Rainfall: NSW-Victoria border towns cop a drenching

Huge amounts of rain continue to fall across the Victoria-NSW border region following an extended dry spell. See where has received the most.

Nikki Reynolds, David Johnston and Fiona Sheean

4 min read

November 30, 2023 - 4:00PM

The Weekly Times

New South Wales impacted by life-threatening flash flooding and damaging winds

Far East Gippsland and southern NSW are going from famine to feast with long overdue and record-breaking rainfall.

Genoa, near the Victoria-NSW border, has been pounded with more than 200mm falling in the last two days.

Timbilica, on the NSW side of the border, also hasn’t missed out with 203.2mm in the last six days after having only 191.4mm in the previous six months.

It recorded the driest winter on record when only 31.8mm fell in June, July and August.

Beef cattle farmer Robert Allan, who keeps official records for the Bureau of Meteorology at Timbilica, said it was also the second driest three-month period on record.

The previous record of 31.1mm came in the warmer months of February, March and April.

“Where we are here, we pick up the southerly rains from Victoria, but we just didn’t get them this year,” he said.

Flooded paddocks at Timbilica near the NSW-Victoria border. Picture: Supplied

“They say it never rains but it pours.”

Watch and act warnings for the Genoa and Cann rivers are currently in place.

â˜”ï¸ 185mm in 36 hours in far East Gippsland and itâ€™s still coming down. pic.twitter.com/LqH6Cc0IBC
â€” Fiona Sheean (@fiona_sheean) November 30, 2023

Genoa beef cattle farmer Tanya DeGeus also records rainfall for the BOM and reported 189.8mm for the 36-hour period to 9am Thursday with rain continuing to fall.

“I haven’t gone back to check the records but I reckon today’s would have to be the most I’ve ever tipped out in one day,” she said.

Combienbar, northwest of Cann River, has had 67.2mm between 9am and 1pm Thursday.

An overflowing rain gauge on a farm at Genoa in far East Gippsland. Picture: Supplied

Other East Gippsland rainfall totals to 9am Thursday included 111.6mm at Mallacoota with the Mallacoota-Genoa Road closed due to a landslide.

There was also 57mm at Bairnsdale, 50.8mm at Gelantipy, 56.2mm at Nowa Nowa and 52.6mm at Orbost.

The heavy rain has essentially been confined to the coast with Omeo recording 21.8mm to 9am Thursday.

In NSW, Bega had 102.2mm and Merimbula 73.8mm, but further inland Bombala had 39.2mm and Cooma recorded 49.2mm.

BEGA VALLEY REJOICES

Bega Valley farmers are counting their blessings with their best rainfall in almost 12 months.

The NSW southcoast is experiencing some of the heaviest falls in this late spring dump with Ulladulla recording 196.4mm to 9am Wednesday before another 23.8mm to 4pm.

Bega had 82.6mm to 9am Wednesday and a further 47mm to 4.30pm.

Bega dairy farmer Will Russell said the rain was warmly welcomed, but the parched region “didn’t need it all at once”.

It has average rainfall of up to 800mm, but Mr Russell’s farm had only had 350mm for the year before the heavens opened on Wednesday.

“We’re breathing a bit easier, but we don’t want too much more,” he said.

“There has probably been 200mm locally. We’ve had between 150mm to 170mm here.

“The 12 months preceding this rain for some parts of the Bega Valley it has been the driest 12 months on record.”

Will Russell at his farm in the Bega Valley which has had its best rain in a year.

Bega recorded only 4.2mm of rain in September.

Mr Russell has been hard feeding all stock since March and hopes he will escape another flood in the Bega River with minor flood warnings issued.

Across the border at Mallacoota, there has been 47mm between 9am to 4pm Wednesday following 15.2mm overnight.

East Gippsland rivers at risk of flooding include the Genoa, Mitchell, Tambo, Avon, Bemm, Cann and Snowy.

HARVEST DELAYS

Falls of more than 100mm of rain overnight stopped harvest and have some regions on flood alert in southern NSW and Victoria.

There were widespread reports of more than 40mm, enough to stop harvest for up to five days.

Walpeup cropping farmer Mick Pole emptied 50mm of rain of the gauge on Wednesday morning to bring the total for his region to 70mm for the week.

“We have had to stop harvesting; we were about 50 per cent through the wheat,” he said.

“Even getting on the paddocks after this substantial rain event will take a few days to dry out.”

Mr Pole estimated it could be five days before he was able to get the header back into the paddock.

A mate sent a pic from Swan Hill right near the airport. The elders app says 83mm but he has tipped out 110mm so far. @Warwick_Long pic.twitter.com/ZMpLk3I94f
â€” Dion Costigan (@LinkBrokering) November 28, 2023

Rainfall figures at Berrigan in southern NSW were more subdued, with Garry Seamer recording 20mm of rain overnight.

This brought the weekly total to 27mm.

Berrigan’s Garry Seamer, left, and president Lindsay Dickins.

He said much of the heavy rain appeared to be going around Berrigan on Wednesday morning.

“We have had to stop harvest, and we were probably about three quarter of the way through,” he said.

#harvest
Getting through some #wheat before the rain. pic.twitter.com/2W7eSu85VK
â€” Craig SðŸ§¢ (@CKMonty) November 27, 2023

Mr Seamer said the weather was patchy, with more than 100mm falling at Deniliquin in places, yet nearby at Echuca, there were measurements as small as 4mm.