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UPDATE TUESDAY 8am: Click here to follow our continuing updates on the weather and flooding across the region. 

UPDATE 5.30pm: Rochester residents have been told at a public meeting this afternoon they have little reason to be concerned about the prospect of flooding.

An estimated 350 people packed into the shire hall in Mackay Street, while another 100 were waiting outside, to hear the latest situation update from the SES. 

The crowd was told that although Lake Eppalock started spilling at 7am, the flow was unlikely to exceed 1600 megalitres a day.

By way of comparison, during the 2011 floods when 80 per cent of the town was inundated, the flow was 80,000 megalitres day.

UPDATE, 3.45pm: Goulburn-Murray Water believes the flood risk for Rochester is significantly lower than prior to the 2011 floods.

The Campaspe River is at a significantly lower level than it was in 2011, and releases are not yet being conducted from Lake Eppalock.

Residents in Rochester were worried about a repeat of the flooding of five years ago, in which 80 per cent of the town was inundated.

Rochester Community Bank senior branch manager Tracie Kyne said there was little information about the situation at this stage.

“No one seems to know what’s going on at the moment, the SES sent a text out about the community meeting so we will wait and see what comes up there,” she said.

“It’s pouring rain at the moment, but we know the water comes from the south, where they had 20 to 30 millimetres upstream of Eppalock.

“A lot of people are starting to worry.”

The SES has issued a moderate flood warning for Rochester.

The SES community flood meeting will be held at 5pm at the Shire Hall in Mackay Street, Rochester.

A community meeting will also be held at Bridgewater at 4pm.

UPDATE, 2.39pm: Goulburn-Murray Water is monitoring the water levels at Lake Eppalock.

Water resources manager Mark Bailey said the lake was full and water was spilling from the storage.

“If rainfall continues, this could continue for some time,” he said.

“GMW is not conducting releases from Lake Eppalock.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and when inflows recede we may conduct releases to return the storage to full supply level.”

Lake Eppalock was last full in October 2012.

“The inflows so far this season are the strongest GMW has recorded in more than five years,” Mr Bailey said.

Inflows into Lake Eppalock come from the Campaspe and Coliban rivers.

“Levels below Lake Eppalock are currently significantly lower than were recorded in 2011,” Mr Bailey said.

UPDATE 2.25pm: CFA and SES crews have worked with Carisbrook residents this afternoon to protect their homes from flooding. 

SES Maryborough volunteer Stephen Moyle said systems put in place after the 2011 floods allowed residents and emergency services to be better prepared.

Full story: Local crews prepped for flood

UPDATE 1.35pm: Maryborough’s emergency relief centre has been closed due to a lack of demand.

UPDATE 1.30pm: What a sight out a Lake Eppalock:

UPDATE 12.30pm: Community meetings will be held at Bridgewater and Rochester today, as flood warnings remain in place for central Victorian catchments.

A community meeting will be held at the Bridgewater Town Hall at 4pm.

A community meeting will be held at the Rochester Town Hall, 44 MacKay Street, at 5pm.

Please check the latest list of road closures before traveling – www.vicroads.vic.gov.au or call 13 11 70.

A relief centre is also open at the Maryborough Sports and Fitness Centre, 40 Gillies Street, Maryborough.

Loddon River: Major flooding is occurring in the Loddon River upstream of Laanecoorie. Read more here.

Avoca River: Moderate flooding is occurring along the Avoca River to Charlton Town. Read more here.

Campaspe River: Minor flooding is now occurring in the Campaspe River above Lake Eppalock. Read more here.

Wimmera River: Minor flooding is occurring in the Wimmera River. Read more here.

UPDATE, 10.45am: David Anderson has been busy this morning protecting his home from rising floodwaters.

Mr Anderson's home is on the banks of the Loddon River in Baringhup.

"The water line was five metres lower. It is tricky because (the Loddon) runs a narrow course through here."

Water is over the road at the corner of Albert and Mitchell streets in Baringhup.

It has forced the closure of the road and the caravan park on the other side of the river is significantly flooded.

Water is also lapping at the bottom of the bridge over the Loddon River.

"Six years ago it the bridge went under and put a hole in it," Mr Anderson said.

"I didn't expect this. We had heavy rain overnight but I thought last time was the worst of it."

Mr Anderson's house is the site of the old Loddon Bridge Hotel.

UPDATE, 10.25am: The spillway at Lake Eppalock is flowing. 

“One of the workers came in this morning and said at 6am it was going over,” Leisa Rose of Lake Eppalock Holiday Park said. 

The park is about six kilometres from the spillway. 

“At the moment the park is fine,” Mrs Rose said. 

“We’ve only got a few people down here and they’re leaving today.”

She said they had about 25 millimetres of rain last night.

UPDATE, 9AM: North Central Catchment Management Authority drop-in sessions about flood risk in Maryborough and Newstead today have been cancelled.

“Agencies are dealing with the implications of last night’s rain and rising floodwaters in the area,” a spokesman said. 

The meetings were to be about the upcoming processes around the Regional Floodplain Management Strategy and to capture local knowledge about the flood risks in their communities. 

“We will assess the other planned meetings throughout the month as they arise,” the NCCMA spokesman said. 

At this stage, planned meetings at Boort and Wycheproof tomorrow are still going ahead.

As a precaution, Carisbrook Primary School has closed it doors today on the advice of the emergency management team.

The Maryborough Education Centre and St Augustines Primary School in Maryborough remain open.

UPDATE, 8.45AM: Carisbrook residents are again anxiously watching the weather and flood warnings after heavy rain overnight. 

Central Goldfields Shire Councillor Helen Broad said a house at Bucknall Street was being sandbagged. 

She said Tullaroop Creek and Deep Creek were rising, though flood water near Rodborough Road seemed to be subsiding.

“Come down to the [fire] station and get some information if you are not sure,” Cr Broad advised the town’s residents.

“Check on your neighbours, and don’t drive through flood water.”

Carisbrook Fire Brigade Captain Ian Boucher said the flood water was about a foot higher than it had been on September 14, when the town’s residents feared a repeat of the 2011 floods. 

He said Tullaroop Reservoir was “overflowing a treat,” but the predicted 9am flood water peak had yet to occur.

UPDATE, 8.15am: A relief centre is open at the Maryborough Sports and Fitness Centre in Gillies Street, Maryborough.

An SES spokewoman said homes in Carisbrook had been doorknocked overnight to warn owners of potential flooding.

“There have been rapid stream rises in the Carisbrook area because of that heavy rain,” she said.

A community update for Carisbrook specified the McCallum Creek and Tullaroop Creek systems as having rapid stream rises.

“The flood peak is expected around 9am this morning,” it said.

“A second peak (is) likely during the day, as waters moving through Creswick Creek at Clunes and into the McCallum Creek and Tullaroop Creek systems.”

Emergency services are warning people not to drive through floodwaters.

It follows a car being trapped in floodwaters at Wedderburn this morning.

Flood warnings

Road safety 

Safety information

EARLIER: A corridor of high rainfall hit central Victoria last night resulting in flooding and road closures this morning.

The Bureau of Meteorology, said the rainfall hit just after sunset in the area east of Lake Buloke.

“It’s then moved through Maryborough and Castlemaine to the East of Ballarat,” a spokesman said.

“Notable rainfall totals include 30mm at Charlton, 34mm at Bet Bet and 38mm in Ballarat.”

Bendigo received 20mm overnight according to the BoM website.

Police have reported road closures in a number of areas.

A spokesman at Maryborough police said all main roads into the town were closed apart from the Ballarat-Maryborough Road.

That included the Pyrenees Highway in both directions at Newstead and Bung Bong and Bendigo-Maryborough Road at Laanecoorie.

Castlemaine police said the Loddon Valley Highway was blocked at Durham Ox along with the Pyrenees Highway at Muckleford.

Bucknall Street in Carisbrook has also been evacuated.