The southern Australian town of Horsham has been split in two by water and at least one young boy is feared drowned.

澳大利亚南部城镇霍舌姆被上涨的洪水一分为二，恐怕至少有一名小男孩溺水。

Horsham residents are watching the Wimmera River take over their homes
Rains which had laid waste to Queensland are now threatening the state of Victoria where flood waters continue to rise.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she had formed a panel of corporate¹ leaders to support recovery.

The floods have been described as Australia's most expensive natural disaster.

"We know many communities are anxiously waiting as floodwaters rise and many townships across Victoria have already been impacted by floodwaters," Ms Gillard said.

"We also know that a small boy is missing, and so these are very difficult times in Victoria."

Sandbags

An eight-year-old boy disappeared in a flooded waterhole near the town of Shepparton on Monday morning and has not been found.

Electricity cuts have occurred as power stations have been flooded. More than 3,500 people have evacuated² their homes in the north central part of the state.

Sandbags have been stacked up（堆积，累积） to try to withstand the waters, which are expected to peak later today.

"You can't control nature totally, but I think to the extent we had about three or four days' warning and we have an experienced emergency team, I think we're going as well as we can," Horsham Mayor Michael Ryan said.

Another official in Horsham, David Eltringham, said the town was expecting "a one-in-a-100-year flood".

"We are expecting to see the peak maximum flood levels today and inundation³（洪水，泛滥） will come with that," an emergency services spokeswoman said.

"Significant inundation of properties is currently being experienced with water up to a metre [3ft] deep in some areas."