Friday, September 10, 2010

I don't need to go to the Murray, the Murray comes to me

I'm in Echuca waiting for the flooding to settle down across North-eastern Victoria. However, a moderate flood is heading this way so there's no avoiding this. According to VIC SES, who are managing the flood event, Echuca will experience two flood peaks - one tonight or tomorrow - and the other expected around  Wednesday. The peaks will be around 94 metres AHD, just below the level of the 1993 flood. The first peak will be due to water from the Goulburn River making it to the Murray. The second peak will be the water from the Upper Murray catchment area.

It was explained by Craig whom I met in the library one day that most of the water from the Murray's connecting rivers north of the Goulburn is diverted from the Murray to the Edward via the Cadell Tilt, and the Murray at Echuca should only really have to contend with other-river water from the Goulburn. The Cadell Tilt is a north-south fault in the Earth's surface resulting from geological activity over millions of years.

I attended the community meeting run by VIC SES last night. They had a general map there of the expected flooding. It's mostly rural areas and caravan parks that are affected. Unfortunately I am in the latter. The town is waiting on more detailed flood mapping to become available. In the meantime I will have my pannier bags hooked up on afence and my sleeping bag wrapped in plastic (whenever I'm not in it).

My flood management plan also involves sleeping on a table or errecting my hammock in a rotunda if it gets more than a little damp. I've made sure to have stocks of water and food (chocolate) just in case I become isolated from Aldi for a few days; and I've been to the op shop to stock up on reading fodder.

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