Hundreds of homes in Victoria have been "inundated", while a further 500 properties were surrounded by floods and cut off from emergency services, state leader said.

Mass evacuation orders were issued, while heavy rains forced the closure of some 120 roads.
Mass evacuation orders were issued, while heavy rains forced the closure of some 120 roads. (Reuters)

Flash floods have swamped hundreds of homes in southeastern Australia and thousands of people have been warned to flee surging waters threatening towns across three separate states.

State leader Daniel Andrews told reporters early Friday 500 homes in Victoria had been "inundated", while a further 500 properties were surrounded by floods and cut off from emergency services.

"That number will definitely grow. We have choppers in the air at the moment making damage assessments," Andrews said.

A major flooding emergency was unfolding in Victoria – Australia's second most populous state – where rapidly-rising waters forced evacuations in the Melbourne suburb of Maribyrnong.

Cars left on the streets of the suburb were almost completely swallowed by the floods, while some stranded residents had to be saved by inflatable rescue boats.

READ MORE: Heavy rains trigger flood warnings in southeast Australia

A man pushes a boat as floodwaters inundate a Victorian residential area amidst evacuation orders in Rochester, Australia.
A man pushes a boat as floodwaters inundate a Victorian residential area amidst evacuation orders in Rochester, Australia. (Reuters)

Flood emergency

While the worst of the rain had passed by late Friday morning, the state emergency service warned the floods would get worse as water flowed downstream into swollen river catchments.

"Our flood emergency here in Victoria continues to escalate," emergency services spokesman Tim Wiebusch told reporters.

"There are not many parts of Victoria that aren't experiencing major flooding over the coming days."

About 4,000 homes in Shepparton, about two hours north of Melbourne, could be flooded by early next week, Wiebusch said.

Emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp said the Australian army was being deployed to parts of Victoria to help residents sandbag their houses before flood waters arrive.

"This is a major emergency for the state of Victoria," he said.

A disused Covid-19 quarantine centre with a capacity for 1,000 people would be used to shelter people.

READ MORE: 'Relentless rain': Eastern Australia under flood warning

A man wades through floodwaters amidst evacuation orders in the Maribyrnong suburb of Melbourne, Australia, October 14, 2022.
A man wades through floodwaters amidst evacuation orders in the Maribyrnong suburb of Melbourne, Australia, October 14, 2022. (Reuters)

Lives at risk

Northern parts of Tasmania – an island state south of Victoria – were on Friday also preparing for major floods.

Mass evacuation orders were issued, while heavy rains forced the closure of some 120 roads.

"Lives are at risk from floodwaters," Tasmania's state emergency service said in a statement.

READ MORE: The top ten most costly natural disasters in 2021

Source: AFP