Up to 500 homes wrecked in worst floods to hit Forbes for 70 years

Residents of Forbes are facing a huge clean-up bill after the town was devastated by its worst floods in 70 years. It comes as the body of a second man swept away in the Central West last week was found.

The latest NSW community to be ravaged by floods faces a monster clean-up bill with up to 500 properties expected to be damaged in the central west town of Forbes following the highest water levels to hit the town in 70 years.

Flood waters hadn’t fallen enough by Sunday to allow for a proper inspection of hundreds of inundated homes, with businesses on the main street still being lapped with water and the town remaining cut in half.

Forbes resident Ashleigh Morris has camped on the upstairs level of her mother’s home after waters from the swollen Lake Forbes reached waist-height in the house.

She was forced to hurriedly stow valuables upstairs as levels rose over the weekend, which left her stranded on the top floor and unable to get out of the home without using a kayak.

“I was bloody lucky – Mum’s away overseas and we didn’t expect it to be this bad. I had a few workmates come and help me lift some stuff out otherwise she’d have nothing left downstairs,” she said.

Forbes resident Ashleigh Morris has been

forced to take to a kayak to check the damage in her family’s semi-submerged home. Image: supplied

“It’s pretty shitty – but no one is hurt, so it could always be worse,” she said.

Ms Morris, who lives next door to her mother, said while it was too early to think of a damage bill, “but I’d say it’s going to be a pretty big job to do both houses”.

Flooding in the town of Forbes. Picture: Farmpix Photography

In the past 24 hours since Sunday, NSW SES has responded to 311 calls for help and performed 13 rescues across the state.

There are 102 flood warnings still in place – 16 being emergency evacuation orders – while volunteer crews are focusing on key areas of concern in Forbes on the Lachlan River, Tumut and Wagga on the Murrumbidgee River, Moama on the Murray, Collarenebri, Walgett and Lightening Ridge on the Barwon.

The Lachlan River peaked at Forbes at 10.67 metres on Saturday, slightly below the record 1952 flood level.

While water levels dropped over Sunday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned major flooding was still expected to continue into Monday.

Hundreds of homes in Forbes have faced severe floodwater damage. Picture: Farmpix Photography

Forbes resident and self-employed carpenter Grant Nicholson, who lives near the flooded CBD of the town, said he expected a clean-up bill of up to $50,000 after “two foot” of water swamped his home.

It comes just months after he completed a renovation worth more than $60,000.

Despite the blow, he said the community which has rallied around those impacted has been a silver lining for those suffering.

“I’m shattered at what’s happened (but) it’s funny, things pop up on social media and I had a memory pop up from 10 years ago which said ‘the most important things in life aren’t things,” he said.

Flood waters lap at the steps of the Globe Hotel Forbes. Picture: Farmpix Photography

“Times like this make you realise how lucky you are to live in a little community like this that actually cares. It restores a bit of faith in humanity when adversity brings out the best in people.”

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said they were still waiting for an official figure on the number of properties damaged in the floods, but said the figure was “safely” 400 to 500.

She said affected property owners should register damaged homes with the State Emergency Service to aid in the clean-up.

“As soon as the water goes, we’ll get straight onto the clean-up,” she said.

Bob Chahine and Ghosn Ghosn have been identified as the two men swept in floodwaters.

It came as police confirmed they had located a second body after a ute containing four men was swept off a flooded causeway near Boorowa in the state’s central west last week.

While two men escaped from the vehicle, two others were swept away in rising floodwaters – with one body located on Thursday and the other found Sunday.

Ghosn Ghosn and Bob Chahine were riding in the back of moving ute which was pushed off the road by the force of the floodwaters on an overflowing causeway about 50km from Boorowa.

The other two men in the ute’s cab were able to free themselves and got to safety before alerting authorities.

Flood warnings remained active across much of the state’s west, with major and minor floods expected to continue on Monday at Narrabri and Wee Waa. The BOM issued a warning late on Sunday for severe thunderstorms and heavy rain likely to strike the Riverina and far west of NSW into the evening.