NEWLY released maps show the severity of Victoria’s January floods.The Department of Sustainability and Environment maps were generated using data collected on the floods through the use of aerial photography and remote sensing.The department’s sustainable water and environment executive director Dr Jane Doolan said many areas of central Victoria recorded the largest or second largest flood on record.“These new maps increase our knowledge of flood behaviour for the different river systems and will help authorities to improve future flood responses,’’ she said.“This year started with the wettest January on record in Victoria with widespread rainfall across most of the state and the western part of the state recording rainfall three to four times the January average.“This resulted in widespread flooding in all of the major river systems including the Wimmera, Avoca, Loddon and Campaspe Rivers.” “Only a year ago these rivers were bone dry in patches because of the ongoing drought.’’Dr Doolan said the magnitude of the floods was due to a combination of extreme rainfall and saturated conditions of the catchment and flood plains. Wedderburn and Kyneton were two of seven monitoring stations that broke their highest daily rain records.