Clarence Valley flood updates: contamination, rising water and medical issues

Disaster recovery across the Clarence Valley differs as towns reopen while others are still cut off facing telecommunication, medical issues and water contamination. Flood updates.

Some major roads are opening with caution allowing access to towns such as Yamba and Iluka but the SES call line is still running hot for areas still cut off such as parts of Glenreagh, and Ilarwill, and the townships of Tucabia, Shark Creek, Fineflower and Baryulgil.

Ulmarra SES Unit Commander Sue Chappell said there is still a demand in these areas for food, water and a medical assistance, especially for the elderly.

“The medical calls are all fairly urgent,” Mrs Chappell said.

“Recently an elderly lady needed urgent cancer treatment medication and her husband had heart issues.

“Another elderly couple needed food and medication and another one needed epilepsy medication.”

Mrs Chappell said for other areas such as Minnie Waters and Wooli their biggest problems has been telecommunication.

“People have been knocking directly on the door of the SES Unit Commander asking for help so they were getting a little bit desperate in those areas until telephone lines and electricity could be restored,” she said.

Updates across the Clarence

The SES has issued an ‘All Clear’ for Maclean with urgent repairs on the levee now finalised.

Flooding has again occurred across Bluff Bridge.

Residents in the townships of Lawrence, Brushgrove, Southgate and Palmers Island can return to begin the clean up process.

Major roads including Yamba, Iluka and Clarence Way will allow for restocking of supplies at Yamba and Iluka and is a major step in the disaster recovery.

Warnings remain consistent across the Clarence

Regardless of which stage of recovery residents are at Mrs Chappell has some warnings for all flood affected residents.

“Be careful of contaminated flood water: it carries a lot of germs so always wear gloves,” she said.

“Water does cause a lot of disease at the end of a flood.”

The Clarence Valley Council report that residents may now notice unpleasant sewerage like odours from receded flood water.

A statement from council explains the odours occurring due to a breakdown of plants and organic matter in the water and high dissolved organic carbon from the rotting vegetation creates higher iron levels the longer it pools on the land and often has a very unpleasant smell, particularly after a summer flood.

As for the lessons to be learnt from the 2022 floods Mrs Chappell urged people to prepare their homes for future flooding and to take notice of evacuation warnings and do something then and not wait for an evacuation order.

“The key is to plan ahead because I don’t think we can fight mother nature to be honest.”

The SES is moving about towns they can access such as Ulmarra with brochures of information on what flood-affected residents can do next.

In the meantime Clarence Valley Council is supporting Resilience NSW to open Recovery Centres to support residents with more details coming soon.