The Bureau of Meteorology declared an active La Nina event this week, indicating the likelihood of above-average rainfall.

The last major La Nina events occurred from 2010 to 2012, causing record rainfall and widespread flooding.

It's predicted this La Nina event won't be as intense, but is still likely to be of moderate strength.

SES North East Region duty officer Troy Milner said SES had been preparing since an alert was issued for La Nina in August.

"Our volunteers are certainly prepared and we're in the process of getting the community flood-ready," he said.

"There was substantial Murray River flooding in 2016, and then we had the 2010-2011 La Nina which came through - that was region-wide and indeed state-wide flooding.

"We've got a predicted 80 per cent chance of exceeding our average rainfall ... all along the Northern area of Victoria.

"It's quite a solid chance, that's why we're ensuring we're prepared."

Mr Milner said water would flow faster off fire-affected land with little vegetation.

"We remind people within those areas to be prepared and to expect that areas that have had fires have a greater risk of landslide," he said.

"Our number one thing is for all communities to know their flood risk ... they can check their local flood guides and municipal emergency plans and know where the sandbag locations are.

"We have had floods before, it's not the first time, but the more we can do to help communities, the better off we'll be."

Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Jonathan Pollock said there was a weak La Nina event at the end of 2017.

"2011-2012 was back-to-back La Nina ... that was the strongest event seen and coincided with a period of above-average rainfall for Australia," he said.

"We're not expecting that it will be as strong [this year] as that previous event, but it's looking as through it would be a moderate to strong event."

The weak La Nina event in 2017 led to minor flooding in Wangaratta, with Premier Daniel Andrews visiting the region and responding to criticisms that warnings were overstated.

The 2016 flooding that caused widespread damages on the Border occurred under heavy rainfall and different weather patterns; the climate drivers in that case were the El Nino Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole.

Greater Hume Council engineering director Greg Blackie also understood it was unlikely a repeat of the 2010 floods would occur, but there would be monitoring of fire-impacted parts of the shire.

"We've undertaken a lot of roadworks up there and we'll continue to monitor those areas for run-off," he said.

"We'll ensure the depots all have sandbags available.

"With 2010, we're talking about a one-in-one-hundred year flood."

Ten years after that devastating event, Greater Hume is now at a fourth and final stage where funding will be sought for major flood mitigation infrastructure.

Mr Blackie hoped works recommended by flood studies would all be completed within five years.

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"We've undertaken full surveys and designs, which we've completed for Holbrook, Henty and Culcairn, and are in the process of doing Walla and Jindera at the moment," he said.

"Yes, it's taken a while, but we have to go through a grants funding process to complete each stage.

"We're a lot more prepared and know what to do.

"The main thing is trying to make our communities more resilient and ensure they know what can happen."