Premier tours flooded NSW regions

Jack Gramenz and Phoebe Loomes | October 25, 2022

Premier Dominic Perrottet is touring flood-hit regional NSW as the state’s severe weather crisis continues, with more than 100 warnings active.

As he already has numerous times this year, with record rains unleashing repeated havoc, Mr Perrottet will spend much of the week meeting impacted communities.

He arrived in far northern Moree on Tuesday, where much of the town is inundated and almost 4000 people have been told to evacuate.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said there were flood warnings “stretching from one end of NSW to the other”.

“The flood risk and the threat remains across NSW today and will do so for some days to come,” she told reporters.

Some 128 emergency warnings had been issued by the State Emergency Service as of Tuesday afternoon including 25 “evacuate now” alerts, mostly in areas towards the Victorian border and in the state’s northwest.

A low pressure system continues to bring rain to much of coastal NSW but will move south during Tuesday evening, Jonathan How from the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected for coastal areas from Townsville in northeast Queensland through to Wollongong, south of Sydney, with a risk of heavy falls, intense winds and large hailstones, Mr How said.

A short reprieve will come for northern and northeastern NSW on Wednesday as showers clear, before the wet weather returns again on Thursday.

Major flooding is occurring at multiple inland towns including Echuca, Moama, Barham, Kerang, Moree, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Hillston, Hay and Condobolin.

Authorities are positioning resources including rescue aircraft after falls of more than 100mm at numerous locations on the south coast, increasing the flood risk.

SES Commissioner Carlene York said Bega was the number one priority, although major flooding was also a focus for the Western Plains, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.

More than 1000 SES volunteers were in the field on Tuesday and had carried out 32 flood rescues and responded to 664 requests for assistance in the previous 24 hours.

“We have had a flood fatality in this event and so it is disappointing the SES and our partner agencies are continually asked to go out and rescue people who are making a poor decision to drive into floodwaters,” Ms York said.

“One (rescue) is way too high, 32 is well above what we want to see.”

The body opf a 28-year-old woman was recovered from a flooded river’s edge on Monday after her vehicle was washed off a causeway near Gulgong, north of central western Mudgee.

While the SES is preparing for worsening conditions, it is also supporting communities as they deal with the aftermath.

“Particularly in some of these communities in western NSW, where they’re cut off and isolated, we’re very busy now with the resupply and making sure they can get access to food and medicines,” Ms York said.

The Snowy Mountains town of Cooma was hit by flash-flooding on Tuesday morning after copping an intense storm which isolated houses and closed roads.

The Murray River has peaked at the border town of Moama and is expected to remain above major flood levels for some time.

Renewed flooding is expected on the Lachlan River at Forbes.

Major flood warnings are current for catchments including for the Gwydir, Mehi, Peel, Namoi, Macquarie, Bell, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray and Darling rivers.