SKIPTON residents were last night on high alert as rising flood levels prompted an evacuation warning.
It came after several towns across the Ballarat region experienced flash flooding at the weekend with more than 100 residents forced to leave their homes.
Creswick was one of the hardest hit with a section of the main street completely underwater and many homes and businesses damaged.
Ninety-five people registered at the Creswick Town Hall Relief Centre, including some from the Creswick Nursing Home, Creswick Caravan Park and nearby senior citizens units.
Click here for pictures of the Creswick floods, including more aerial shots
State Emergency Service divisional commander at Creswick Craig Coulter said 96 residents were evacuated, with about 50 of those by the SES and Country Fire Authority. No one was injured.
Fire trucks, four-wheel-drives and flood boats were used to rescue those stranded.
There were 68 Ballarat and SES personnel involved in the rescue.
"We probably could have done it a lot sooner but we were not aware of the impact of the water coming down that creek," Mr Coulter said.
"We were called to do some sandbagging but in half-an-hour the water was there."
Torrential rain caused flash flooding at other towns including Ballarat, Clunes, Brown Hill, Beaufort, Miners Rest, Maryborough, Newlyn, Skipton and Carisbrook.
Click here for readers' pictures of floods across the Ballarat region
At 5.30pm yesterday, there were 32 uninhabited homes at Clunes, five cabins at the Clunes Caravan Park and four homes at Allendale.
The SES received 260 calls from Ballarat residents.
An intense low pressure system west of Victoria was behind the downpour.
In Brown Hill, residents were trapped by rising floodwaters near Ditchfield Lane, due to the rising Yarrowee River.
Resident Wally Coles said the water was getting high in Reed Street and it was believed to be flooded back from Ditchfield Lane to Springs Road.
Miners Rest resident Deborah Hausler said her house, which was built up from the road, was like an island with the nearby creek overflowing.
"It's usually a narrow creek but it's so much wider and we're surrounded by water," Ms Hausler said.
Lexton Plains Football League grand finals scheduled for Saturday was postponed because of the heavy rain.
The LPFL called off the football and netball grand finals at 8.10am after learning of road closures across the region and on safety grounds.
The weekend's spring deluge saw Ballarat surpass its average rainfall for September.
Figures from the Bureau of Meteorology show 77mm has been recorded at the Ballarat Airport since September 1.
The average rainfall for the month is 71.7mm.
Ballarat recorded 46mm of rain on Saturday, while 18mm fell on Sunday.
The bureau estimated about 86mm of rain was recorded in the Clunes area in the 24 hours to 9am Saturday.
Premier John Brumby said people who were unable to return to their homes and required financial assistance to meet basic needs could be eligible for emergency assistance grants of up to $1067.
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