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March 11th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda - Image
- Video
Volunteers at Nathalia unloading a delivery of sandbags. Picture: Jake Nowakowski /
Source: Herald Sun
Herald Sun reporter Michelle Ainsworth talks to Nathalia residents about their fight to save their homes from the floodwaters.
UPDATE: OUTLYING properties face flooding in coming days as the water peak in Victoria’s north flows towards the Murray River.
The swollen Broken Creek at Nathalia was at 3.16 metres this morning and was expected to have dropped away from the metal levee by early Thursday.
Most of the town’s 1400 residents chose to defy evacuation orders and stay to defend their properties.
State Emergency Service (SES) deputy incident controller Michael Morley said a number low-lying properties between Picola and Barmah were likely to be flooded in the next two to three days as the water peak moves west towards the Murray River.
But the Picola and Barmah townships were not expected to be flooded.
“We want to make sure as we follow this peak down, given the work we’ve put in, that the predictions we’ve given for maximum height are close to reality,” he told AAP.
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“Most importantly that we don’t allow any surprises to greet those communities.”
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Jacqui Wescombe said a rain band was expected to move across the state from Thursday into Friday this week.
Falls were expected to be between 20 and 30 millimetres, with isolated patches of 50mm to 100mm and possible thunderstorms.
An SES spokesman said the community, along with emergency services, was continuing to monitor the levee walls and fill leaks where needed.
There has not been a major leak since Thursday morning, when a natural levee under Weir St in the centre of town sent water toward homes.
The SES has reminded residents they are not to go within 15m of the levee walls and boats on the flood waters are not to go within 100m, unless given permission by Victoria Police.
The waters have broken the main drain in the nearby township of Picola, as they slowly head toward the Murray River.
The SES spokesman said several farming properties were isolated after the water broke through but it was not yet known if any homes had been inundated.
The levee continued to hold firm against the swollen Broken Creek, which has peaked at more than 3m and is threatening to engulf the town.
A team of emergency workers, including Australian Defence Force, SES and CFA, joined hundreds of volunteers yesterday in reinforcing six identified points of concern in the levee with loose sand.
Broken Creek divides the 1500-strong town of Nathalia, so a break in either side of the levee could flood either half of the community containing hundreds of homes and businesses. Only 10 per cent of residents, mostly elderly, the frail and children, have evacuated the area.
A man takes shelter from the Nathalia floods on top of his stricken vehicle. Picture: Herald Sun Reader
But emergency services say only six homes have been flooded. Brendan Hutchins, 49, a part-time farmer, was one of the unlucky ones. He woke at 3am on Thursday to water pushing over a five-high wall of sandbags. Within 15 minutes, 20cm of water covered his parents’ home.
“We banked up the sandbags and thought we had done enough,” Mr Hutchins said. “I woke up and saw a couple of the bags fall in and then it just gushed in with some force and engulfed us.
“I woke up my parents, made an emergency call, turned off the power, all within 15 minutes, and in that time there was eight inches of water inside the house. We’ve lost a lot of personal stuff.”
Friends, neighbours and volunteers were yesterday helping Mr Hutchins pump out water and re-sandbag to keep the water out.
“The town has been unbelievable,” Sgt Mark Fabris said. “The community is tired but their chins are up and they are digging in.
“They said the town could be saved, will be saved, and they have saved it. What’s happened here is nothing short of amazing.”
Peter Sheahan said he didn’t think twice about staying and protecting his property from the floods, which now are just inches from his front yard.
“My family has been here since 1940 and it’s the third flood I’ve defended against,” he said.
“We’ve hit the peak now and that’s the first phase to get through. Now it’s about maintaining the sandbags and looking for leak spots.
“I can tell you, I had a smile on my face when it first went down. I just thought, ‘You beauty!’,”
Mr Sheahan, who moved his wife and three children to an evacuation centre, said: “I’m breathing a bit easier. We should be right.”
Emergency services said the town would still be at risk until Wednesday and an evacuation notice remains in place.
The water is expected to stay for about two weeks, slowly heading to flat fields around the nearby towns of Picola and Barmah.
SES incident controller Michael Potter said police were enforcing a 100m exclusion zone to keep sightseers in boats away from the levee.
He also said there had been reports of cars parked on the levee.
“That’s a bit of a concern at this time given that it may have some impact on the integrity of the levee,” Mr Potter said.
“We ask people not to do that.”
“Our focus is still on the condition of the levee system because the levee bank is saturated and we are still encountering leaks and seepages,” Michael Morley, deputy incident controller, said.
“We are concerned because of the fragility of the levee system.”
More than 250,000 sandbags have been used in the Nathalia area alone.
Any farmers who are experiencing water over their property are asked to call the Department of Primary Industries on 136 186.
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