SES, CFA and police resources were called in from across the region to deal with the emergency situation.

Students were sent home from Charlton College, which will remain shut today, as locals either helped sandbag properties or gather in the streets to witness what many were saying was a once-in-100-year flood.

Floodwater reached the inside of many homes and businesses, forcing residents out of their homes to a relief centre at the basketball stadium.

Bureau of Meteorology warnings at 5.40pm yesterday said the river was expected to stay around moderate flood level this morning.

Charlton residents say the flood was worse than the town’s last major flood in 1954.

The town’s hospital and nursing home remained under threat late yesterday but no one was evacuated.

The Calder Highway north of Charlton and in the town, the Boort-Charlton Road and the Charlton-St Arnaud Road were closed yesterday.

SES sector commander Jodi Munro-Foord, of Wycheproof, said emergency services were forced to move their incident control centre because the police station was flooded.

“We were called out on Sunday night to a vehicle where three occupants were stranded on the roof,’’ she said.

Ms Munro-Foord said volunteers had sandbagged properties throughout Sunday but the river had exceeded major flood levels.

SES sector commander Bob Pratt, of Castlemaine, said information about when the river would peak was unreliable.

“We monitored the river levels hourly and half-hourly right throughout Sunday night,’’ he said.

“It would come in large rises in a short period of time, followed by small rises over an extended period.

“It by far exceeded any intelligence we had available to us and all recorded information.’’

Mr Pratt said the river reached it’s highest peak of 7.94 metres on an unofficial marker yesterday afternoon.

Buloke mayor Leo Tellefson said about five people were evacuated.

“But we have no health issues as yet,’’ he said.

Cr Tellefson said cleaning up Charlton would take time and the bridge across the river would need to have a safety inspection.

“The SES have come from everywhere to help Charlton and they have been just fantastic,’’ he said.