Record-breaking rain threatens homes, lives across New South Wales
Entire towns are underwater and homes washing away as a torrential downpour lashes parts of New South Wales.
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Tens of thousands of NSW residents are being impacted by flooding with the Mid North Coast bearing the brunt of the torrential downpour.
On Saturday there have already been 269 flood rescues with over 4100 requests for assistance across the state.
Ten evacuation orders have been issued impacting 17,000 residents with that number expected to grow throughout the day.
Currently there are approximately 10,000 customers without power.
Warragamba Dam is expected to spill later today.
Police announced a Public Information and Inquiry Centre had been activated on Saturday morning to support the severe weather operation.
The inquiry centre will provide information on the severe weather and flooding until at least 5pm on Monday. The number is 1800 227 228.
Dramatic pictures of a house floating away in West Taree have also just surfaced.
The system is currently moving over the central coast and into metropolitan Sydney areas and further down to the Illawarra regions.
Floodwaters have started to hit the Parramatta region while the SES in Penrith are loading sandbags for local residents.
Heavy falls are expected but not to the extent observed on the Mid North Coast on Friday.
Between 300-400mm of rain was observed overnight around Port Macquarie with major flood warnings current and more likely.
Kendall on the Mid North Coast has seen 405mm of rain, and 160mm of rain fell in just three hours at Kindie Bridge.
FLOOD WARNINGS
The Nepean and Lower Blue Mountains areas are expected to see the worst flooding in Sydney.
A moderate to major flood warning is in place for the Hawkesbury, Nepean and Colo Rivers with flooding expected to reach levels seen in the February 2020 floods.
Tomorrow rainfall will be worst in the Blue Mountains and Illawarra areas.
“So for the Greater Sydney region we are looking at rainfall totals widespread across the region of around 100 millimeters, and really the heaviest falls are expected over the lower Blue Mountains region where we are likely to see 200 to 300 millimeters,” Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Agata Imielska said.
In Sydney, NSW Racing made the decision to cancel the Golden Slipper race day at Rosehill.
“There is a significant threat for people on the North Coast as flood levels remain high,” SES spokesman Andrew McCullough said.
“There have been people in life-threatening situations who have been trapped in houses and caravans with their properties inundated.”
The SES says the situation in Sydney remains “dynamic”.
“Today we are likely to see flash flooding in Sydney across the low-lying areas,” he said.
“We are urging people not to drive through flood waters.”
Much of the 90-150mm of rain the BOM has forecasted is yet to hit Sydney.
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
A severe weather warning remains active for people in Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Australian Capital Territory, and parts of the Mid-West Slopes and Snowy Mountains weather districts.
The main areas for concern are St Albans, Marsden Park, Richmond and parts of Windsor, with communities warned to sandbank properties, move livestock and prepare to leave.
“This just confirms the caution that I put to Sydney Water over many, many months now that they should not leave the dam at 100 per cent or near 100 per cent,” Mr Elliott said.
“I think it creates too many risks.”
The State Emergency Service said “we are also liaising with our partners at Water NSW where they will advise us accordingly should the dam spill”.
SES volunteers in Penrith have been loading up sandbags for local residents.
MORE WEATHER
Autumn Carnival: Golden Slipper postponed
Mid-North Coast: Communities evacuated in low lying areas
Between 9am Friday and 5am Saturday, Delward recorded 373mm of rain, Redoak received 343mm, and Upper Rollands Plains recorded 250mm; including 125.8mm in three hours.
A service station at Telegraph Point was inundated, with locals working together to transfer an injured man from a boat to a car in the middle of the street.
Footage also emerged of cars abandoned in flood waters and a lawn bowling green at Comboyne that resembled a pool.
Flooding was declared major along the Gloucester River at Gloucester about 8.30pm on Friday, while the Camden Haven River is expected to break the record set in 1978 at Laurieton early on Saturday morning.
The Pacific Highway was closed in the region and there were numerous communities isolated by floodwaters.
Mr Elliott said there were 10,000 SES volunteers on standby, but added that he had had a gutful of people putting lives at risk by trying to cross floodwaters.
“SES volunteers do their job without any sort of recognition or reward, so I actually think it is the height of arrogance for people to ignore the flood warning,” he said of the 41 flood rescues completed since Thursday.
“You wouldn’t want to walk into a bushfire so why would you go through flood waters?”
Seawalls along the Northern Beaches (Collaroy) and the Central Coast (Wamberal) remain unaffected for now, according to local councils.
Along the Central Coast emergency crews are in the process of removing between 2000 and 20,000 tonnes of sand and earth from lakes including Copacabana, Avoca, Wamberal and The Entrance.
Fears remains that coastal lakes at high tide will flood homes along the waterfront.
Similar works are being carried out on northern beaches lagoons.
Between Sunday and Thursday next week Sydney is expected to receive a maximum of 98mm of rain, with the majority tipped to fall before Wednesday morning.
Areas along the north coast will receive the most rain next week, however Orange, Wagga Wagga and Jindabyne will also get hit midweek.
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