Australia hit by floods as rivers rise in the south

Heavy rains have produced the worst flooding in a decade

SYDNEY - Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged people to prepare for evacuation as river levels rose in the country's flooded south on Sunday, threatening hundreds more homes.

Soldiers were called in and a natural disaster declared in Victoria state after intense rain pushed rivers to their breaking point, flooding at least 250 homes and isolating entire towns, emergency officials said.