The South Australian towns of Virginia and Port Wakefield are under threat from floodwaters as the Gawler and Wakefield rivers burst their banks, with warnings more rain is on the way.
About 60,000 sandbags will be flown into the Edinburgh RAAF base this afternoon to be used in the sandbagging effort.
The levee at Virginia, on the rural outskirts of Adelaide's north, failed this morning and an emergency warning for people in the area spreading from Gawler to Buckland Park was issued.
"It's a very low-lying floodplain and there is a significant amount of water coming down the Gawler River and so there is every likelihood that there will be properties inundated," SES spokesman Chris Beattie told 891 ABC Adelaide.
About 20 structures at Bowmans, in the state's Mid North, were flooded by the Wakefield River. There are also reports of flooding at Balaklava.
Premier Jay Weatherill said the major flood threat was around Virginia, with the Wakefield River yet to peak.
"There has been a Herculean effort to protect Port Wakefield," Mr Weatherill said.
"A temporary levy of sandbags has been constructed and up until this point has been effective in protecting the town."
Overnight, SES, residents and the Army sandbagged the Port Wakefield township — home to about 500 people.
The water was being directed away from the town on to the golf course.
Sandbagging effort as people trapped
Significant rain on the way
Senior forecaster John Nairn said more rain was expected across South Australia from Sunday afternoon.
"So as we move into Sunday we expect to see a front to arrive in the mid afternoon and it will produce some falls in a range of 10 to 20 millimetres on higher ground," Mr Nairn said.
He said "more significant rain" of up to 60 millimetres in the Mount Lofty Ranges, and about 20 to 30 millimetres north of the Gawler River catchment were expected on Monday.
Between Sunday and Tuesday the Adelaide Hills could receive up to 100 millimetres on already saturated ground, he said.
Gawler avoids serious damage
Gawler, north of Adelaide, avoided serious property damage overnight after SES crews worked with volunteers and Australian Defence Force personnel to protect residents, as the Gawler River peaked about 10:00pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said rainfall of more than 60 to 100 millimetres had been recorded across the Gawler catchment since Wednesday.
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VIDEO: Flooding in the Barossa Valley (ABC News)
Flooding had also occurred further north-east of Gawler in the Barossa Valley.
Meanwhile floodwaters have forced the Ghan to transfer Adelaide-bound passengers onto buses for the rest of the journey.
A spokesperson for Great Southern Rail said flooding between Two Wells and Mallala meant the Ghan had to stop at Port Augusta.
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