Residents in central Victoria are doing what they can to prepare as the floodwater rises.

Here’s some footageAge photographerJason South has sent through of people filling sandbags to sure-up homes in Goornong,near Rochester.

Sadly,they have some experience with this after floods devastated the area in late 2022.

The Age revisited Rochester a few months ago and found people therewere still putting their lives back together.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan spoke to reporters earlier this afternoon.

She said the state government would hold a security and emergency cabinet meeting this evening.

“That will also guide the advice to government on what other supports that will be activated for households who have been particularly affected,” she said.

The premier said it was a “significant weather event”,and the authorities were still in the emergency response phase.

“As the weather starts to clear as we get roads reopened and be able to go in,and the response teams can go in[to those areas] and do those important impact assessments,” she said.

She said they would be methodical,and would go through town by town,house by house to assess the impacts on the floods.

Here’s the state of play as record-breaking rains cause serious flooding in parts of Victoria.

• Evacuation orders have been issued for parts ofRochester,Seymour andYeaas fast-rising water threatens to inundate homes and trap anyone who stays behind
• About 4pm on Monday,residents in parts ofYea were told it was too late for them to leave and should instead seek shelter as high as possible.
• InSeymour,nearly 200 homes are at risk of flooding,with 50 homes immediately at risk of seeing over-floor flooding and another 140 that could see flooding below-floor level.
• InRochester,which experienced devastating floods in October 2022,about 35 homes are at risk of above-floor flooding and another 250 could see overland flooding. The river is expected to reach the minor flood level Monday evening,rising to moderate levels overnight and may exceed the major flood level on Tuesday morning.
• Flooding is expected to hitShepparton andWangaratta in the middle of this week.
• Daily rainfall records have been broken inHeathcote,Rochester andBendigo.
• Up to 16 people were rescued from floodwaters in theBendigo area,which experienced record-breaking rainfall of 92mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday.
• Emergency services have rescued38 people across the state,and have urged Victorians not to drive into floodwaters. TheSES have responded to 1200 calls for help.

Residents in parts of Yea are now being told it is too late for them to evacuate.

Vic Emergency has just issued the alert for people in the town’s west onMulqueeny Lane,Clarence Way,Newberry Chase andBuckland Court,and in the town’s east onMiller Street,Loan Street,Whatton PlaceandCourt Street

“It is now too late to leave. Stay where you are and shelter in the highest location possible,” it says.

“Be aware that you may be isolated by floodwater for a significant amount of time”.