A body found at Wallacedale on Friday was believed to be that of a man swept away in floodwaters on Wednesday.
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Police rescuers and SES volunteers ended their three-day search for a missing 84-year-old Macarthur man after his ute was swept into a dam on Ryans Road at Wallacedale, north of Macarthur.
On a day without significant rain, the height of the Hopkins River continued to rise. Projections for a flood peak in the Hopkins this weekend were revised at least twice on Friday to return to the original prediction it would peak late Sunday night through to early Monday morning.
State Emergency Service spokesman Ray Jasper said the Hopkins was expected to peak on Saturday morning at Hexham, on Saturday night at Ellerslie and on Sunday morning at Framlingham.
Its projected peak at 5.8 metres at Allansford late Sunday night and early Monday morning is close to the level it reached in 2011 floods that prompted extensive sandbagging in Allansford to save about six properties.
In the past few days, the SES has blocked stormwater drains around Allansford to prevent them back flowing into the town during the river's high levels and sandbags are being supplied to Allansford residents.
The Hopkins had a peak of about 5.65 metres at Allansford early on Friday but no damage was done.
Paul Richardson is among the many Allansford locals who will have an anxious weekend waiting on the Hopkins to reach its peak.
Mr Richardson, who lives in Allansford’s riverside Frank Street, was concerned the Hopkins could go even higher than the 5.8 metres predicted by the SES. He said the river on Friday was at a higher level than it was in 2011 when floodwaters from its Mount Emu Creek tributary rushed in to lift the Hopkins to danger levels.
He hoped Sunday’s peak would only take the Hopkins up to his backyard clothes line and not into his home but had made preparations to receive sandbags to stop his home being inundated.
On Friday afternoon, the Hopkins had risen about 1.5 metres in 24 hours and covered about 15 metres of Mr Richardson’s backyard, with about another 10 metres to go to reach the 2011 level.
He expected the Hopkins would flood around the southern side of Premier speedway on Sunday morning, as it did during the 2011 floods.
The floods prompted Warrnambool City Council to close the Ziegler Parade bridge at Allansford as a precautionary measure.
The council said the ageing bridge was under pressure from the floodwaters in the Hopkins and could also be damaged by flood debris.
