Murrumbidgee River floods ‘flattest town’ in Southern Hemisphere

Residents in the “flattest town in the southern hemisphere” are desperately trying to stay afloat as floodwaters quickly overwhelm the district.

A NSW mayor says her town, one of the flattest places in the southern hemisphere, has turned into an ocean after floodwaters rushed in.

The Murrumbidgee River rose to its second highest level on record, 9.11m, on Wednesday as Hay residents in the Riverina worked desperately to protect homes from the floodwaters.

“You look out there and think you’re looking at the ocean, but that’s our Murrumbidgee River, spreading out across the Hay Plain,” Mayor Carol Oataway told The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Hay Plains are well known to flood, with a difference of just 17m between the area’s lowest and highest points.

No high ground here. floods, Hay pic.twitter.com/j6XJQFhwfd

— Suzie Clark (@suzie_clark01) November 15, 2022

“No high ground here,” a farmer wrote on Twitter, sharing vision of sheep wading through floodwaters as she herded them with a taxi.

In the state’s Central West, Eugowra resident Don Taylor said the force of floodwaters that smashed into the town was “like a tsunami” and ripped homes from their foundations.

“It was basically a small tsunami of water but it had a heck of a lot of force,” Mr Taylor told the Today show.

“By the time I managed to get my gumboots on, the water was up to my thighs.”

A house was washed up on another street in Eugowra. Picture: Today show

NSW SES volunteers performed 150 flood rescues in the 24 hours after floods ripped through the town, with almost one in five residents stranded on rooftops.

Vision has emerged of entire houses that have washed up streets away from their original location, demonstrating the sheer force behind the moving water.

Young mother Jodie told A Current Affair of the terrifying moment that a “wall of water” came ploughing down the road in front of her.

Jodie says people were running everywhere. Picture: A Current Affair

She fled to her roof with other neighbours. Picture: A Current Affair

“It was just like a huge 1200m wall coming straight at us,” she said.

“It was insane.”

“People (were) running everywhere.”

Jodie said she quickly jumped out of her car and ran back inside her house to escape the torrent of water, but it soon entered the home.

Floodwaters ripped through the town of Eugowra. Picture: Twitter

“The water rose that quickly,” she said.

“I always said, ‘we would never flood, ever’,” she said.

Community members reportedly conducted a headcount of the town’s 700 residents on social media once they were able to get reception.

On Wednesday morning, police found the body of a woman while searching for two missing people in the town.

Dianne Smith, 60, last spoke to a relative on the phone about 9.30am on Monday. Picture: NSW Police

Ljubisa ‘Les’ Vugec, 85 was last seen at a home in Evelyn St about 9am on Monday. Picture: NSW Police

The identity has yet to be formally established, but police believe it could be 60-year-old Dianne Smith, who has been missing since Monday morning.

There remain concerns for 85-year-old Ljubisa “Les” Vugec who also has not been seen since Monday morning.

Police have issued a geo-targeted message and are still searching the area.

There were more than 900 requests for assistance and 222 flood rescues in NSW in the 24 hours to Tuesday.

The Wyangala Dam released a record 230,000 megalitres in one day sending a deluge of water downstream of the Lachlan River, and prompting emergency evacuations on Tuesday morning.

Dramatic video released by the NSW SES shows apocalyptic scenes as the massive volume of water flattens the landscape with terrifying force.

Wyangala Dam released 230,000 megalitres of water in one day which was sent crashing downstream of the Lachlan River. Picture: NSW RFS South West Slopes Zone

“Our communities in the Central West have been battered and bruised and they are in the firing line again,” Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters.

Residents of northern parts of Gunnedah – west of Tamworth – were woken about 1.30am to an urgent “evacuate now” warning as floodwaters were expected to inundate some streets.

EMERGENCY WARNING- PARTS OF NORTH GUNNEDAH
People in the following areas to EVACUATE NOW due to dangerous major flooding:
Bloomfield St
Little Conadilly St
Rosemary St
Tempest St
Maitland St
Marquis St
Maitland St
Elgin St
Abbott St
Little Conadilly Sthttps://t.co/FZooFaArispic.twitter.com/bZqLT7Zxad

— NSW SES (@NSWSES) November 15, 2022

The Namoi River at Gunnedah has reached the major flood level of 7.8m and continues to rise on Wednesday morning.

NSW SES conducted welfare checks and door knocks across flood affected areas in Eugowra. Picture: NSW SES Wollongong City Unit

The Murray River at Echuca is currently at 94.33 metres and falling but is expected to stay near the major flood level (94.4m) until late November.

People staying at the Moama Caravan & Tourist Park have been advised to evacuate before 9am on Wednesday.

There are 122 flood warnings that remain in place across the state including 25 evacuation orders.