Flood-stricken towns above water, for now

RURAL townships across NSW have kept their collective heads above water as levees held, but several communities remain on high alert.

RURAL townships across NSW have kept their collective heads above water as levees held, but several communities remain on high alert.

Despite predictions that the Riverina town of Wagga Wagga, and Coonamble and Dubbo in the central west were likely to be flooded yesterday, river levels peaked below levee heights, providing some respite for residents and the State Emergency Service.

However, the relief could be short-lived. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast between 50mm and 100mm of rain for much of eastern Australia later this week. The manager of the bureau's Flood Warning Centre, Gordon McKay, said last night that with the land already saturated, even a little more rain could make the situation in NSW substantially worse.

"Even 30-40mm further up the catchment could be enough to cause a 50-year flood," he said.

Brian Connolly's 30ha Wagga farm was 90 per cent submerged yesterday. His father's house had water lapping inches from the door.

Horse breeders Daryle and Andrea Brewer chose to stay and defend their home in the largely evacuated Wagga suburb of Gumly Gumly, guided by a marker that showed the height of the 1974 flood,the last to inundate the town.

"When we built our house we had to make it above the '74 level, so we figured we'd be all right," Mr Brewer said. When they checked at 11pm on Sunday night the water was still out of sight, but by 12.30am they were surrounded.

"It was so scary, the way the water came up so quick," Mrs Brewer said.

NSW SES commissioner Murray Kear said more than 4000 people across the state were still stranded and the service had received 1300 calls for help.