Earlier this week the State Government estimated it would be door-knocking 1086 premises to check permanent residents are safe and have a plan to evacuate.

To date, 42 families have asked for help with Stevens saying work was starting closer to the border where there is now expected to be a peak of 175GL to 180GL surging across the border each day on December 14.

He said it was particularly difficult to assess those living on houseboats and police were using aircraft and river boat operations to locate people who may be affected, with 675 premises visited so far.

“Forty-two families have indicated they require assistance with emergency support, 277 are planning to stay and 114 have a plan in place,” he said at a River Murray update today.

However, some residents were not at home when they were door-knocked with Commissioner Stevens saying efforts were initially being concentrated on first affected regions around Renmark and then moving downstream.

Numbers were increasing as police and emergency staff discovered more dwellings along the river.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said the first River Murray peak was now expected to be later, revised from the first week of December to December 14, giving more time to shore up properties and communities with sandbags, levees and other flood barriers.

He said the State Government was organising short, mid and long-term housing for those affected and “hundreds of hotel rooms have been identified that will be available for those seeking accommodation”.

About 370,000 sandbags have now been deployed from six distribution centres and the State Government has now procured two million for further shoring up of properties.

Today the heavily used Bookpurnong Road connecting Berri and Loxton in the Riverland has closed as water laps its edges.

All vehicles including cars and trucks now need to use the detour via Stanitzki Road to Sturt Highway, through Paringa and Renmark and onto Old Sturt Highway, Berri.

The Lyrup ferry also has been closed with SA State Emergency Services chief executive officer Chris Beattie saying there were now 85 local roads closed. He said 14 state roads would be affected sometime around Christmas.

He expected road closure numbers to increase and advised communities to keep a check on updates for alternative routes to hospitals, medical centres, schools and workplaces. The Morgan ferry is likely to close next week.

“Targeted outreach via door-knocking of homes in inundation areas commenced on November 29,” he said.

“This was complemented with SMS messaging to mobile phones and voice messages to all fixed line services within these areas.”

He also said there was now a 50m exclusion zone for canoes, kayaks, surf skis and boats around electricity overhead power lines and stobie poles, along with locks throughout the River Murray.

More community meetings are being held throughout the Riverland this week after two in Goolwa and a shack owners’ meeting in Adelaide last week.