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19 January 2011
Last updated at 00:33 ET
Residents of the southeastern Australian town of Kerang have been told to leave their homes immediately.
Officials said Kerang residents should pack three days of supplies and leave before the waters of the swollen Lodden River rose further.
The latest alert follows floods through parts of the state of Victoria, and the death of a boy near Horsham.
Further north, floods have killed more than 30 people and caused widespread losses in the state of Queensland.
The evacuation warning was issued after the State Emergency Service estimated that homes would be flooded by the Lodden River overflow.
As levees intended to hold back the waters were breached, officials warned the town could be isolated for five days.
Go now "You should ensure you have left your property immediately," the SES said in text message alerts sent about 0520 on Wednesday (1920 GMT on Tuesday) to the town's 2,500 residents.
"We have enough resources and enough high ground for people to still operate within Kerang, but if it becomes totally inundated there will be very few people left in town," Mayor Max Fehring told Sky News.
Spreading waters were surging across the north and east of state, and more than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes.
Power cuts are in force across the state as electricity stations have been submerged.
At least 58 towns across Victoria have now been hit by floods and 22 relief centres are in operation.
Floodwaters split the Victorian town of Horsham in two on Tuesday, as the body of a young boy was found in another flood-hit town, Shepparton.
Further north, in Queensland, the state capital Brisbane and the nearby town of Ipswich were hit by a heavy storm which impeded recovery efforts there.
More than 7,000 lightning strikes were recorded, while falling trees damaged homes and created new fears in an area already badly hit by the recent weeks of flooding.
Residents there have been warned that more heavy weather is to come.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is to form a panel of corporate leaders to help rebuild devastated infrastructure.
The floods are said to be Australia's most expensive natural disaster.
Are you in the Australian state of Victoria? Have you been affected by the floods? Send us your experiences by using the form below.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
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Officials said Kerang residents should pack three days of supplies and leave before the waters of the swollen Lodden River rose further.
The latest alert follows floods through parts of the state of Victoria, and the death of a boy near Horsham.
Further north, floods have killed more than 30 people and caused widespread losses in the state of Queensland.
The evacuation warning was issued after the State Emergency Service estimated that homes would be flooded by the Lodden River overflow.
As levees intended to hold back the waters were breached, officials warned the town could be isolated for five days.
Go now "You should ensure you have left your property immediately," the SES said in text message alerts sent about 0520 on Wednesday (1920 GMT on Tuesday) to the town's 2,500 residents.
"We have enough resources and enough high ground for people to still operate within Kerang, but if it becomes totally inundated there will be very few people left in town," Mayor Max Fehring told Sky News.
Spreading waters were surging across the north and east of state, and more than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes.
Power cuts are in force across the state as electricity stations have been submerged.
At least 58 towns across Victoria have now been hit by floods and 22 relief centres are in operation.
Floodwaters split the Victorian town of Horsham in two on Tuesday, as the body of a young boy was found in another flood-hit town, Shepparton.
Further north, in Queensland, the state capital Brisbane and the nearby town of Ipswich were hit by a heavy storm which impeded recovery efforts there.
More than 7,000 lightning strikes were recorded, while falling trees damaged homes and created new fears in an area already badly hit by the recent weeks of flooding.
Residents there have been warned that more heavy weather is to come.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is to form a panel of corporate leaders to help rebuild devastated infrastructure.
The floods are said to be Australia's most expensive natural disaster.
Are you in the Australian state of Victoria? Have you been affected by the floods? Send us your experiences by using the form below.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
Webmaster Forum | SEO Forum | Coding Forum | Graphics Forum</b>