Lismore and Ballina flood crisis: 1000 rescues, MP swims for life, mum’s tears
A mum who managed to escape Lismore’s devastating floods has burst into tears with her infant son after awaking to a second horror call, with her home destroyed. Latest updates, photos, videos
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Authorities believe hundreds of people across Lismore are still awaiting rescue on Tuesday while thousands more remain trapped by deadly floodwaters.
Now other regions in northern NSW including Coffs, Tweed, Ballina and the Clarence Valley are also facing major flooding.
There are dozens of Ballina Shire residents evacuating in Cherry Street Sports Club on Tuesday morning.
Many walk in shell-shocked, bringing in pets and the few bags they packed.
One young mother holding onto her infant son said she had just escaped Lismore flooding on Sunday to wake up on Tuesday morning to the second horror call.
Bursting into tears, she said her house had been destroyed.
About 1300 people have registered with the NSW government as being impacted by the floods already but there are expected to many more impacted in the swamped city of 43,000.
The number of rescues across the Northern Rivers is now estimated at about 1000 and rising.
Overnight there have been desperate calls from family members to have their loved ones saved, while MPs have requested more floodboats in the water, more choppers in the air, more people to take emergency calls and more food for evacuation centres.
NSW state Labor MP Janelle Saffin was among those caught up. She had to swim for her life when floodwaters engulfed her home.
She grabbed a tyre, wedged against a submerged tree and lunged for it, hanging on for life until someone from her office reached her in a canoe.
The State Emergency Service has been swamped with calls for help, many of which have gone unanswered.
The deadly speed of the raging waters has prevented even seasoned SES rescuers from getting to people.
SES spokesman David Rankin said the waters would need to fall at least four metres by Tuesday to make conditions somewhat manageable for emergency services.
Residents have been stunned by how quickly the floodwaters rose on Monday.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, could prepare it for the biggest flood event since 1954 after 700mm came down in less than 30 hours.
The State Emergency Service has issued numerous evacuation orders and alerts, the latest being for Ballina with areas affected including Ballina, Ballina South and Ballina West and areas south of Ballina towards Wardell. Earlier there was an alert for Casino.
Lismore mayor Steve Krieg warned residents they must not return home just to “have a look” if water levels fall on Tuesday.
He said the number one priority for today was “ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents”.
Mr Kreig said on Monday he feared over 400 residents were still not accounted for as rescue efforts continue this morning.
“As rains ease and the water level falls, don’t attempt to return home or worse still ‘have a look’. Under no circumstances should anyone enter floodwaters.
“As difficult as today will be, it’s important to remember that you are not alone. Talk with each other, look after each other, support each other,’’ he said in an early morning Facebool post.
DESPERATE PLEAS FOR HELP
Many locals we spoke to, who have lived in the region for 60 years, and are well versed in dealing with floods, were completely caught out by the sheer magnitude of the deluge.
The drama has captured the attention of the nation as terrifying scenes of people waiting to be rescued on rooftops were broadcast live and shared on social media.
Katie Davis was among those who warned her marooned family were running out of time with her husband readying a float from the kids’ surf and bodyboards in desperation.
“We will tie the leg ropes together and use them if that’s what it comes to,” she said, before rescuers reached the family.
Many are still desperate for either them or their loved ones to be rescued.
DESPERATE PLEAS FOR HELP
Some of those desperate pleas have come directly to the Northern Star, whose staff have also had their homes hit by flooding, along with power losses and telecommunications issues as we have worked to bring updates on the crisis.
We have passed your pleas on to authorities, as rescue efforts continue to be escalated. If you require SES assistance, phone 132 500. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple 0.
‘IMAGES OF SURVIVAL’: VICTIMS TELL OF TERRIFYING RESCUES
A young woman has described being rescued from the balcony of a Lismore property as like jumping off the Titanic as dozens more still await rescue after a horror day of flooding.
In Lismore, Wilsons River is around 14.37m and with levels steady about 4.45pm but according to Bureau of Meteorology the heavy rain is forecast to continue during the remainder of Monday and into Tuesday.
It comes as the Northern NSW sees record levels of flooding, leading to 408 SES calls in Lismore alone.
SES Commissioner Carlene York told media there were 200 rescues to attend to in northern NSW but those numbers may go up
Clare Bucknall and friend Elenor Knowles were staying in the middle of Grafton when the floodwaters rose on Monday.
She said she was so scared that she would not go when the first rescue party arrived.
But then a “big man” came and convinced them to leave.
“It was like the Titanic just as we left,” she said.
“We had to climb onto a balcony onto this man’s fishing boat.
The man picked up Elenor carrying her on his back “through the Titanic water.”
After they got in the boat and travelled through the murky water, the pair said they were so high they had to duck to avoid the power lines above.
Powerlines have also been in issue in Casino, where fires have started precariously close to floodwaters.
Resident Hannah Oaten was looking towards Queen Elizabeth Park about 3.58pm filming the bats flying in when she smelt smoke and caught vision of the wires exploding twice.
According to the ABC, the NSW SES has received a massive 1011 requests for help across the state as a result of the flooding.
At least 408 of those calls have been in Lismore, 40 have been in Murwillumbah and another 40 in Mullumbimby.
In Lismore, the Wilsons River has reached about 14.37m, higher than the record flood of February 1954.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has told residents of Northern NSW to expect things to “get worse”.
“Many would have seen the distressing images of survival, and there are many distressing reports, particularly around the Lismore area of people who are isolated,” he said.
“I want to make it clear we are doing everything we can to provide help and support as quickly and as safely as possible.”
He thanked local SES volunteers for their help in “unprecedented” flooding and warned North Coast residents not currently evacuating to be prepared.
“Simply because your community has not flooded in the past does not mean it will not flood over the course of this week,” he said.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the river is steady but with heavy rain still falling, further river rises are possible.
State Emergency Operations Controller, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said emergency services are continuing to assist people isolated and impacted during this evolving situation.
“The Lismore area is currently of greatest concern, with the Wilsons River expected to peak this afternoon and the township already significantly impacted by flood waters,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said.
“There are currently hundreds of calls for assistance, including persons requiring assistance as they are unable to leave their homes.
“We are asking everyone to be patient, during severe weather events, NSW Police are poised to assist the State Emergency Service, and we are currently working with them to assist as many people as we possibly can.”
He urged those unable to leave their homes to move to the highest and safest place possible.
Soldiers from Lismore’s army base are on the ground helping wherever they can as reinforcements are mustered to battle rising flood water.
Lismore 41 Royal NSW Regiment chief commander Lieutenant Ben Fischer said about 10 troops were on the ground on Monday.
“There’s probably at least that again in the background trying to work their magic and coordinate with civilian elements and figure out how we can best support,” Lieutenant Fischer said.
He said plans were being made for more support to come as well.
Their efforts so far have included door knocking people’s homes in South Lismore on Sunday night to tell them of the evacuation order.
But Lieutenant Fischer said they had to return to base about 1am Monday as the risk of being stranded by flood water pushed them back.
Soldiers have also been ferrying people to an evacuation point at Southern Cross University.
They were also busy on Monday at the intersection of Diadem and Uralba Streets as boats and jetskis were launched into the flood water.
“We are looking to support the community with the SAS and do whatever we can do to help with the floods here in Lismore,” Lieutenant Fischer said.
Terrifying scenes have continued to unfold in Lismore with some trapped on roofs, as floodwaters smashed 70-year records by more than a metre.
The Australian Defence Force has been called in help with rescues, as countless residents call out on social media and to SES for urgent rescues.
Members of the public have been flocking to the flooded streets of Lismore with boats to assist in numerous rescues.
The Corndale hall is just one of the historical monuments to go under during the recent and torrential rain.
Built in 1891, The hall’s Facebook page revealed the heartbreaking news, calling it a “sad day for a lot of locals”.
Residents have been turning up with all manner of vessels, from tinnies to inflatables to decked out fishing boats, launching them on the corner of Uralba and Diadem Streets.
There has been a constant flow of people turning up to lend a hand and to bolster emergency services’ response.
About 630am in North Lismore, emergency services have also assisted with a mission to rescue a man trapped on his roof.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter responded to NSW Ambulance reports the man was clinging to his roof due to rising floodwaters.
The NSW Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic was winched inserted to the man who was placed into a rescue strop and winch extricated to the helicopter.
He was flown to Lismore Base Hospital without injuries.
The Queensland based LifeFlight Special Mission helicopter has also carried out three winch flood rescues and landed to evacuate another five people, isolated by rising floodwaters.
Orion St residents Wendy and Megan Firth could not believe how quickly the waters rose.
“I’ve lived in this street for nearly 60 years and this is the first time the water has ever been through our house,” Wendy Firth said.
In Lismore we have done floods for ever. This is not a flood - this is catastrophic. This is extreme. This is climate change. Lismore needs back up. People are on and in their roof some are screaming for their lives and water is still rising. Friends are rescuing friends. pic.twitter.com/NwikdHTX0V
— Sue Higginson (@SueHigginson_) February 27, 2022
She said the water was at her top step when she woke about 6am Monday. “Within half an hour it was in our house.”
“Luckily, one of our neighbours had a boat and he came over and got us,” she said.
She was grateful she had moved her car to higher ground the night before.
Jeff Bird, 88, was also picked up by a neighbour in a tinnie from his flooded Orion St home on Monday morning and rowed to dry land where his niece Alexia Harmon was anxiously waiting.
“It’s a foot into the house, it’s a high house,” she said.
“They’ve got him out.
“It’s just scary, I didn’t realise it was up this far so quickly.”
Luckily the pair were picked up by a man rowing a tinnie.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned on Monday that floodwaters on the Wilsons River at Lismore would exceed the 1974 flood record of 12.15m and would likely beat the 1954 record of 12.27m.
But by 5am the river had beaten the 50 year record, and at 8.15am waters reached 13.64m — smashing the 1954 total by more than 1.49m.
The BOM projects the water could reach as high as 14.4m later today.
A pregnant woman is among dozens of Lismore residents trapped by the floodwaters, with the mayor declaring the disaster the city‘s “worst in recorded history”.
The city was evacuated in the early hours of Monday morning as floodwaters rose, with SES volunteers rousing locals with sirens and evacuation texts to tell them to get out.
Ms Firth said she and her daughter grabbed what they could and called out to help.
“I don’t know what the next step is from now,” she said.
“I guess we just go to an evacuation centre.”
Orion St resident Michael Moynihan said he and his wife Carolyn started lifting things up about 2am Monday.
Water had filled the downstairs section of their home by the time the sun rose.
He said he there was not much he could but help out their neighbours.
The Australian Defence Force was activated at 3am Monday to provide support during the floods in Lismore.
There were significant logistical issues because of the weather but the ADF is beginning to arrive to assist with rescues.
“I have been in contact with the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Emergency Management and Peter Dutton the Minister for Defence since very early this morning,” the Federal member for Page Kevin Hogan said.
“I urge people to hold on.”
Milk, bread and kitchen utensils have meanwhile been flying off the shelves as Northern Rivers residents hit the supermarkets after massive rainfall caused historic floods.
Uncertainty over supply chains has seen residents of Alstonville, a short drive from Lismore, pack into Coles to stock up on supplies.
Long queues have formed in the store with bread, milk, kitchen utensils, potatoes and onions quickly being plucked off the shelves.
Team Leader at Coles Alstonville Robert Greentree took to local Facebook groups to urge the community to be patient.
“I urge you to be very patient with my team today under the enormous amount of stress, pressure and uncertainty,” he said.
“This event is biblical and we will do our very best to serve you as a community.”
As the rescue operations are ongoing, the fear and uncertainty about family members in flood affected zones continues.
Sharon Foster decided to sleep on the top floor of Lismore Central shopping centre where she works as a cleaner because her home in Gundurimbah is unsafe.
At about 2.30am she looked out to the street to see what looked like a whirlpool engulfing the streets of Lismore.
It took SES until 9.15am this morning to rescue her and a group of others from the roof before being taken to the evacuation centre at Southern Cross University.
Her daughter Jody, who runs Jojo’s Cafe and Sandwich Bar in Alstonville, managed to get a hold of her this morning after she was rescued but she hasn’t seen her since the rains lashed the town.
“The feeling is unbearable, I came into work today so I don’t go stir-crazy thinking about her,” she said.
Jody will go on a milk and bread run when the floods subside to provide food and aid to people who are in need.
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