There have been multiple flood rescues in western New South Wales as the State Emergency Services issues evacuation orders from a tourist park in Dubbo.
Key points:
- NSW SES Acting Superintendent Joshua Clark says there were 30 calls for help overnight
- Several roads are closed due to flooding
- The rivers rose rapidly due to heavy rains and an already saturated watershed
Falls of 25 millimeters to 75mm have been recorded in places, the State Emergency Service said, with the Macquarie River expected to reach a moderate level in Dubbo tonight.
The SES has issued an evacuation order for the Western Plains Tourist Park in Dubbo.
He says residents, guests and staff should now leave the high-danger area and get to safety, warning that once the waters cut off the road, it may be too dangerous to carry out any rescue.
Caravans and motorhomes can be moved to the Victoria Park Oval car park.
Some other low-lying roads in the city are likely to be closed this afternoon, with Dubbo Regional Council staff monitoring the Emile Serisier Bridge.
The Mitchell Highway between Wellington and Molong has reopened after water on the road, believed to be up to 1 meter deep in places, caused its closure.
Meanwhile, emergency crews are working to rescue a man camping on a riverbank in NSW Central West after heavy rain caused flash flooding overnight.
It had previously been reported that the man had already been rescued.
The State Emergency Service says it carried out six more rescues after heavy rains in parts of the region caused flash and overland flooding.
SES spokesman David Rankine said the man was camping at Sofala, north of Bathurst, on the banks of the Turon River when he was cut off by floodwater.
This car had trouble on the Turon River in Sofala. (Provided by: Heike Bohane)
“[He] he went to bed relatively unscathed, and obviously there’s been a significant amount of rain in the Turon catchment overnight, and that water came up pretty quickly and stranded him,” Rankine said.
“There’s no risk to life, but he’s certainly isolated on the wrong side of the flood waters.”
The SES said six rescues were from people driving through “road closed” signs.
Rankine said it was disappointing that people had ignored the warnings.
“Our volunteers don’t have the capacity to address the real needs of community members who may be struggling with this flood and [instead] rescuing people who made very bad decisions,” he said.
Several flood rescues were carried out overnight, including drivers who were stuck in floodwaters on the Mitchell Highway. (Provided by: NSW SES)
NSW SES Acting Superintendent Joshua Clark said there had been 30 calls for help overnight.
Last night Molong’s CBD was engulfed by fears it could flood.
Fortunately, Clark said, despite receiving more than 45mm, this had not happened.
He said there had been calls for help from an area stretching from Coolah and Dubbo to Sofala, Bathurst and Wellington.
“A fairly large and significant area of operation overnight with a number of rivers flooded,” he said.
Residents in the Perthville area knocked on the door after Queen Charlotte Creek rose rapidly overnight. (Provided by Christine Dean Smith)
Clark said the systems were completely saturated and no longer absorbing the rain, causing “the rapid response in rivers and watersheds” and exacerbating flooding.
“We’ve gone from what we call river flooding, where the river is full and bursting its banks and flooding, to now where the ground is so saturated that we’re seeing overland flooding.”
“[That] it’s literally where the water has nowhere else to go, so it doesn’t saturate or sink into the ground. It literally goes right through him, and that’s what we’re seeing now.”
With more rain forecast, he said it looked like a “never-ending story”.
Bernie Hewitt says he has been affected by flooding four times in the past nine months. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
Multiple floods take their toll
Harness racing trainer Bernie Hewitt said he felt a sense of deja vu in this latest round of wet weather.
He received 30mm overnight on his property at Georges Plains, near Bathurst, and had to move more than 50 horses to safety, including some who are racing next week.
“This is about the fourth time in the last nine months that we’ve been flooded,” he said.
He blamed a build-up of sand, willows and vegetation in streams around his farm for exacerbating the flooding.
“There’s a lot of work and effort that goes into fixing the fences and our training facilities,” Hewitt said.
He said the last flood cost him $25,000 in repairs and he expected a similar bill this time.
“Repeated flooding certainly favors you.”