Thousands face evacuation as flash floods loom in NSW

Thousands of residents across NSW remain under evacuation orders as the state braces for more rain and flash flooding on Tuesday.

The extent of devastating flooding in the northern NSW town of Moree is captured by a drone camera. Picture: Christop Naegle / Townlife

Thousands of residents across NSW remain under evacuation orders as the state braces for more rain and flash flooding forecast for Tuesday, after Lismore was spared its third flood disaster this year.

Two wet weather system have lashed NSW, with torrential rain causing the State Emergency Service to issue 122 warnings, including 20 evacuation orders reaching every corner of the state.

The body of a 28-year-old woman was recovered by rescuers in Gulgong, 30km north of Mudgee, after she drowned in flood water when her car was swept away on Sunday.

Evacuation orders were active in Moree, Mudgee, Narrandera, Carroll and Gunnedah late on Monday, with watch and act alerts in place for about 42 ­communities including Narromine, Nimbin, Bungawalbin and Warren.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast further rainfall and flash flooding on Tuesday before the wet weather eases on Wednesday until another system moves in at the weekend.

“Into Tuesday, as the system moves further south and the system from the west moves across to the east, we will see showers and possible severe storms across parts of eastern Australia, eastern NSW,” bureau forecaster Steven Bernasconi said.

“The focus will be on the south coast. The good news is that on Wednesday through to Saturday, adverse weather conditions will start to abate and we should have a bit of reprieve into the weekend.

“That said, we are monitoring another system in the west of the country that has the potential to impact the state on Sunday.”

Lismore residents breathed a sigh of relief after a major flood warning for the Wilson River was revised to a moderate level on Monday, after the weather system moved south.

The Northern Rivers, devastated by catastrophic floods in February, has again been lashed by heavy rainfall after more than 100mm fell on the region in 24 hours on Monday, with Alstonville recording 233mm.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said the town had started to come alive again on Monday afternoon as the rain clouds cleared. “There was a lot of anxiety around the town as today unfolded and when the flood warnings got downgraded, there was a lot of relief in the community,” he said.

About 4000 people in Moree are under evacuation warnings, as much of the town’s north remains cut off by flood waters and food is becoming increasingly scarce. “The water is receding at a very slow pace that is frustrating,” Moree Plains Shire mayor Mark Johnson said.