News

Rochester’s five days of flood

By Campaspe News

Oct 17, 2022

Building a barrier: Preparing Rochester Newsagency for the flood are owner Kim Dingwall and Trish Peacock. Photo by Megan Fisher

Flood levels of 2011 were surpassed at the Rochester town gauge just after 9pm on Friday night, the second day of a five-day flood episode that has split the town in half for the best part of a week.

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In not a lot more than 24 hours the level of the Campaspe River at the Rochester town gauge rose from 111.23 to 115.66 – the height recorded just after midnight on Friday night.

Following the January 2011 flood in Rochester, a Flood Management Plan was completed by the Campaspe Shire in consultation with the Rochester community.

The plan determined the potential impact of a range of flood events on Rochester and this information was used to improve flood warnings and enabled planning and emergency response actions in Rochester to be more effective.

The Campaspe River passed the 115.4 at the Rochester Town Gauge early on Friday evening. This was the level reached in January 2011.

The major flood level of 114.5 was passed early on Friday morning.