SA communities counting flood damage toll after record January rainfall

The state is mopping up after the highest summer rainfall since the 1940s that has left damage bills totalling millions of dollars. See our chart of how much rain fell in your area.

The highest summer rainfall since the 1940s has left large parts of the state drenched, with regional councils facing damage bills totalling millions of dollars.

State Emergency Service volunteers were called to dozens of properties on the Yorke Peninsula on Sunday as a tropical system continued moving across South Australia.

The unseasonal three-day weather event started on Friday, with parts of the West Coast and Far North receiving record January falls before it moved south to Eyre Peninsula on Saturday and across to Yorke Peninsula on Sunday.

Addison, 6 and Hunter, 8, in the floodwaters on their family’s property near Kimba. Picture: Libby Baldock

Children play in flood waters after heavy rain at Cortlinye, near Kimba. Picture: Laura Gillett

Kadina was hard hit, with rain totalling more than 90mm, causing widespread flooding. By late on Sunday, SES crews had ­responded to more than 140 call-outs across Yorke Peninsula.

Across on Eyre Peninsula, Kimba received almost 170mm of rain, with its council calling a special meeting to discuss ­repairs estimated in the millions of dollars.

“It is going to take a while to clean up; the whole town was under water,” Kimba Mayor Dean Johnson said.

“This is a one-in-100-year event. When the rain was falling, I was in absolute awe; we are not used to seeing that in Kimba.”

A driver was washed from the Outback Highway in the northern Flinders Ranges near Beltana. Picture: North Region SA State Emergency Service

A driver was washed from the Outback Highway in the northern Flinders Ranges near Beltana. Picture: North Region SA State Emergency Service

Paul Ashenden drives through flooded roads near Darke Peak on the Balumbah-Kinnard Rd after being detoured due to the main Highways being closed. Picture: Paul Ashenden

Picture: Paul Ashenden

He said he had witnessed things he never thought he would see in his life.

“We’ve had kayaks, jet skis and canoes out on the flooded roads,” he said.

“I even heard a young couple who live on a farm nearby paddled a boat out to the tree they got married under.”

About 130km north of Kimba, Mt Ive Station was among dozens of Outback properties that received more rain in one day than they usually experienced in a year.

Station manager Stephen Mudge said he had never seen so much rain in such a short period, with 115.4mm recorded.

Some of the record rainfalls. Picture: Mel Cliff

Kimba resident Mel Cliff in the floodwaters around her home after the record rainfalls . Picture: Mel Cliff

“There was about 110mm in under two hours,” Mr Mudge said.

“It has left us completely isolated, all the roads are ­destroyed and there isn’t a paddock on the property without a damaged fence.”

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Vince Rowlands said meteorologists would be closely examining the event.

“It will be pretty interesting to see if we do break any records statewide for the month of January because it’s not common for this time of year,” Mr Rowlands said.

“We had a pretty significant event like this back in 1946.”