Coffs Harbour weather: Flood evacuations underway at Bellingen and Urunga
“We are faced with extensive damage and closures to roads and bridges across our Shire including further landslips”, mayor warns. Read how Coffs harbour locals and tourists are coping.
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Holiday-makers in the riverside tourist park at Urunga were forced to cut their stays short on Wednesday morning when the State Emergency Service issued an evacuation order.
The order to move came about 9am and the convoy of vans didn’t have far to go to find higher ground.
A vacant block near Club Urunga was a popular park for many, while others simply pulled to the side of the road in the village.
Bellingen Shire Mayor Steve Allan has warned residents to stay safe, stay dry and stay home only if it is safe to do so.
“We are faced with extensive damage and closures to roads and bridges across our Shire including further landslips forcing the closure of Waterfall Way between Bellingen and Dorrigo,” Mr said.
In Bellingen on Wednesday morning an SES flood evacuation order urged residents on the north side of town to go across town over flooded roads and bridges to an evacuation centre at the high school.
People took to social media, some mocking the message with others slamming it as clearly dangerous and wrong. Others clarified the situation saying the evacuation centre for the northside of town was at Dawn Song Pre School in Elliott Close, off Sunset Ridge.
Homes in low lying areas of Urunga are also coming under threat and have been using boats to rescue valuables.
Came to the coast to avoid floods
Peter and Kate Neeskens were holidaying at Urunga when SES volunteers told them to evacuate the tourist park at 9am on Wednesday.
“We’re much better off than most people as at least we’ve got our house,” Ms Neeskens said, pointing to the family’s caravan.
With two boys in tow, Liam, 2, and Toby, 4, the family have been on the road for two months from their regular home at Airlie Beach.
“We’ve been out west at Lightning Ridge trying to avoid the floods,” Ms Neeskens said.
“We thought it would be okay now to come to the coast - but no.”
Ms Neeskens is due to give birth in May and grew up at Urunga. The return hasn’t been what she had planned.
“Now we just have to find a place to stay tonight. We’ll try to head up to Coffs Harbour,” Mr Neeskens said.
Wind was worse than the rain
Brian and Coralie Doyle from Brisbane had no sooner set up their caravan at Urunga when it was time to move.
The Doyles arrived on Monday afternoon and on Wednesday morning they were told they had to evacuate the tourist park.
“The rain last night wasn’t too bad it was more the wind,” Mr Doyle said.
“What with the shade cloth and all and I had to get up in the middle of the night to move some pegs.”
He said they had planned to travel to Taree on Friday but the operator of the park there said to forget about that as the site there was also challenged by the wet.
There are multiple SES evacuation orders in place across Urunga CBD, Newry Island, Bellingen River Caravan Park, Parts of Yellow Rock and Bellinger Keys. There is also an evacuation order for East Bellingen and North Bellingen.
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