South Australia floods: Thousands of houses expected to inundate; alert issued: Reports

Thousands of houses in South Australia are expected to be inundated in floods with the state emergency services (SES) issuing an emergency alert for the Murray River as water flows into the state reached the major flood level.

According to the SES, peak water flows of between 190 and 220 gigalitres of water a day have reached the border with NSW and Victoria.

"Peak water flows of 190 GL/day to 220 GL/day range have now reached the South Australian border. Water levels consistent with these flows are already being observed. These higher levels have raised the River Murray to Major Flood and the river will remain at these high levels for some weeks," the SES said in a statement on Friday.

The emergency alert area is for the river from the border to Lake Alexandrina, a report by ABC news on Friday said. The SES said people living in the warning area should prepare for flooding.

"Regardless of your property's ability to withstand flood impacts, there is a chance you may become flooded or isolated. You should consider leaving - if you remain in the area you may become trapped without water, power and other essential services," Friday's statement said.

''If you live on the edge of the warning area, you should use local knowledge to assess your risk and stay aware of your surroundings. You should consider your trigger for leaving. As the situation worsens it may not be safe to go, or your road to safety may be underwater. It may be dangerous for emergency services to assist you,'' it added.

The services also pointed out that flood water will remain in the area for many weeks and if people plan to stay, they should have enough supply of essential items such as food, water, and medicines as SES won't be able to supply.

The Murray River is expected to peak on January 7 at Mannum, which is about 200 kilometres southwest of Renmark. A report by the Guardian on Saturday said about 4,000 properties along the river are expected to be inundated in the coming weeks. Around 3,260 houses faced power cuts on Saturday morning. South Australia's premier Peter Malinauskas said some affected residents took emergency accommodation, the report added.

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