Tumbulgum, Tweed on flood watch after northern NSW rain deluge

Northern NSW residents say they are sitting ducks in the path of another major flooding event following a deluge of rain overnight. Here’s why the sight of storm clouds has them “freaked out”.

“Paranoid, freaked out and fearful” northern NSW residents say they are sitting ducks in the path of another major flooding event, following a deluge of rain overnight.

Tumbulgum residents in the Tweed Shire are on tenterhooks after flood warnings were issued on Monday and Tuesday and roads to the town were temporarily blocked by floodwaters.

Since Monday, the NSW SES have performed 27 rescues across the Northern Rivers, including one man who was bitten by a snake while escaping rising waters.

A whopping 307mm of rainfall was recorded at Bald Mountain at Limpinwood, with other parts of the Northern Rivers exceeding 200mm.

Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the Northern Rivers, including a rain-battered Tumbulgum. Picture: NSW SES

It comes after parts of Southeast Queensland, including the Gold Coast, were smashed by freak flash flooding on Monday, seeing cars and buses swept into fast-moving waters.

Tumbulgum resident Ross McLane, who experienced the 2017 and 2022 Northern Rivers flooding disasters, said locals, particularly younger families, were “paranoid and freaked out” by the prospect of another major flood event.

Tumbulgum residents Ross McLane and Noel Emzin say they have been through all of this before. Picture: Sam Stolz

“They are bloody scared, they don’t know what to do but us older generation have been through it all before,” Mr McLane said.

He said the 2022 flood disaster saw flood waters reach his second story balcony, with boats “pretty much driving through my house”.

“There were two foot waves coming through the loungeroom,” he said.

“We lost two cars, there was mud everywhere. It was a disaster.”

Mr McLane and neighbour Noel Emzin said after 2022, they had their houses raised on stilts.

Mr Emzin lived in a small caravan for months while his home was retrofitted.

Warning signs have been put up at the entrance to the township. Picture: Sam Stolz

On Tuesday, the pair, who say the Tumbulgum community is “extremely tight-knit” were washing mud off the road from floodwaters overnight.

“The only way I can describe the atmosphere at the moment for many people here is panic,” Mr McLane said.

Mr Emzin said council still hadn’t learned their lesson from the 2022 floods, and “came in again too late last night”.

Floodwaters spilled onto the roads, but have subsided on Tuesday. Picture: Sam Stolz

“The SES are usually pretty good but as a community we took it into our own hands to communicate and look out for one another,” he said.

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said on Tuesday while there was a brief reprieve from rain, the risk was not yet over.

“Catchments in and around the Northern Rivers continue to see the impacts of significant rainfall over the past 24 to 48 hours, and we’re expecting flood warnings to continue across the region,” he said.

“People in the Northern Rivers should heed the direction emergency services on the ground, never drive through floodwaters and avoid unnecessary travel.”

Picture: NSW SES

Resident Brad Farmer said locals “become twitchy at the sight of storm clouds”.

“They are flood fatigued to say the least,” he said.

“On Monday we became stuck then the waters rose much higher. It seems to have flooded so much more frequently over the last few years.”

While resident Dave Baker, who has lived in Tumbulgum since 1996, said the community was “fearful”.

Roads into Tumbulgum were closed on Monday. Picture: NSW SES

An SES vehicle faces the rising floodwaters. Picture: NSW SES

“When the waters are rising, you don’t know what to do to be honest,” he said.

“Having gone through it so many times you become pretty good at preparing. I moved the cars yesterday afternoon instead of trying to do it at midnight with floodwaters rushing in.”

He said once floodwaters hit the roads, the town can “fill up really quick”.

In a statement from the NSW SES, flood rescue specialists have been deployed to the region to assist.

Crews will continue to monitor river conditions and conduct any damage assessments throughout Tuesday.