NSW floods: Heavy rain, flood warnings for devastated northern communities

NSW is bracing for more “life-threatening flash flooding” as torrential rain impacts the state for a second time this month.

A man has died after being pulled from the ocean on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Picture TNV

Northern NSW is bracing for more “life-threatening flash flooding” as more torrential rain impacts the flood-stricken area for a second time this month.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a fresh severe weather warning on Monday morning for the Northern Rivers and parts of the Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands, revealing up to 180mm of rain was expected to fall within six hours.

“Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms with locally intense falls are expected over northeastern NSW from later today,” the BOM predicts.

⚠️ #Flood Watch issued for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter, Hawkesbury Nepean and North Western New South Wales Rivers. See https://t.co/AdztI2rqg1 for details and updates; follow advice from @NSWSES. #NSWFloodspic.twitter.com/SCcHScV1l6

— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) March 28, 2022

“Locally intense rainfall leading to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is possible with thunderstorms with six-hourly rainfall totals in excess of 180 mm.”

The wet weather is being caused by a coastal trough which is expected to deepen over northeastern NSW, causing heavy rainfall and thunderstorms.

Areas expected to be affected include Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Byron Bay, Lismore, Yamba, Grafton, Coffs Harbour and Dorrigo.

Parts of Northern NSW devastated by flooding earlier this month have been warned to expect waters to rise again this week. Picture: Toby Zerna

A flood watch is currently in place for the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter and North Western NSW rivers, and there is also the potential for landslides caused by the heavy weather.

“Heavy rainfall increases the potential for landslides and debris across roads,” the BOM said.

Since 9am yesterday, the highest falls have included 20.8mm at Cape Byron, 19.2mm at Ballina and 17mm at Yamba, but rainfall is expected to increase.

Acting Premier Paul Toole delivered the renewed warnings for the region which has already been devastated with catastrophic weather earlier this month.

“Today there are many people that are not going to welcome the news that we’re going to be talking about. We’re seeing a lot of our communities that have been impacted by heavy rainfall across the state over the past few weeks. But over the next few days, we are going to continue to see heavy rainfall on the eastern coastline here in New South Wales,” he said.

“That’s especially going to impact on those communities on the mid north coast, all the way through to the Queensland border.”

The clean up effort is still ongoing in Lismore, pictured on March 21, but renewed heavy rainfall could see parts of northern NSW flood again. Picture: Toby Zerna

Mr Toole said landslides were expected and residents impacted by evacuation and flood warnings should take the instructions seriously.

“I want to point out that the SES crews and the incident management teams are ready to go. They are there ready to support those communities that will be requiring that support right now,” he said.

The clean up continues in Lismore after it was hit with heavy flooding earlier this month. Picture: Toby Zerna

“I say to people, if you are asked to leave your home, please don’t waste any time. Do it immediately. This advice is being given to you to protect your life. “Please don’t hesitate. Please do the right thing for the emergency.”

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke put communities in low lying areas on alert for road blocks and evacuations.

“We’ve already seen several weather warnings, severe weather warnings issued, severe thunderstorm warnings issued, and floodwaters issued just this afternoon,” she said.

An excavator clears rubble and debris from a landslide near Main Arm Road in Upper Main Arm. Record rains and flash flooding caused a number of landslides near Mullumbimby earlier this month. Picture: Toby Zerna

Ms Cooke said emergency services were conducting door knocks in the most at-risk areas.

“As you know, we we are simultaneously implementing recovery efforts and people in communities particularly in the Northern Rivers region may see some changes over the days ahead,” she said.

“We may need to move community centers to higher ground, we may need to move our motor homes that have already been positioned and have people in them through that recovery process. We may need to move them to higher ground as well.

“I just want to reassure the community that we are not abandoning you. We are not leaving you. We just need to put some simple precautionary.”

Bureau of Meteorology’s Jane Golding said most places in the northern rivers and mid-north coast received at least 100mm of rain in the past week.

“We will continue to see thunderstorms pop up … those rainfall totals are certainly high enough to cause flash flooding,” she said.

“It’s not the same system it was late last month and earlier this month. We do have some warnings and watches current. A flood watch was upgraded this morning to be pointing to the risk of moderate flooding.”

The Tweed, the Richmond, the Wilson and the Erara catchments are at risk of moderate flooding.

“These systems are pretty tricky to forecast so please keep up to date with advice,” she said.

The weather is expected to head to the Hunter, Illawarra and Sydney region from mid week.

It comes as a man in his 50s drowned on Sydney’s Northern Beaches after beach goers found a surf ski floating in the water.

A man has died after being pulled from the ocean on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Picture TNV

Emergency services were called to Palm Beach, in Sydny’s North just after 12pm on Sunday, after reports a man had been pulled from the water unconscious.

Officers attached to Northern Beaches Police Area Command were told members of the public had found a surf ski floating in the water and reported it to volunteer Surf Life Savers.

Life Savers conducted a search of the water and located the man, before he was brought to shore.

The man is yet to formally identified but is believed to be in his 50s. It is the 42nd drowning in NSW since December last year.