Dubbo flooding: Residents evacuated, tourist park, Woolworths flooded

A temporary evacuation centre has been established after widespread flooding exceeded catchment records overnight in a regional CBD. Read the latest here.

Hundreds have been relocated to emergency evacuation sites in the state’s central west, as the extent of damage from widespread flooding overnight is realised with some residents left feeling “helpless”.

Dubbo was one of the hardest hit regional centres, experiencing around 40-50 millimetres of rain on October 8, with parts of the CBD under water and evacuations in effect.

According to Dubbo Regional Council, “significant rainfall across Dubbo in the past 24 hours … exceeded catchment records”.

Flash flooding forced residents from the Western Plains Tourist Park out of their homes in the early hours of Sunday morning.

A temporary evacuation centre has been set up at the Dubbo Showground for those affected with Cara Burrows, a mother living with her family at the tourist park “caught off guard” by the news.

“[We needed] plenty of more warning,” Ms Burrows said.

Flooding at the Western Plains Tourist Park. Photo: Britt Paige Theris

“Well we’ve lost everything, my son had a fridge and his camper was full of furniture and [we] lost it all,” Ms Burrows said.

“We didn’t have enough time to get it all out … we got told at one in the morning and by say 2.30am we had to have it all out.”

Despite the short time frame, a frustrated Ms Burrows said there was no help offered to residents who were told to evacuate

“No, we were doing it all on our own … like we had all our other mates [but] no services,” Ms Burrows said.

“Well honestly the SES was standing out on the road and they didn’t even help.

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“If it wasn’t for the manager of the caravan park, we would have all still been there … we felt helpless.”

The situation was so dire for Ms Burrows and her family, they were forced to tow their unregistered Holden ute to keep it away from flood water.

Now, the financial stresses continue for Ms Burrows with uncertainty weighing over her head.

“They (Dubbo Regional Council) have given us these two days at the moment,” Ms Burrows said.

“And we don’t get a refund from the caravan park, but we might get two nights free, like really, we all pay like ahead and because there’s no refund, we lose out on that money.

“[My kids] rely on youth allowance, they’re on Centrelink payments, my son is only 19, he’s only young.”

Meantime, for commuters, Dubbo Regional Council has closed the Emile Serisier Bridge after discussions with the SES, Transport for NSW and local police.

For Hayley Cairns, a former Dubbo resident now living in Western Australia, it was a “scary” experience.

Former Dubbo resident Hayley Cairns with her son Lincoln at the temporary evacuation centre in the Dubbo Showgrounds.

“We’re over here for my best friend’s wedding and then [we] came out to Dubbo to see some people because I used to live here,” Ms Cairns said.

“I didn’t expect it to go this way … it was a bit scary and overwhelming travelling with little kids and watching the floodwaters rise yesterday.”

Ms Cairns is due to fly out of Sydney on Wednesday and although the panic has settled down, her main focus is getting to the city safely to hand back a rented campervan.

While major rainfall and flash flooding is no longer a high risk, and the Macquarie River peaking in Dubbo at 8.6m on Sunday morning, Ian Robinson an SES Superintendent spoke to media alongside Dubbo State Nationals MP and Agriculture Minister, Dugald Saunders.

“We’ve got some moderate flooding here in Dubbo happening at the moment and that’s likely to persist but it will drop,” Mr Robinson said.

“We’re expecting it to drop down at least to seven metres so we can clear the bridge.”

Drone footage of Dubbo floods. Photo: Jessie Robinson

Mr Robinson said the SES was waiting for the river level to drop so crews can begin clearing out the damage in the Woolworths carpark which is currently under water along with the tourist park.

“The weather system now is cleared across to the east … however, the beginning of the next coming week, from Wednesday there will be some more showers, possible not as bad as we’ve had,” Mr Robinson said.

“We still need to be aware to not cross through flood waters … just be aware of your surroundings.”

Flash flooding overnight in the state’ central west resulted in NSW police activating the ‘Register Find Reunite’ platform, to identify residents displaced by floods.

“Police are encouraging those within the impacted flood areas to register their movements using the Australian Red Cross’ ‘Register, Find, Reunite’ service, as emergency services continue to respond to several calls for assistance,” a NSW Police spokeswoman said.

The Register, Find, Reunite website can be accessed HERE.