Sydney’s north west weather: SES bombarded by flood rescue calls
Over 400 calls for help: Sydney’s wild weather pounded down on The Hills, with cars swept away and animals rescued from homes. See the pictures.
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The Hills was battered by wild weather today and over the weekend, with emergency services called to rescue animals, people, cars and homes.
Emergency workers came to the aid of a school bus earlier today, which became trapped in floodwaters in Maraylya.
A bus driver and six children were rescued by boat by State Emergency Service workers and RFS volunteers on boat Reedy Rd.
“The students didn’t even get wet, plenty of others did. The six students loved getting their photo taken sitting in the front of the police car. They had a lovely morning,” RFS volunteer Helen Ridge, who attended the scene, wrote on Facebook.
Many others online expressed their anger that the bus driver had decided to travel through the floowaters.
“Why on earth would the driver even consider driving through that? Putting the safety of the children at risk. They should know better,” one person wrote on Facebook.
“What a disgrace.. putting young children’s lives at risk,” another wrote.
Yesterday, a silver Mercedes reportedly swept off a causeway in Galston yesterday afternoon, with fears a person was inside the vehicle.
A search by police divers and the SES is ongoing, with appeals for information about the owner of the vehicle.
In Schofields on Sunday, SES workers rescued two people trapped in flood waters in Grange Ave, while two dogs and their owner were rescued by boat from Kerry Ave.
A number of roads are still closed in The Hills due to flooding at Blue Gum Rd, Annangrove, Cattai Ridge Rd, Glenorie, McClymonts Rd, Maraylya, Wiseman’s Ferry Rd, Cattai and River Rd, Leets Vale.
The Hills SES attended multiple flood rescue operations in the region over the weekend, which led to a warning for commuters not to “risk it”.
Davis Rd and Breakfast Rd in Quakers Hill were flooded by waters up to about one metre.
“We have many local causeways in the Maraylya, Kenthurst, Cattai Areas along the creek systems. Water can rise rapidly during heavy rain, and during times of flooding on the major river systems,” a post on The Hills SES Facebook page read.
“Never drive, ride or walk through floodwaters.”
The SES and RFS were out from 8am this morning to deal with hundreds of requests for help, mainly for trees fallen on homes, cars and backyards.
In Beecroft, a huge tree fell across three properties, damaging homes and fences.
Just after midnight on February 10, the Hornsby Shire SES unit had received over 440 requests for assistance since Saturday morning, but were only able to reach about 140 of the calls.
Fallen trees blocked streets on Eastern Rd, Quakers Hill, Rose St in Baulkham Hills, Purchase Rd between Hancock Dr & Tennyson Cl, Cherrybrook, and Macquarie Drive near Shepherd’s Drive in Cherrybrook.
The Castle Hill Showground was open for animals and livestock evacuated from the floods.
A number of Catholic, government and non-government schools in the region are closed due to flooding and power outages today including Pitt Town Public School, Arndell College in Oakville, Wilberforce Public School, Galston High School, Pennant Hills High School, Blacktown Youth College Lawson Campus, Bede Polding College, Windsor, and Chisholm Catholic Primary, Bligh Park.
Pennant Hills High School principal Ross Warren issued a statement to parents yesterday to say the school was “non-operational … as this is no power on site”.
Pitt Town Bottoms on the Hawkesbury was evacuated last night, with residents told to get out by midnight.
“Once floodwater reaches above 7.5m at the Windsor Bridge, the Pitt Town Bottoms Evacuation Route via Pitt Town Bottoms Road, to Pitt Town will be cut,” a NSW evacuation order read.
“If you remain in the area after midnight tonight, you may be trapped without power, water and other essential services and it may be to dangerous to rescue you.”
An evacuation warning for the North Richmond Lowlands on the Hawkesbury was issued at 4.30pm yesterday, with warnings to evacuate within the four hours.