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Severe weather: Driver rescued after car enters floodwater at Narrabeen

With 50mm of rain falling in just six hours on parts of the northern beaches — with more to come — emergency personnel had to rescue a driver from their car

Northern Beaches is ‘isolated’ after being hard-hit by floods

Emergency authorities had to rescue a person from their car after they tried to drive through floodwaters on the northern beaches early today.

The car stalled in close to a metre of water spilling across Pittwater Rd at Narrabeen, near the intersection with Robertson St.

SES volunteers from the Manly and Warringah/Pittwater units were called out to more than a dozen job and to assist police and Fire and rescue NSW.

Emergency services personnel, including SES volunteers, had to rescue a driver from their small car after they tried to drive through floodwater across Pittwater Rd at Narrabeen, near Robertson Street, early on Tuesday after torrential rain swept across the northern beaches on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Picture: SES Warringah/Pittwater
Emergency services personnel, including SES volunteers, had to rescue a driver from their small car after they tried to drive through floodwater across Pittwater Rd at Narrabeen, near Robertson Street, early on Tuesday after torrential rain swept across the northern beaches on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Picture: SES Warringah/Pittwater

They were needed to help pump out water from a basement at a home at North Balgowlah and to seal off damaged fencing and footpaths around Warringah Golf Course at North Manly.

Steel wire fencing on the edge of the gold course along Kentwell Rd was knocked over by water and floating debris spilling over from nearby Brookvale Creek and overflowing stormwater drains.

Damage to the fence around Warringah Golf Course caused by flash flooding from Brookvale Creek and overflowing stormwater drains on Kentwell Rd, North Manly late on Monday. Picture: SES Manly Unit
Damage to the fence around Warringah Golf Course caused by flash flooding from Brookvale Creek and overflowing stormwater drains on Kentwell Rd, North Manly late on Monday. Picture: SES Manly Unit
Damage to the fence around Warringah Golf Course, and the footpath, caused by flash flooding from Brookvale Creek and overflowing stormwater drains on Kentwell Rd, North Manly. Picture: SES Manly Unit
Damage to the fence around Warringah Golf Course, and the footpath, caused by flash flooding from Brookvale Creek and overflowing stormwater drains on Kentwell Rd, North Manly. Picture: SES Manly Unit

The fencing was also damaged during the massive northern beaches flooding event on March 8 that left hundreds of homes and businesses around Narrabeen, North Manly, Manly Vale and Balgowlah damaged by rising floodwaters.

A staggering 50mm of rain fell in just six hours between 10pm Monday and 4am Tuesday at North Manly, Allambie Heights and North Balgowlah.

The SES said the car stalled at Narrabeen at about 2am and the driver had to be helped form the vehicle after the engine cut out.

Wit more heavy falls, and a possible thunderstorm and potential flash flooding on the way on Tuesday, the SES reminded locals not to ever enter flood waters and to turn back and find another way.

Sandbags are also now available at the Denzil Joyce Oval car park, Abbott Rd, Curl Curl and North Narrabeen Surf Life Saving Club car park.

Anyone needing emergency assistance due to flood and storm, please call NSW SES on 132 500. If life threatening, please call 000.

An SES water rescue crew member in North Manly during the flood event on March 8, 2022. Picture: SES
An SES water rescue crew member in North Manly during the flood event on March 8, 2022. Picture: SES

The latest flooding events come as the Northern Beaches Council voted to contact the NSW Government and ask that it be included in the independent flood inquiry announced by the government in the wake of the devastating floods in northern NSW and north western Sydney.

A resident makes their way along flooded Pittwater Rd at North Manly during the flood event on March 8. Northern Beaches Council is writing to the NSW Government to ask that it be included in the recently announced NSW flood inquiry. Picture: Marianne Bray
A resident makes their way along flooded Pittwater Rd at North Manly during the flood event on March 8. Northern Beaches Council is writing to the NSW Government to ask that it be included in the recently announced NSW flood inquiry. Picture: Marianne Bray

Council CEO Ray Brownlee will write to Premier Dominic Perrottet, Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward and Environment Minister James Griffin, who is also the MP for Manly, and “request that Council actively and positively be included in the recently announced independent flood inquiry that will examine and report on the causes of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from, the 2022 catastrophic flood event”.

The inquiry will report on issues including:

– the causes of and factors contributing to the frequency, intensity, timing and location of floods;

– preparation and planning by agencies and the community for floods in NSW;

– responses to floods, particularly measures to protect life, property and the environment

the transition from incident response to recovery and; \

– recovery, including housing, clean-up, financial support, community engagement and longer-term community rebuilding.

More to come

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily/severe-weather-driver-rescued-after-car-enters-floodwater-at-narrabeen/news-story/7d60aef11a3cc41f2699b94348dbdb42