Residents in the northern Victorian town of Kerang are being told it's too late to leave but the community is standing strong in the face of rising floodwaters.
A bridge connecting the town to the Murray Valley Highway closed on Wednesday night, prompting warnings from the State Emergency Service that people could no longer evacuate.
But Gannawarra Shire Mayor Charlie Gillingham said residents could still leave for Swan Hill or other northern towns via three separate routes.
Those major roads will slowly close over the next week as floodwaters rise but Mr Gillingham said many locals were still choosing to stay.
"I suppose about 500 have left but there's still probably 3000 in town," he told AAP.
"There's certainly plenty of people walking up and down the street."
Most Kerang residents have lived through severe flooding, with the devastating 2011 floods still in recent memory.
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The town centre was cut off for days when the Loddon River rose in January 2011 and there are fears the same thing could happen this time round.
But Mr Gillingham said Kerang residents were prepared.
"I was just in the IGA and it's chock-a-block full of food," he said.
"Most people have been buying up over the last week so I'm sure they'll be right.
"It's pretty hard to tell with floods. No two floods are the same. But we've just asked people to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
The Loddon River is expected to peak in Kerang on Saturday, with locals still sandbagging the railway line to Swan Hill late on Friday.
The community spirit was strong in the face of adversity, Mr Gillingham said.
"The local knowledge is fantastic. The community is fantastic," he said.
"All the volunteers, the emergency services people - they're all working together, doing a great job."
It's still a waiting game for residents in Echuca and the smaller towns of Barmah and Lower Moira, with the Murray River yet to peak.
Authorities are predicting the river will reach levels just under the 1993 flood record overnight on Sunday and into Monday.
Flood warnings also remain for towns along the Loddon, Goulburn, Campapse and Avoca rivers, with more rain and isolated thunderstorms forecast for the weekend.
Australian Associated Press
