As water levels rise along the River Murray in South Australia, residents, businesses and authorities are keeping a close eye on what is to come.
Many homes have already been inundated with water and others are without power.
Here is a look at what is expected in the coming weeks.
What is the prediction now?
The South Australian government is predicting between 190 and 220 gigalitres of water a day will flow down the river as the flood peaks in late December.
Authorities initially expected there to be two peaks — one in mid-December and one later in the month — but they now believe there will be one single peak, with water levels to remain high for months.
The cause of all this water is the enormous amount of rain that has fallen in NSW, Victoria and Queensland over the past three years.
Australia is in a third-straight year of La Niña.
La Niña is a weather phenomenon determined by changes to winds and water temperatures in the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean that brings with it a greater chance of rainfall.
With catchments already swollen, this year's rain has caused widespread flooding in the Murray and Darling river systems and much of that water is now ending up in South Australia.
How can we tell where will flood?
Flood modelling maps are providing a key guide for both authorities and residents.
Created by the Department for Environment and Water, they are designed to give everyone in the region a chance to see what different flows could mean for their towns and properties.
Authorities caution these inundation maps should only be used as a guide.
They were created in 2014 and have not been adjusted for any of the new levees created in the past few weeks.
What do the maps reveal exactly?
The maps show what a rise in the river will do when flows hit a certain level.
It shows what roads will be cut, what towns will be impacted the most, and what homes and properties could be flooded.
Renmark, with a population of 7,500 people, will be the first town to receive the full flow, four days after waters peak at South Australia's border with NSW and Victoria.
Renmark resident Peter Smith, who lived through the 1956 Riverland floods, is counting on reinforced levees built next to his home to protect him, his neighbours and the local hospital.
"All the work has to be done before it gets here, so everyone is hoping like hell that what they've done is good — and I think it is," Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith's home is next to the Renmark Paringa District Hospital and aged care facility, which has evacuated more than 50 patients as a precaution.
About 30 of those residents have been moved to higher sections of the hospital, while 20 have been taken to alternative centres.
As we follow the river, next in line are the other large towns of Berri, which has a population of about 4,100, and Loxton, where 4,500 people live and which will receive peak flows two to three days after Renmark.
These towns, like most in the Riverland, serve largely as service centres to the local primary producers, who rely on irrigation from the river to grow wine grapes, stone fruits and almonds.
It is some of these primary producers in low-lying homes who mapping shows will be flooded.
Many properties have already gone under.
Shacks, too, are expected to be impacted and roads cut, but mapping shows the major centres should come through largely unscathed.
How does this flood compare historically?
While river heights are already surpassing the historic 1974 levels, the 2022 flood is expected to be well short of the disastrous 1956 floods.
In that flood, flows reached 341 gigalitres a day.
The main streets of Renmark and Mannum both went under in that devastating event.
Dave Schache remembers the main streets being sandbagged to protect as many businesses as possible.
"The sandbags were 10-foot high on the roadside and the water was running underneath our feet," Mr Schache said.
In the 2022 flood, it is substantial holiday homes built since 1956 and just above the river level that are expected to be hit the hardest.
Already, 1,100 houses have been impacted, but that figure is expected to rise to about 4,000.
How will the Murraylands fare?
Many properties from Cadell to Morgan to Blanchetown and Swan Reach are already partially flooded.
The water level is already close to the first floor of many properties, and it is expected to rise much higher as the peak hits about 10 to 12 days after flowing past Renmark.
Next in line is Walkers Flat, with the modelling showing many homes there will be flooded.
Further south is Mannum, which has a population of 2,400.
Businesses and homes on the wrong side of a new levee appear at risk, as do holiday houses on the opposite side of the river in Bolto Reserve.
Authorities, as they did in 1956, have built a levee down the main street of Mannum to protect the majority of businesses.
While in 1956 they predominantly used sandbags, this time they have used new DefenCell levees.
Mid Murray Council chief executive Ben Scales said while the flood was very slow moving, the river was clearly rising, along with people's anxiety levels.
'It's not a flash flood. It's been coming for a while. But we don't quite know what is going to eventuate, so that's creating some anxiety amongst residents and the community more broadly," Mr Scales said.
While properties on the edge of the river like the Murray Bridge Club appear vulnerable, the town itself should be safe as waters peak some two weeks after going past Renmark.
What help is on offer for those impacted?
For those needing help, the South Australian government is providing emergency housing to eligible Riverland residents.
Personal hardship emergency grants worth $1,000 are available for families.
Grants are also available, in certain circumstances, for people who need generators because of power cuts.
More information is available at sa.gov.au/floods or by calling 1800 362 361.
