is the control agency for flood response works in partnership with support agencies to manage responses to flooding.

    How does Victoria’s flood warning system work?
    Flood warning information is acquired through the Victorian streamflow gauging network.
    The network has 750 gauging sites that serve a range of purposes, including 283 that are used as primary flood warnings sites.

    Other sites are used to provide further back up information and flash flooding information. Data collected is immediately made available to those organisations that require it.

    Who develops flood maps?
    Melbourne Water and Catchment Management Authorities develop flood maps for areas at risk.
    These maps are used for both land planning and by the SES to provide flood information during flood emergencies.

    Flood maps have been completed across the state for the 1 in 100-year flood. In a number of key areas across the state, this is supplemented by additional information on flood extent and height for a range of flood sizes.

     

    Why don’t water corporations hold back more water during flooding events to protect downstream communities?

    Most water corporation dams were built to capture sufficient water to meet the supply needs of the community.

    They have very little additional capacity to mitigate the impacts of flood events on developments located on flood plains.

    In extreme floods, dams simply cannot hold back the massive volumes of water that flow into a reservoir over a short period of time. Dams must spill water once the capacity of the reservoir is reached and allow the water to continue its passage through the water courses and across the floodplains.

    Dam spillways are designed, however, to allow extreme floods to pass through the reservoir without compromising the dam structure itself, thereby reducing the impact on downstream communities.

    Who is responsible for dam safety?
    Under Victorian legislation dam operators and owners are responsible for dam safety.

    The Minister for Water maintains sufficient oversight of dam safety to ensure responsibilities are being met and to intervene where required.

    What would cause a dam to fail?
    Dams can fail if water flows over the dam wall during high rainfall or floods.

    This is because the capacity of the spillway is not able to pass the flows safely.
    Also, where construction and materials are inadequate, dams can fail due to piping and erosion and subsequent water flow through the embankment or foundation of the dam.

    Does vegetation in and around streams have an impact on flooding?
    In major floods, such as January 2011, flood height is controlled primarily by the intensity and amount of rainfall, not vegetation.

    Vegetation along riverbanks can have a beneficial effect on flooding in lowland areas as it slows the rate of water movement.

    However, in large floods, the main control on local flood level will be through constrictions that choke the flow down. These are usually road embankments, or bridge openings. Such constrictions are much more important than the local effect of vegetation.

    How safe is floodwater?
    Floodwater can contain contaminants like animal waste, agricultural chemicals and petrol. Avoid swimming in floodwaters, swollen creeks, rivers and other tributaries at all times.

    If you are unsure whether it is safe to swim in a river that has been affected by floodwaters, seek advice from the local council.

    What about water for stock?
    Floodwater can contain contaminants like animal waste, agricultural chemicals and petrol and may be dangerous to stock.

    Advice on managing these supplies post flood is contained in the Department of Health’s flood recovery packs which are available at relief and recovery centres and on the their website.

  • Cowwarr Weir

    We are not currently advising flows for Cowwarr Weir.

  • Blue Rock Lake

    We are not currently advising flows for Blue Rock Lake.

  • Lake Narracan

    We are not currently advising flows for Lake Narracan.

  • Flood history at Glenmaggie

    Below shows a comparison of flows into Glenmaggie and flows out of Glenmaggie for the ten highest floods on record.

    Glenmaggie – ten largest floods (ranked on outflows)

    June 2007
    Peak inflow – 250,000 to 300,000
    Peak outflow – 147,600

    1971
    Peak inflow – 123,000
    Peak outflow – 110,600

    1978
    Peak inflow –102,000
    Peak outflow – 88,900

    1952
    Peak inflow –108,000
    Peak outflow – 88,100

    1935
    Peak inflow – 83,200
    Peak outflow – 77,000

    1993
    Peak inflow – 69,700
    Peak outflow – 75,500

    1995
    Peak inflow – 62,600
    Peak outflow – 66,500

    1950
    Peak inflow – 91,000
    Peak outflow – 62,400

    Nov 2007
    Peak inflow – 69,000
    Peak outflow – 59,000

    2012
    Peak inflow – 93,700
    Peak outflow – 58,000