Northern NSW towns brace for flooding as Lismore warning downgraded

Northern NSW towns are bracing for the possibility of major flooding as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred creeps inland, bringing torrential rain to the already sodden region.

Fears that Lismore could again be inundated have eased with downgrading of flood warnings on Sunday but prepare-to-evacuate alerts have been issued by the NSW State Emergency Service for low-lying areas around the Clarence River.

After lurking off the coast of South East Queensland for days, the tropical low finally made landfall about 9pm on Saturday between Brisbane and Maroochydore.

It has already left devastation in its wake with a 61-year-old driver of a ute swept away in floodwaters at Megan, in northern NSW, on Friday, and 13 soldiers injured in an accident involving two Australian Defence Force vehicles near Lismore on Saturday.

Major flood warnings were in place on Sunday for the Clarence River at Grafton, the Richmond River at Wiangaree, Kyogle, Casino, Coraki, Bungawalbin and Woodburn and the Orara River at Glenreagh and Coutts Crossing.

Residents in Lismore, which bore the brunt of destructive flooding in 2022, had been alerted to the prospect of major flooding. But that assessment was downgraded as water levels in the Wilsons River fell and an evacuation warning for Lismore was lifted, allowing residents to return to homes with caution.

Current severe weather warning area in northern NSW.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

The Bureau of Meteorology said river levels peaked on Saturday afternoon at 9.31 metres and were likely to remain around the moderate flood level of 7.2 metres on Sunday before possibly receding beneath that mark on Monday.

A severe weather warning remained in place for the Northern Rivers, Northern Tablelands and parts of Mid North Coast and North West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts, with possible rainfall of between 50 and 100 millimetres in six hours and between 100 millimetres and 150 millimetres over 24 hours.

The forecast deluge could bring flash-flooding and damaging wind gusts. Wet weather is predicted to ease on Monday afternoon.

“I want to make it clear that we’re not out of the woods yet,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

“We’re watching very closely the river systems in the Northern Rivers. There is still a lot of rain out there, there is still a lot of full, swollen rivers, although there are obviously some encouraging signs.”

Minns said there had been about 45,000 houses without electricity on Saturday but power had been restored to all but 14,000, most of them in the Tweed region.

While rainfall had decreased on Sunday, authorities urged communities to remain vigilant despite the cyclone having been downgraded to a low.

NSW SES Operations Commander Acting Chief Superintendent Stuart Fisher said there had been six rescues during Saturday night including one in which a family of two adults and six children attempted to drive through floodwater.

Concerns about major flooding in Lismore are easing.Credit: Nick Moir

“SES crews were able to get there and they are safe but again it highlights the same issue we talk about time and time again,” Fisher said. “Do not drive through flooded waters. It absolutely astounds me that this still occurs.”

Seventeen of the 29 rescues in the past week were of people who had driven cars into floodwater, according to the SES.

In Queensland, severe weather warnings were also active for large parts of the south-east corner of the state, where 320,000 residents were without power, almost a third of that number on the Gold Coast.

In Brisbane, two people were injured, one of them hospitalised, as a result of falling trees in strong winds.

Flood warnings in NSW were active as far south as Gloucester, west of Forster, and as far into the state as Coonamble, north of Dubbo.

More than 300 schools in northern NSW were scheduled to remain closed on Monday.

Police said four recovery assistance points would be opened from Thursday at Southern Cross University in Lismore, Ballina Surf Club, Tweed South Community Hall in Tweed Heads and at Coffs Ex-Services Club in Coffs Harbour.

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