Evacuation order as Lachlan River flood threatens Forbes
They mayor of a NSW town bracing for major flooding has hit out at the state government over its handling of Wyangala Dam.
NSW
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The mayor of a NSW town along the Lachlan River has hit out at the state government as the area braces for a major flood that could eclipse 2016 water levels by up to a metre.
Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller told 2GB rising floodwaters along the river would see four times more people evacuated than during the 2016 catastrophe.
The water level is expected to peak on Wednesday.
But Ms Miller said local officials were more concerned about the hamlet of Nanami, 40km south of Forbes.
“The latest we’ve got (in Forbes) is 9.57 metres, that was at 9am … about 800 people is the maximum evacuation span,” Ms Miller said.
“In 2016, there was about 222 (evacuated) … but our biggest concern is Nanami, just out of Forbes. It was at 12.35m [on Monday], it’s going to peak at 12.4m … in 2016 that was only 11.4m.”
She added: “That’s where locals get concerned, almost a metre higher than it was in 2016.”
Ms Miller also hit out at the state government about the overflowing Wyangala Dam, which officials promised to raise and expand in 2019.
“It’s pretty sad … look at this flood and the damage it is going to do to threatened species, and a whole range of natural grasses all get carried away,” she said.
“If that dam wall was up we would not be having this conversation.”
An SES warning for moderate to major flooding along the Lachlan River remains current for Forbes, Nanami, Cotton Weir, Jemalong and Cowra.
More than 800 homes could be evacuated within the next 24 hours as water levels in the town, 370km west of Sydney, continue to rise.
“Our key area of concern at the moment is at Forbes … even though the rainfall has stopped, the flood is still in motion,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s Justin Robinson said on Monday afternoon.
Weather watchers are currently monitoring the Lachlan River at Nanami, up stream of Forbes, which is forecast to peak at 12.4 metres early Tuesday – higher than the 2016 peak.
“It is important to say at Nanami, the flood levels are actually higher than they were in 2016, so we are obviously concerned that the flood levels at Forbes may reach levels as high as 2016 and even possibly higher,” Mr Robinson said.
An evacuation centre has been established at the town’s Presbyterian Church and 800 households warned to standby to evacuate.
Heavy rainfall combined with tens of thousands of megalitres being released from the overcapacity Wyangala Dam have conjured memories of the catastrophic 2016 floods which struck the town, causing one death.
NSW State Emergency Service Chief Superintendent Greg Swindells said there had been 100 requests for help in Forbes in the last 24 hours, mostly related to requests for sandbagging.
The SES also received 1500 requests for help across the state and performed 29 flood rescues since wild weather struck NSW last week.
“At this point, those flood rescues have all been successful for us, but I just want to say it again – please, people, do not drive into floodwaters,” he said.
Wyangala Dam, which is currently at 103.4 per cent capacity, is spilling 50 gigalitres a day into the Lachlan River.
A moderate flood warning remains in place at Cowra, where the Lachlan River peaked at 11.40 metres on Monday before beginning to fall.
More than 100 volunteers and 30 SES teams are currently on the ground in Forbes sandbagging and preparing to door knock residents if evacuations need to be actioned.
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