The rising water at the Boosey Creek Bridge at Tungamah on Monday. If the water reaches the top of the bridge parts of the town will be flooded.
Having put down 1,000 sandbags on Monday, the Tungamah community is on standby for more rain expected this weekend.
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“If we get another 80mm this weekend like last weekend, we’ll be sandbagging the town,” Tungamah Fire Brigade captain Paul Sidebottom told the Yarrawonga Chronicle Tuesday morning.
“It looks like the Boosey has peaked for now which is an inch below flooding into the main street.
“When the water hits the top of the bridge it just spreads everywhere, very quickly.
“Once the fire siren goes, we are ready to help save the pub, shop and houses,” Mr Sidebottom said.
The Tungamah community is bracing itself for a repeat of the 2012 flood event (pictured) where floodwaters inundated Tungamah’s Barr Street, flooding the general store and a number of homes.
Tungamah’s main street, Barr Street where the pub and general store are located are some of the first low lying areas of the town to go under water.
The town’s recreation reserve area including the football oval and tennis courts has already been under water for two weeks with the new clubrooms marooned on an island.
Sandbagging has been going on in earnest. With a rising Boosey Creek Mr Sidebottom put out calls for volunteers on Monday, and he was pleased with the response.
“Everyone just gets in and has a go,” he said.
“About forty people turned up to my place, with tandem trailers. They filled up sandbags, loaded them onto trailers and put them down at houses and various locations around town.”
Notwithstanding an easing of rain at the minute, the community is bracing themselves for the Boosey Creek to rise, especially with the forecast of more rain this weekend.
Mr Sidebottom also praised the assistance of the Yarrawonga SES.
“Three semis of sandbags from Shepparton are here in the shire yard thanks to Gerald Nunn from the SES and Peter Megarrity delivered the sand.
“We haven’t had this sort of rain for years and years.”
Paul said local residents cast their minds back to March 2012 when Tungamah was inundated with over 200mm in just a few days and locals sandbagged to save many houses, the pub and the general store.
“It’s a bit different this year, the water has spread out a lot, even in different places I haven’t seen but, the Boosey is again very high, and we will just wait and see.”
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