Record flood threatens Menindee as residents evacuate

Evacuations in and around Menindee, near Broken Hill, are nearing completion as the western NSW town prepares for what is expected to be its biggest-ever flood.

Floodwaters in the Darling River are expected to reach 10.7 metres in the town on Saturday, surpassing the highest flood level recorded in the town – 10.47 metres in 1976.

Rising floodwater smash the weir at Menindee in far western NSW on Friday afternoon.Credit: Adam Edwards

It is the latest emergency in a year that has seen record-breaking floods hit many parts of eastern Australia, with 22 people killed, thousands rescued from rising waters, and immense damage to property.

The NSW State Emergency Service has had its busiest year, taking 80,000 calls for help and conducting over 3800 flood rescues.

The financial cost of the year’s floods is yet to be finalised, but the flood event that affected NSW and Queensland in February and March of this year led to over $5.65 billion in insurance claims, making it the single costliest natural disaster in the country’s history, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.

The bursts of extreme weather have been driven by an extended La Nina cycle, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode.

Menindee is facing record-breaking flood levels on Saturday.Credit: Adam Edwards

Human-induced climate change is also playing a role, with warmer air temperatures making some weather patterns more intense and allowing the air to hold increased moisture which falls as rain, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Rainfall records have been shattered in many parts of eastern Australia, including Sydney, saturating the ground and paving the way for floods.

In Menindee township, people in lower-lying areas were advised to get out before 10am Friday morning because roads are likely to be cut off.

An “evacuate now” warning was issued by the SES at 12pm on Friday for those remaining in their homes. About 30 properties in the small township are directly affected.

The weir holding back Lake Wetherell was opened on Wednesday to its maximum capacity, allowing 45,000 megalitres per day to flow downstream.Credit: Adam Edwards

Among the volunteers helping to sandbag buildings are surf lifesavers from Bronte and Maroubra in Sydney who put their hands up to travel west and help the SES operation over the new year period.

“I said, ‘You guys know all about sand, here’s some sandbags’,” an SES spokesperson said. “We’re extremely grateful for the co-operation from other agencies. They are in there sandbagging, lifting furniture.”

The SES said low-lying properties along Irrigation Road, McInnes Road, Budgie Street, the Wilcannia-Menindee Road, Pooncarie Road, Little Menindee Creek Road, Pumpkin Point Road, Loop Road and Racecouse Road may be flooded.

People are advised to move and stay with family or friends on higher ground, or evacuate to the Menindee Community Centre on Perry Street.

Once they hit the town, floodwaters are expected to remain for two weeks.

The flood is caused by a massive build-up of water caused by heavy rainfall upstream. A local river that runs alongside the Darling, Talyawalka Creek, overflowed upstream in the Wilcannia region and the water is building up in the Darling system north of Menindee, including Lake Wetherell.

Government-owned corporation WaterNSW opened the weir holding back Lake Wetherell on Wednesday to its maximum capacity, allowing 45,000 megalitres per day to flow downstream.

“Given heavy rainfall and flooding from the northern parts of the Murray Darling Basin catchments, more than five times of the lake’s capacity of water has flowed into the lakes in 2022, with an unprecedented more than 9000 gigalitres coming into the system,” WaterNSW said in a statement.

“Even with constant water releases to create airspace throughout the year, the Menindee lakes have remained above full supply level since February 2022.”

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