mmg.com.au

Shepparton homes and businesses were still surrounded by floodwater yesterday, leaving some residents isolated and several properties inundated.

Incident Control Point controller Chris Linehan said emergency services received 120 calls for assistance from early evening on Wednesday until mid-morning yesterday.

This was after Shepparton received a recorded rainfall of 57mm from 4pm on Wednesday to 10.30pm yesterday.

Mr Linehan said residents in the north of town reported rainfall of up to 130mm.

He said callouts included people stuck in cars, water damage in homes, general flooding and fallen tree removal.

He said four homes in Shepparton were inundated by floodwater as were numerous businesses in the north and north-east where flooding was at its worst.

Shepparton Christian College, Shepparton East Primary School and Lemnos Primary School were closed yesterday. None of the schools were inundated, but were inaccessible.

‘‘Basically there was lots of rain and rain not getting away, it was typical flash flooding and the system not being able to keep up with that in that time,’’ Mr Linehan said.

Mr Linehan said the flood became a regional response on Wednesday about 9pm, when resources from across the region were called upon for assistance.

Shepparton Search and Rescue Squad and Echuca and Kyabram State Emergency Service worked in and around Shepparton on Wednesday night until yesterday afternoon.

Five crews worked until 2am and that was scaled back to three crews yesterday.

Mr Linehan urged drivers to be sensitive to residents living in flood-affected streets.

‘‘One of the constant complaints we get is houses flooding by the drivers causing bow waves. People need to avoid that where possible,’’ he said.

‘‘For a number of people it’s quite scary.

‘‘They have water inches from their home and you’re making the water move up into there.

‘‘They are going from an okay position to having water in the home and wet carpets.’’

Anyone who needs urgent flood response assistance should phone 132500. Sandbags can be collected at the Greater Shepparton City Council depot at 315 Doyles Rd, Shepparton.